At just before 10 on the morning of the 14th of September, Chris Moyles turned off the microphones at his Radio 1 studio and finished his programme with an orchestral suite playing him out as he wa
At just before 10 on the morning of the 14th of September, Chris Moyles turned off the microphones at his Radio 1 studio and finished his programme with an orchestral suite playing him out as he walked out of the BBC’s prestigious Broadcasting House in central London.
The popular (and frequently controversial) DJ’s eight and a half year tenure at the 6.30 Breakfast slot was over. Whilst some have questions about the long term future of Moyles with BBC radio (he’s at the moment going to play the role of King Herod in the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” as rumours circulate around the possibility of him having a late night programme on Radio 1), the question for the moment remains about one of the most popular programmes on British radio. Will listeners join Nick Grimshaw on the 24th, or do the sounds of Chris Evans on Radio 2, James Naughtie on Radio 4 and the sounds of other BBC and commercial stations beckon?
In an interview with Radio 4’s Feedback programme, Rhys Hughes, Radio 1’s director of programmes, said that a lot more of the audience would be included. “Chris created this soap opera around himself and the team, and the audience loved listening in on that. I think we what we’re trying to do with Nick’s show is bring the audience to the centre of the programme more, and the social media is going to be amplified as well,” Hughes said, adding that social media would be an integral part of audience inclusion.
The move comes as Radio 1 looks to get a younger audience, based on recommendations by the BBC Trust. Hughes said Grimshaw is incredibly passionate about music, saying he connects and understands the target audience that Radio 1 is hoping to achieve.
However, there are those who have questioned whether or not Grimshaw would be an ideal fit for one of the most popular programmes on British radio. In the weeks leading up to Chris Moyles’ final Breakfast programme, the show’s Facebook page had been inundated with comments about switching stations at 6.30 after the final programme was transmitted. Comments from ‘I’m switching to Radio 2’ to ‘I’ll no longer listen to Radio 1—they should be ashamed’ to ‘What will I listen to in the mornings’ swirled as the user scrolled through the page discussion.
The next few weeks provide a lot of questions for Radio 1—will listeners stick with Grimshaw and his new show? Can the station maintain a younger audience under the recommendations from the BBC Trust? Moreover, what will Grimshaw’s programme do to the identity of Radio 1, as it embraces at breakfast a more music driven programme in a visually driven, social media engaging climate for radio and its audiences?
Tune in at 6.30 on Monday, the 24th of September, and find out.
