Two stories about BBC Radio 1 - Chris Moyles and Nick Grimshaw
Today there are two stories about BBC Radio 1. Chris Moyles announcing that his record breaking show is coming to an end. And Nick Grimshaw is the new presenter of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show.
I've known Chris since he walked into Radio 1 in 1997. I was his producer on the Early Breakfast Show. I'm a fan of the Chris Moyles Show. And quite simply, he is the most successful breakfast show DJ in Radio 1's history. But he has done the show for over eight and a half years - he couldn't do it for ever - and I would rather he went out at the top of his game.
Added to that, this is just as much about Nick. He's a young star who is on the up. He loves his music, from Azealia Banks to One Direction. He has a great sense of humour, which comes across when interviewing either film stars or callers to the show. Plus, he can just about get away with using the word 'sick'. So, I believe the time is right to give him a new, bigger platform.
I wanted to surprise people today. There has been so much speculation over the years, almost as soon as Chris got the Breakfast Show, people were saying it would be soon over. But he not only survived the odd controversial moment, he also got record audience figures, loads of awards - including a Sony Gold - and has been entertaining over seven million listeners every morning.
I have said all along that when the moment came for the show to end, it would be a conversation between myself and Chris. It was. Chris wanted the Radio 1 listeners to be the first to hear, and to hear it from him. I'm glad in these days of instant news and social media, that this is what happened at 8 o'clock this morning.
I would like to thank Chris and the Team, and to congratulate Grimmy.
Ben Cooper is Controller, BBC Radio 1
Comment number 1.
At 23:15 11th Jul 2012, Trent Horn wrote:Although I am sad that Chris Moyles is going ( I have been listening to his shows for well over 10 years), I realise that the station must move on and continue to cater for the younger demographic i.e. 15 to 29 year olds. But my biggest gripe as a 39 year old is where do I go now?...I have said this for a few years now that there needs to be a Radio 1.5, I don't want to listen to Skrillex (but my 12 year old son does) that Radio 1 plays but I also don't want to listen to 60's music, folk, Ken Bruce and Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 (I am happy to listen to Simon Mayo, Steve Wright & Chris Evans if they play decent music such as Cold Play, Snow Patrol! Muse etc.) So there needs to be an in between station to cater for 35 to 50 year olds who want to listen to the decent music that's current today as well as music from 80's to 00's...or just as you are trying to do with the Radio1 refresh, you need to refresh Radio2 to cater for the 35 to 50 year olds? I'm a bit in Limbo at the moment...gone from having Radio1 on permanently to picking and choosing the DJ's I like to listen to from many stations (commercial included), and if Chris Moyles goes to another station, I'll probably tune in!
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Comment number 2.
At 18:22 12th Jul 2012, Trent Horn wrote:Ben, Trent here again...I've just driven home from work (2hr journey because of the weather), started off listening to Radio 1 at about 16:10 with Nick Grimshaw music ok at first then Bangarang came on so I switched over to Radio 2 & Steve Wright, guess what he was playing 60's music...Hole in my shoe, then another 60's track...so I just happened to switch on to Radio 4 and hear a trailer for 'Ben Cooper' talking about 'Festival Dad'...I almost thought you were talking about me! Seeing as I went to Download last year!
I think the Radio 4 presenter got hung up about the festival thing and missed a point you were trying to make, that the BBC needs to move us 39 year olds to 6 music and Radio 2...two things, firstly I agree we should move to Radio 2 but as explained above Radio 2 needs to be refreshed to cater for us, the 60's and folk needs to be moved up the chain...Radio 3? Secondly I drive a 2 year old BMW and it doesn't have DAB so I can't listen to 6 music...could The classical music on Radio 3 be moved to a DAB station? Then Radio 3 become the 60's and Folk station? What do you think? I hope you or someone at the BBC is reading this! I drive 30k miles per year for work and spend a lot of time listening to BBC Radio!
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Comment number 3.
At 11:44 25th Jul 2012, Quidsup wrote:Why is Nick Grimshaw being moved up the pecking order so quickly? First you move Scott Mills out the way for him (fair enough on that one - I'm not a fan of the Scott Mills show...) but why do you then promote him again within a few months and in turn cancel a show that that actually had an increase in listeners at the last count 7.1 to 7.2 million? I'm sorry Mr Cooper but this reeks of you wanting to change for changes sake.... I always hear that you want to appeal to a younger audience (although I'd argue that most of that demographic don't listen to the radio in the morning) and make the show more about the music? Well fine, but in my opinion you are going to lose an awful lot of listeners. Surely that is the aim above all else?? This makes no sense....
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