Ken Bruce leaving BBC Radio 2

Red Fred

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64305756

Ken Bruce announced last week that he will leave BBC Radio 2 at the end of March when his contract expires. He is joining Greatest Hits Radio, where he will present the 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. show. He will be bringing the Popmaster Quiz with him.

gucci

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058280844/ken-bruce-leaving-bbc-radio-2

He will be bringing the Popmaster Quiz with him......For his sins 😁

muddypaws

I guess 10.30 on weekdays mornings will be different from now on, although I usually listen to it on the app now usually when I'm out on the bike

Radio 2 has gone down hill for me, most of the old guard have left and they are aiming for a younger demographic now!

dxhound2005

Among other things, the presenters leaving don't like to have their pay published. And it works against the BBC as well, turning it into the "poacher's charter", mentioned in this piece.

Telegraph

By James Warrington

22 January 2023 • 10:00am

Ken Bruce’s departure came as a shock not only to listeners, but also to bosses at the BBC.

“It’s a big defection that caught people unawares,” says one industry insider. “Nobody was expecting Ken Bruce to go. He’s 71, he’s an old man, we assumed he’d be on Radio 2 forever.”

A staple of British radio for more than four decades, Bruce is one of the best-known DJs in the industry, entertaining several generations of listeners with music and his hit quiz PopMaster.

Yet the BBC should not have been caught out. Bruce’s departure is not isolated, but rather the latest in a long line of recent exits from the public service broadcaster's music stations.

High-profile names such as Simon Mayo, Vanessa Feltz and Paul O’Grady have all announced their exits over the last year, while Graham Norton left BBC Radio 2 in 2020.

The turmoil in part reflects a concerted effort by the BBC to replace its ageing talent with more youthful presenters as it tries to drag a new generation away from social media giants such as TikTok.

But the shift threatens to ostracise older people and open up a gulf in the broadcaster’s listenership – and in doing so calls into question its remit to deliver for all audiences.

The recent exodus also signals fresh competition from commercial rivals, who have recently been unshackled by regulation and are muscling in on the traditional audiences for BBC Radio 1, 2 and 3.

It exposes the crisis at the BBC's musical radio stations as they struggle to win new audiences and hang on to existing listeners while budgets are squeezed and competition ramps up.

Problems can be traced back to an overhaul of the commercial radio sector that has levelled the playing field for ad-funded radio stations that compete with the BBC.

The most recent changes, rolled out by regulator Ofcom in 2018, relaxed the requirements for commercial companies to produce local shows, paving the way for the creation of powerful nationwide stations capable of challenging the BBC's dominance of the national airwaves.

While DJs – and listeners – were once limited to a paltry selection of rivals outside the BBC, power in the industry has now consolidated with the two major players: Global, which own stations including Capital, Heart, Classic FM and LBC, and Bauer, which owns Jazz FM, Absolute and Magic among others.

Commercial radio now accounts for 51pc of all listening, according to the latest figures from industry body Rajar, with the rise of the private players helped in part by more and more audiences tuning in digitally.

As a result, established presenters are no longer limited to the BBC if they want to reach large audiences. Fortune, as well as fame, is also enticing the top talent: commercial radio stations tend to pay more than the BBC and DJs have more flexibility to take outside work.

Matt Deegan, founder of radio consultant Folder Media, says: “Obviously there’s more rules at the BBC and it’s more complicated to do a cheeky corporate job for £10,000. It’s the nature of the beast, it’s not as flexible as other employers.”

Stars at the BBC are also said to be annoyed by the annual publication of its highest-paid presenters’ salaries, which often leads to a barrage of headlines about overpaid presenters.

The league table is dubbed the “poacher’s charter” in the industry, giving rivals an easy guide on where to pitch pay when trying to lure talent away from the Beeb.

It is not only money drawing big-name presenters to the commercial sector, however. Radio expert James Cridland says: “The BBC has to do certain things in a very editorial guidance-cautious way. If you are a creative person, then actually it’s much better not to be told that you can’t do things.”

In March last year, Simon Mayo and Mark Kermonde ended their weekly film review show on Radio 5 Live, opting instead to go it alone and relaunch the programme in podcast form. Meanwhile in current affairs, BBC heavyweights Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall recently defected to Global, where they present The News Agents podcasts.

Released from the corporate straitjacket of the public service broadcaster, it is easy to see why many stars have made the move.

Cridland says: “My suspicion with the big names that we have seen leaving the BBC is yes, partially there may be some money in there, but I think mainly the reason why they are leaving is creative freedom to be able to do a bit more.”

A BBC spokesman rejected the claims, saying: “People come and work at the BBC as they know they’ll have genuine creative freedom with us, and can pursue their ambitions and passions with us.”

The tussle over talent is symptomatic of wider troubles at the corporation.

Auntie is struggling to win over young audiences who are more drawn to TikTok or Netflix than Radio 1 or BBC 3. The organisation also faces a squeeze on its licence fee funding, with BBC chair Richard Sharp this week warning that the future of the World Service is under threat.

The BBC is moving Radio 1 and Radio 2 closer together in a bid to stem the flow of listeners elsewhere. It is also investing heavily in Sounds, its streaming app for music, radio and podcasts.

One senior radio industry source describes this as a “land grab” to attract younger listeners, who are crucial to the survival of radio stations in the advertising-funded commercial sector.

In many ways, the move makes sense. Like all media organisations, the BBC is battling to keep hold of audiences whose attention is increasingly eaten up by the likes of Spotify and TikTok.

But older generations still spend vastly more time consuming BBC services and make up the bulk of its audience.

“The challenge for the BBC is getting the replenishers – younger audiences – in the door,” says Deegan.

“If you’ve got limited resources, it’s a harder job getting the younger ones in, knowing that even if you lose 20pc of the time older people spend with you, they’re still spending loads of hours consuming you.”

The strategy has left the BBC open to furious criticism. Former presenter Vanessa Feltz accused the corporation of “ageism” in the wake of Bruce’s departure.

The BBC has denied the claim, saying Radio 2 “will continue to be a multi-generational radio station”. It added that its audience age range has not shifted from the over-35s for decades.

Nevertheless, the youth drive and exodus of stars have prompted many industry-watchers to question whether older listeners are being left behind.

“As Radio 2 begins to sound a little bit younger, what happens to people who are 65 or 70? Where do they go?” asks Cridland. “They don’t seem to have a natural home on the BBC anymore, at least in a music broadcast format.”

Radio 2 remains a dominant force for the over-35 audience, and is still Europe’s most popular radio station by listener numbers. However, listeners are voting with their ears, and the commercial sector is starting to close the gap.

Rivals such as Greatest Hits are hoping to poach Ken Bruce's loyal fans, while Boom Radio, a fledgling venture aimed specifically at baby boomers, has become Britain’s fastest-growing station.

Helmed by radio veterans such as Roger Day (pictured), Boom Radio has become Britain's fastest-growing station.

Sensing blood in the water, the major groups are freeing up more cash in the hopes of luring more talent. Bauer has been switching off its AM transmitters for Absolute Radio, creating a saving one source said would pay for “three or four Ken Bruces”.

The competition raises difficult questions for executives in W1A over how the BBC can continue to serve older audiences. The gradual shift of Radio 2 down the demographic ladder has also sparked speculation that the BBC could launch a new station to plug the gap, though analysts dismiss the move as too costly and politically challenging.

In the meantime, the broadcaster recently hired Sam Jackson, a former Classic FM chief, as the new controller of Radio 3 to help inject some vigour. Cridland describes the appointment as a “clever move”, adding that it was “exactly the right thing to be doing”.

For BBC bosses, the challenge will be to balance the broadcaster’s push for younger audiences with the need to not alienate its older, more loyal listeners.

But with budgets squeezed, Deegan warns this might just be a sacrifice Aunty is forced to make.

“The BBC can’t do what it used to do, which is be everything to everybody,” he says. “It has to make some bets.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/01/22/exodus-stars-listeners-bbc-radio-launches-land-grab-tiktok-generation/

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145484#Comment_120145484

The problem for them is that their target age bracket of everyone aged 35+ is awfully wide nowadays

ford fiesta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120146288#Comment_120146288

Tony Blackburn, Johnnie Walker and Gary Davies will be the only older DJs left on the station - each doing their own Sounds of the 60s / 70s / 80s show.

irs

Funny that once Ken Bruce is gone Radio 2 wont be that different to 2fm or Today FM in the music it plays or the demographic it's aimed at for most of the day. A lot of the specialist programmes Radio 2 used to have have been downgraded and the features during the daytime shows that allowed them to play songs that wouldn't normally be aired are going as well.

ford fiesta

I can't see Scott Mills playing Christy Moore "Ride On" as Steve Wright regularly did up until a few months ago on the afternoon show

cml387

And unfortunately you can't listen to GHR over here because the app is geoblocked.

MarkN

Works on TuneIn for me!

Works on the uk radioplayer here and on a Roberts 93i!

Welsh Megaman

Vernon Kay!

Didn’t see that coming!

https://amp.theguardian.com/media/2023/feb/24/vernon-kay-new-host-ken-bruce-bbc-radio-2-slot

dxhound2005

Gary Davies will be filling in from 06 March until Kay starts some time in May. Kay is 48, Ken was 41 when he got the gig on a permanent basis.

ford fiesta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120284537#Comment_120284537

no surprise there, the direction the station is going. Naturally Gary Davies should be getting the gig, but he is too old.

Jeremy Vine will be the only daytime presenter that was not a former 90s/00s Radio 1 presenter

I suspect Tony Blackburn and Johnnie Walker will be the next to leave.

ads20101

The BBC have decided to shaft him a bit further.

He was going to remain at the beeb until the end of March but they are pushing him out next Friday.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/feb/24/ken-bruce-says-bbc-has-hastened-his-radio-2-exit

I didn't think that BBC radio 2 would fall for the same trap as others (RTE 2FM - I'm looking at you) by continually trying to get a younger audience.

This may have been true once, but the younger audience is more interested in alternative on-line sources. Radio stations would do well trying to maintain their +35 demographic.

Anyway.... that's beside the point - I'm moving to where popmaster goes - in this case, Greatest Hits Radio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120290208#Comment_120290208

Tbh I was very surprised that the BBC have allowed presenters who are jumping ship to other radio stations remain on air, here in Ireland any presenters who have ever signed to a rival station have been taken off air with immediate effect.

Red Fred

Today was Ken's final dhow. The BBC took him off air 3 weeks early.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/mar/03/ken-bruce-bbc-radio-2-after-31-years

odyssey06

They are a public service broadcaster ... not supposed to be commercial competitors. So I dont see on what grounds they should be concerned about leaving him on air.

irs

I can see where Radio 2 are coming from. Their target audience now includes people who were still in school in the mid 00's. At that time most people would have thought the likes of Bruce and Steve Wright would be gone by the 2020's and Chris Moyles and Scott Mills having taken over. But Bruce in particular seems to have gotten more popular with time though and him leaving feels a bit premature. Hearing Birdland by Weather Report was a reminder how much music the station has been playing regularly for years is just going to disappear overnight.

gucci

Popmaster now on TV (for our sins!)

https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/ken-bruce-interview-popmaster-tv-music-quiz-launch-bbc-2420011

its_steve116

In hindsight, I would have liked Patrick Kielty to have gotten Ken's slot.

gucci

Just checked the schedule, is it Vernon Kay all the time or is this his gig? Can't really imagine listening to his shtick on the daily tbh

Watched ep 1 of pop master on channel 4 catch up. Fairly low budget TV, nice mix of challenging and not so tough questions, pretty well suited to afternoon TV

Welsh Megaman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120843804#Comment_120843804

Vernon has the full-time gig, Ken has moved to Greatest Hits Radio in the same timeslot.