Radio News

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

XFM ditching all DJs between 10am and 4pm

Most of this post is from an email I sent to infov0re (who sent me the above link) yesterday, so for one person in this community this is a cross-post.

This looks a catastrophically bad idea; if their target demographic want to listen to the radio without DJs they have ample better options. Also, presumably they will still have adverts - so essentially that's all the downsides of Radio 1 (same songs over and over) without the upsides (no ads, chatter) and all the downsides of last.fm (bit cold and impersonal) without the upsides (no ads, ability to skip / love).

Presumably this is based on some kind of "but this is how the kids listen to music! On their iPod Shuffles! Get with the programme, grandad!" research, but it seems to be ignoring the fact that THE UNIQUE SELLING POINT OF RADIO IS MUSIC PLUS COMMENTARY and not music alone which is pretty much everywhere.

XFM does seem to be noticeably going down the pan, and I don't know if that's just the music taste of the current breakfast DJ or if it's policy - but the music, whilst already heavily playlisted, seems to have become a lot more homogenous in sound as well. I do remember this happening before, with Radio 1 - once Chris Evans left there was a big management shake-up which moved things in the opposite direction, towards (more) WOAH PERSONALITY DJs who, curiously, followed playlists more slavishly. This was, obviously, equally horrible as a look.

So, whatever you think of XFM as a station generally, what do you think about the idea of ditching DJs entirely during the day? Am I justified in the above horrified squealing, or is this the way, if anywhere, music radio is heading? Incidentally miggy mentioned The Nation's Favourite in a post a couple of weeks ago, and this has got me thinking that that would be a very interesting book to read given the changes in how music has been delivered and consumed since it was written.

Comments

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

Whilst I would disagree with most of your comment (see my post above), I couldn't agree more about Laverne. I had my doubts when she first became the breakfast DJ, but she proved the doubters wrong and became essential morning listening. For years I've had Xfm on whilst I shaved and got dressed in the morning... just a half hour hit of radio before work. But since Laverne left, I've hardly listened at all, or gone for Five Live instead. Let's hope Alex Zane can restore my faith in the X Breakfast.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

You make good points above on the new daytime schedule - I hope you're right that the listener gets it right in terms of choosing the right music. The losing the DJs bit is the one I can't understand - I turn to radio precisely to get a bit of talking, if I want pure music than I have my iPod.

Paul Tonkinson is indeed terrible - his humour is lowest common denominator stuff, and he appears to have no interest whatsoever in the music. I don't have too much hope for Alex Zane either. Problem is, I struggle to think of alternatives - who are the other good breakfast DJs at the moment (on a music station, that is)?

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

> who are the other good breakfast DJs at the moment?

John Humphreys & James Naughtie do me just fine :-)

I used to love Tom Binns on Xfm when I was in 6th form, until he got sacked for playing the Clint Boon Experience twice in one show despite being told not to.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

I get my morning news fix from the Grauniad, so I want my radio to provide music, otherwise Today would be the obvious option.

There must be some good breakfast DJs somewhere across the oodles of stations I get on DAB

[mippy.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHAHAHA what a thing to get sacked for! Was it White No Sugar?

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

I dunno, but he also got Xfm a £50,000 fine for talking about bestiality on the breakfast show!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I think the Clint Boon business was just after that, and he was on a warning.

[mippy.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, I knew I knew that name from somewhere. You'd think bestiality would be more likely to get a man sacked than Boon.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I can't name another CBE song (despite having the album!) so it must have been!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Well yes, all this was nearly ten years ago. Clint himself has NOT AGED A DAY since he was in the Inspirals, I ph34r he has found the fountain of youth or something...