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BBC Radio 2
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BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the UK. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres. Radio 2 broadcasts throughout the UK on FM between 88.1 and 90.2MHz from studios in Western House, adjacent to Broadcasting House in central London. Programmes are relayed on digital radio via DAB, Sky Digital, Cable TV, IPTV, Freeview, Freesat and the Internet.
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BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the UK. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres. Radio 2 broadcasts throughout the UK on FM between 88.1 and 90.2MHz from studios in Western House, adjacent to Broadcasting House in central London. Programmes are relayed on digital radio via DAB, Sky Digital, Cable TV, IPTV, Freeview, Freesat and the Internet. The station's programming is broadcast on a network of FM transmitters of up to 250kW, the strongest FM signals in the EU.
History
1967-1986
The station launched at 05:30 on 30 September 1967, and evolved from the Light Programme, with some of the Light's music shows transferring to the newly-launched Radio 1. The first show had started at 05:30am (on the Light programme) but continued with Breakfast Special from Paul Hollingdale as Radio 1 split.
In early years, much programming and music was common to both stations, particularly on the shared FM frequency. Radio 1 was targeted at the audience of pirate radio stations whereas Radio 2 settled down as a middle-of-the-road station playing laid-back pop/rock, folk and country, jazz and big-band music, easy listening, light classics, and oldies, with significant amounts of comedy and sport. Notable broadcasters on Radio 2 in the 70s and 80s were Ray Moore on early breakfast, Terry Wogan on breakfast, replaced by Ken Bruce and later Derek Jameson; Jimmy Young and his lunchtime news and current affairs show; 'Diddy' David Hamilton on mid-afteroons, John Dunn at what became known as drivetime. Radio 2 became the first 24-hour radio station in the UK in 1979.
Frances Line: 1986-1996
The station's policy remained stable with only minor changes until April 1986 when Frances Line, head of music, repositioned the station. She would become controller in 1990. An ageing Radio 1 audience which had grown up with the station was sticking with it into their 40s and beyond; Line repositioned Radio 2 to appeal exclusively to the over-fifties and introduced older presenters and based the playlist around nostalgia, easy listening and light music. As a result, David Hamilton quit the station at the end of 1986, claiming the music policy had become geriatric; Terry Wogan's replacement Derek Jameson also appealed to an older, downmarket demographic. Although popular with its target audience, the policy alienated many younger listeners who had listened to both Radio 1 and Radio 2 and the station's audience fell. It took another hit when sports coverage moved to Radio 5 in August 1990. Another blow was struck by the rise of album-rock commercial stations (particularly Virgin Radio) and 'gold' spinoffs from Independent Local Radio stations playing classic pop and rock. With the station's audience in decline a change of emphasis was needed.
James Moir "The Nation's Favourite" - 1996 onwards
Line was replaced by James Moir in 1996. Moir repositioned Radio 2 with a largely AOR/contemporary playlist by day, aimed at a more mature audience than Radio 1 (which, post-Britpop, was again starting to focus on a young audience) but still embracing new music, and more specialist broadcasting by recognised genre experts in the evenings. Unlike the early-90s repositioning of Radio 1 in which the BBC lost many well-known names, many former Radio 1 presenters stayed with the BBC and moved across to Radio 2.
Radio 2 is now termed "the nation's favourite", a title the BBC formerly used for BBC Radio 1. It is the most listened to station in the UK, its schedule filled with broadcasters such as: Sir Terry Wogan, Steve Wright, Chris Evans, Ken Bruce, Jeremy Vine, Mark Radcliffe, Stuart Maconie, Janice Long, Johnnie Walker and Bob Harris.
As well as having most listeners nationally, it ranks first in all regions above local radio stations. BBC Radio 2 played to 27% of the available audience in 2006.
The current position
The station now has adult listeners, mainly aged 25 and above, although in recent years it has attracted more younger listeners. Its daytime playlist features music from the 1960s to various current chart hits, album and indie music. The station's appeal is broad and deep, with accessible daytime programmes and specialist programmes of particular types or eras of music.
Weekday evenings feature specialist music, including jazz, folk music, blues, country and western, reggae, classic rock, showtunes and biographies and documentaries on musical artists and genres. This specialist programming typically runs from 19:00 to 20:00, and from 22:00 to midnight.
Brian Matthew's "Sounds of the Sixties" remains a regular fixture on the Saturday schedule, Steve Harley's shorter "Sounds of the Seventies" running midweek.
On Sundays the schedule reverts closer to its old style, with a focus on easy listening music, presenters like Malcolm Laycock and David Jacobs and long-standing programmes like Sunday Half Hour.
Radio 2 does not broadcast complete works of classical music (the domain of Radio 3,) or offer in-depth discussion or drama and although some book readings, comedy and arts coverage still remains on the station this is the remit of Radio 4. Jeremy Vine's weekday lunchtime show covers current and consumer affairs informally, a style pioneered by Jimmy Young. Until Radio Five Live, Radio 2's medium wave frequencies carried the BBC's sports coverage. Radio 5 Live was positioned on Radio 2's mediumwave frequencies.
Like all BBC radio stations broadcasting to UK audiences, Radio 2 is funded by the television licence fee, and does not broadcast commercials.
BBC Radio 2's last closedown was at 02:02 on 27 January 1979. Sarah Kennedy (who, since 1993 has been a daily early-morning presenter) was at the Newsdesk after Brian Matthew finished "Round Midnight". From 02:00 to 05:00 the following night, listeners heard "You and the Night and the Music". Radio 2 has the longest period of continuous broadcasting of any national radio station in the UK.
The BBC Pips are broadcast at 07:00 and 08:00 on weekdays, then at 17:00.
BBC Radio 2 moved its studios from Broadcasting House to the adjacent Western House in 2005. Although the majority of programming comes from London, some shows are broadcast from other cities around the UK, including Birmingham and Manchester. For many years, the network's overnight presenters, such as Janice Long and Alex Lester, were based in Birmingham, but made the move to London in April 2008. Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie continue to present their show from Manchester.
In February 2007, Radio 2 recruited Jeff Smith, director of UK and International programming at Napster and a former head of music at Radio 1, as its new head of music. Smith joined the network on 26 March.
Presenters and programmes
Daytime
Evenings
Notable programming
Weekday Breakfast Show
Currently this slot is broadcast between 07:30 and 09:30, Monday to Friday and is hosted by Terry Wogan under the alternative title Wake Up to Wogan.
Presenter history
Specialist programming
Mondays
Tuesdays
Wednesdays
Thursdays
- Bob Harris: Country
- Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour
Fridays
Saturdays
Sundays
Others
Stand-in presenters
News/travel/continuity staff
Daytime
Evenings
Past presenters
Controllers
Controversy
In April 1999 Radio 2 presenter Johnnie Walker was suspended from his drivetime show after allegations concerning a drug problem appeared in the Sunday tabloid, the News of the World. Walker had been the victim of a tabloid exposé over his cocaine problem. Bosses later reinstated him after he was fined £2,000 for possession of cocaine.
On 16 October 2008, an episode of the Russell Brand Show, co-hosted by fellow Radio 2 presenter Jonathan Ross was recorded for transmission at a later date. The show included Brand and Ross leaving four prank messages on actor Andrew Sachs's answerphone including offensive remarks about his grandaughter and use of foul language. The programme was subsequently broadcast on Saturday 18 October, partially censored, having passed the various pre-transmission checks from the programme's editors. Initially the programme only received a negligible number of complaints regarding Jonathan Ross' bad language; however, the incident was reported a week later by the Mail on Sunday and a public outcry soon ensued. The case was referred to both Ofcom and the BBC Trust and in the interim Ross and Brand were both suspended for 12 weeks from all BBC programmes pending investigation. Soon after these announcements Russell Brand announced his resignation from the BBC shortly followed by the controller at the time, Lesley Douglas. Jonathan Ross was suspended from the BBC without pay for 12 weeks.
Logo History
Logo images from TV & Radio Bits
External links
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