Implications of Radio 2 changes

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Yes to the point about R2 and the older listener, but the R1 case was different. It was the commercials who complained that the BBC was starting to cater for the lucrative pop-loving 'middle youth' market (with older presenters like Chris Moyles) when its remit had been to target the 15-29 year-olds. The BBC conceded the point.

Jenny Abramsky boasted, when she was Director of Radio (or Audio and Music as it was briefly renamed) that R2 had the 'broadest range of music' of any radio station, and it did take in pop, orchestral, light classical, musicals, jazz, blues - all genres in their lighter, more popular forms. It was when the station began to reposition itself as the 'adult pop' station to distinguish it from R1, with older presenters from R1 moving to R2, and then the non-pop programmes gradually being dropped, that Radio 3 was volunteered to extend its 'non-classical' genres which would have a wider appeal than to the established Radio 3 audience, with one leap bringing in new listeners … and pushing out older ones.

It seems to me the common denominator between the 50+ listeners to Radio 2 (basically popular-music fans) and the R3 listeners in their 50s (basically classical fans) is that they all like a range of non-classical music. It's a no-brainer to introduce unaccustomed non-classical music to R3 and the Proms, as long as it's of the <ahem> 'discerning' kind. And for those who only want the established classical/jazz diet, well, it's still on the menu, isn't it? Mmm? Mmm?

OK, thank you, I didn't know that fully but in 2018 someone needs to tell (a) the UKRD Group that introducing a part-national "70s and more" station last autumn, albeit obscured to appear local in a variety of areas, isn't specifically "targeting" 15-29 year olds and (b) R2 that an "adult pop" station is not simply about music alleged to be adult but presenter style which needs to be distinct from that on the non-adult station. It seems to me that the goalposts are being moved by both parties and in the opposite direction from what was agreed. I would have thought that R3 should actually be picking up listeners because of the proposed changes at R2 without having to change its current content. For some, it will be too much.

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Gender equality in broadcasting could have been entirely different.

Such a shame, for example, that Joni Mitchell never went into radio.

I could listen to her for hours....................in fact I just have done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWEz_hpOQME

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsvz7BttBSo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzKwsgy-U58