BBC launches new Radio 2 spin-off station in bid to win again listeners

The BBC has introduced plans for a brand new Radio 2 spin-off station to woo again listeners – a lot of whom had been outraged by the departures of Ken Bruce and Steve Wright.

The broadcaster says the brand new station is certainly one of 4 it intends to launch on DAB and on-line by way of BBC sounds, and it’ll give attention to music of the Fifties, 60s and 70s.

Others embrace a sister station for Radio One aimed toward younger listeners, taking part in music from the 2000s onwards.

The Radio 2 spin-off will supply ‘a particular tackle pop nostalgia’ from the 50s, 60s and 70s, the BBC reviews.

The station may even platform  ‘among the individuals who formed the cultural panorama on the time’ 

In January 2023, Ken Bruce, 72, grew to become the newest veteran to go away the BBC – leaping ship after 45 years for industrial rival Greatest Hits Radio

Steve Wright notably left Radio 2’s weekday afternoon slot in 2022 after 24 years on the station, when it was introduced he would get replaced by DJ Scott Mills

The BBC provides: ‘[It will] carry heritage artist catalogues and tales to life in a a lot deeper and extra richly textured method than the principle mixed-genre Radio 2 schedule can enable.’

Leaders on the company hope a few of Radio 2’s former listeners could also be persuaded to tune in, after vital drops following the high-profile exits of Ken Bruce, Graham Norton, Chris Evans and Simon Mayo in recent times.

Bruce admitted feeling like he had been ‘taken with no consideration’ when he left his Radio 2 present final 12 months. And his former BBC bosses could have had trigger to kick themselves after his new station – Greatest Hits – gained 800,000 weekly listeners from June final 12 months.    

It now has 6.5m weekly listeners throughout all its reveals, in comparison with 3.7m final 12 months. Radio 2 is registering 13.5m weekly listeners, which is a million down on the identical interval final 12 months.

Bruce stated: ‘I’m delighted to listen to that Greatest Hits Radio has welcomed increasingly more listeners. 

‘Much like myself, it is nice to know extra individuals are having fun with the easiest music from the 70s, 80s and 90s in addition to my fellow broadcasters similar to Simon Mayo and Jackie Brambles.’

Bruce give up his Radio 2 present after 31 years following the exit of fellow stalwart Steve Wright. 

Wright, 68, controversially had his afternoon present axed by BBC bosses in 2022 as a part of a string of older presenter leaving or being sidelined on the station.

But Radio 2 revealed final August he would return to take over from Paul Gambaccini because the host of its long-running present Pick of the Pops.

Vernon Kay, 49,  took over the Radio 2 mid-morning slot final 12 months from veteran broadcaster Ken Bruce, who helmed the programme for 31 years

The BBC has been accused of desperately making an attempt to attraction to a youthful viewers, with new hosts similar to Vernon Kay (left) and Scott Mills (proper)

Other older presenters to have left the station in latest occasions embrace Vanessa Feltz, 61, and Paul O’Grady, who died final 12 months aged 67.

Long-serving listeners have accused Radio 2 bosses of desperately making an attempt to attraction to a youthful viewers, with new hosts similar to Vernon Kay, Scott Mills and Michelle Visage. Radio viewers figures confirmed the station had misplaced one million listeners since Ken Bruce’s departure.

Lorna Clarke, director of BBC Music, stated: ‘Our stations have captured the historical past of music within the UK in the course of the previous six a long time for our audiences, and we now wish to give them extra selection from the BBC as listening habits are altering.

“Our extensions for Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 3 will allow listeners to deep-dive into more pop and classical genres and periods of music they love the most, uniquely created by the BBC.”

Insiders counsel the 4 new stations could anger rivals Absolute, Smooth and Heart – which have produced their very own area of interest spin-offs and are prone to understand the BBC’s transfer as a problem.

The BBC has been sharing its plans with the audio sector and a public session will quickly be launched.

The proposed stations require regulatory approvals, together with a Public Interest Test (PIT), which the BBC estimates will begin within the coming weeks.