New Head of Music at Radio 1

[Mykesbass]

I must admit this disheartens me, even though, at 51 I am not Radio 1's target audience, but I do feel that this will hasten the homogenisation of pop music:

[url="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bbc-radio-1-promises-data-will-not-replace-djs-as-it-appoints-algorithm-playlist-expert-chris-price-a6840001.html"]http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bbc-radio-1-promises-data-will-not-replace-djs-as-it-appoints-algorithm-playlist-expert-chris-price-a6840001.html[/url]

[Grangur]

You mean Radio 1 plays music?

[elephantgrey]

I think it's the smart decision for the station. Its mission statement isn't to play interesting, clasic, or alternative music, but play what's popular.
Figuring out what music that is, is a job beat don't by a computer.

I'm still not going to located to it, but then I'm not the stations key demographic. Im shure that those that are will find the station the better for the change though.

[discreet]

No-one needs to listen to Radio 1 all day. Just put twelve crap songs on your iPod and set it to 'shuffle'.

[taunton-hobbit]

Oh goody, even less choice for the 'presenters'.............

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1454097896' post='2966502']
Its mission statement isn't to play interesting, clasic, or alternative music, but play what's popular.

[/quote]

Can you provide a link to this mission statement please? The latest Statement of Programme Policy I can find is from 2010/2011 and is very different from this.

[quote]
[b] Service remit[/b]
[color=#333333][font=Arial, Helvetica, freesans, sans-serif][size=3]

The remit of Radio 1 is to entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. Its target audience is 15-29 year olds and it should also provide some programming for younger teenagers.[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=Arial, Helvetica, freesans, sans-serif][size=3]It should offer a range of new music, support emerging artists – especially those from the UK – and provide a platform for live music. News, documentaries and advice campaigns should cover areas of relevance to young adults.[/size][/font][/color][/quote]

[LayDownThaFunk]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1454098133' post='2966504']
No-one needs to listen to Radio 1 all day. Just put twelve crap songs on your iPod and set it to 'shuffle'.
[/quote]
Isn't that Radio 2? And replace crap with old crap.

[pfretrock]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1454097455' post='2966496']
You mean Radio 1 plays music?
[/quote]
You bet they do, I distinctly remember walking through the school gates at 8:30, into year 5 room, turning on the valve radio we were allowed, tuned to Radio 1. I can remember Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix and Status Quo.

[Billy Apple]

I don't see anything wrong here. It seems like they are using information to decide on what gets played. I think this is quite democratic. I suppose we could have the good old days where Monster Monster tossers paid Smashie and Nicey to play whoever the record company wanted promoting.

[taunton-hobbit]

It took the Beeb years to start to get it almost right.
When it first started it was a rehash of the Light programme with
insufficient needle time (no-one had considered this...!),
programming running twinned with the 'new' radio 2, and generally abysmal.
I was sure that the whole thing was thrown together at the behest of
Harold Wilson (PM) who was frightened witless by the prospect of a
yoof uprising in protest at the outlawing of the (far more professional) Pirates....

[PaulWarning]

Radio 1 isn't aimed at anyone over 30 is it? so most people on are here aren't supposed to like it, we've turned into our parents, "they don't make music like they used too", the only stations I listen too are on DAB, Radio 6 and the oldies station Gold (only available in limited parts of the country) and that's in the car, when I'm at home it's spotify.
Mind you getting rid of DJ's would be an mostly be an improvement on all music stations (I do like Mark Radcliffe though), another plus for spotify

Edited January 31, 2016 by PaulWarning

[colgraff]

I'm generally an Absolute Radio man but only when they have DJs who don't talk too much. I like the Saturday rock show.

[Grangur]

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1454237872' post='2967677']

You bet they do, I distinctly remember walking through the school gates at 8:30, into year 5 room, turning on the valve radio we were allowed, tuned to Radio 1. I can remember Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix and Status Quo.
[/quote]
I too remember growing up the Tony Backburn, Alan Freeman and DLT. They played music back then. But more recently I tuned into Chris Moyles breakfast show (I know he's gone now too) and he played no music at all whatsoever. Not even a gingle if I remember correctly. All you got was "conversation" comparing notes about t-shirt wearing or some such carp.

These days, I have to confess I've moved on to Radio 2 - the preserve of the middle aged.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Grangur

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1454238296' post='2967687']
I don't see anything wrong here. It seems like they are using information to decide on what gets played. I think this is quite democratic. I suppose we could have the good old days where Monster Monster tossers paid Smashie and Nicey to play whoever the record company wanted promoting.
[/quote]

See their service remit in post #6 - they are supposed to support new music and emerging artists. How is an algorithm going to do that?

[Dad3353]

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1454097896' post='2966502']
I think it's the smart decision for the station. Its mission statement isn't to play interesting, clasic, or alternative music, but play what's popular.
Figuring out what music that is, is a job beat don't by a computer.

I'm still not going to located to it, but then I'm not the stations key demographic. Im shure that those that are will find the station the better for the change though.
[/quote]

Is this the redactional standard with which computers are going to better us..? Hmm...

[BigRedX]

Who cares?

All the interesting new music on the BBC is on 6 Music and occasionally on Radio 3 or 4.

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1454257023' post='2967906']
Who cares?

[/quote]

You should, as if R1 were doing their job properly DV & the T's would be in with a serious shout of some airplay!

[Rich]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1454257023' post='2967906']
Who cares?[/quote]Agreed. Being an old fart, I have filed R1 firmly under 'meh' for a number of years.
[quote]All the interesting new music on the BBC is on 6 Music and occasionally on Radio 3 or 4.
[/quote]
Dermot O'Leary has some very different and cool** stuff on his Saturday afternoon R2 show too.


** my opinion only, of course. YMMV

[paul_5]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1454097455' post='2966496']
You mean Radio 1 plays music?
[/quote]

yup - 6 records* every hour!





*the same 6 records

[paul_5]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1454257023' post='2967906']
Who cares?

All the interesting new music on the BBC is on 6 Music and occasionally on Radio 3 or 4.
[/quote]

This.

[colgraff]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1454257023' post='2967906']
Who cares?

All the interesting new music on the BBC is on 6 Music and occasionally on Radio 3 or 4.
[/quote]
In your opinion, of course. Radio 1 plays a lot of new music all of the time, just not new music that you like. I personally approve of the BBCs strategy of targeting different demographic groups through different stations. 'Interesting' is a very subjective term.

Edited January 31, 2016 by colgraff

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1454258041' post='2967919']
You should, as if R1 were doing their job properly DV & the T's would be in with a serious shout of some airplay!
[/quote]

The Terrortones would only ever have been in with a chance of Radio 1 airplay in the days of John Peel. I can't really see "I Can't Find My BrainCell", "Invasion Of The SpiderQueen" of "StickyPants Trance" making the daytime playlist under any of it's incarnations, and that's the main attraction of getting on Radio 1.

Besides as others have said, with the introduction of 6 Music and broadening of Radios 2, 3 and 4, Radio 1 is no longer the only national radio option for introducing new music to a wider audience. Radio 1 can go off and be as mainstream and populist as it wants because there are plenty of other credible alternatives with national coverage.