I’m a HUGE supporter of the BBC and public serving broadcasting - quality impartial journalism that’s respected and relied upon worldwide, engaging educational content and distinctive creative output that can afford to take risks.
As the funding model continues to be debated, it’s worth remembering that your licence fee remains excellent value for money - in fact, even more so than ever:
📺📻📱 You may have seen this before, but it's good to be reminded of what you get for the licence fee... pic.twitter.com/XeVouSDIW0
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) February 6, 2020
Despite constant smears from people on both sides of the political spectrum (often via anonymous social media accounts), a recent survey by Ipsos MORI shows more than half of UK adults who follow the news say they’re most likely to turn to the BBC and it remains the most-trusted news source among Brits.
That’s not to say it is always right - after all, any broadcaster is capable of making mistakes and a public body must be held accountable.
Today, I’m focusing on one issue specifically: diverting too much focus and attention towards a younger audience.
Radio 2, like all radio stations, has evolved over time to continuously bring in new listeners who’ve grown older.
Unlike a more focused commercial radio, its remit is to have broad appeal AKA anyone over 35 (overall, so not trying to target a 35 year-old and a 75 year-old simultaneously - including specialist shows for niche audiences).
R2 has long, rightly, championed new adult contemporary music - melodic, harmonic pop/soft rock/ballads, including from UK artists - and, with fewer commercial stations also doing this today, that continues to be an important part of what makes it distinctive.
At Hampshire Hit Radio, our Currents playlist was carefully crafted with modern tracks that complemented the tried and tested core artists/songs which defined our station sound. In other words, if it didn’t sit nicely alongside the timeless classics our listeners know and love, it didn’t make the cut.
I’d argue, in the last couple of years, R2 has been noticeably less strict with more dance/urban music seeping through - including modern reworkings of iconic songs (e.g. What’s Love Got To Do With It and Dancing In The Moonlight).
Ken Bruce seemed less than impressed with having to play the new remix of Tina Turner’s 1984 hit last week.
Call me cynical but don’t you think his audience would much rather hear the original they grew up with than a "pointless" remake? (That’s a quote - I quite like it personally, but I’m not in the target demo!)
From yesterday - clearly not a fan of the new Tina Turner remix by Kygo either 😂 pic.twitter.com/ixlPODTQ63
— Harrison RB (@HarrisonRBRadio) August 6, 2020
To make matters worse, as the BBC attempt to drive a new younger audience for Radio 2 daytimes - with a clear increase in the number of currents, recurrents and hits from the last 30 years (a typical 44 year-old today was a key influencer of the charts in 1990) - they’re also trying to hang on to the existing one, meaning inconsistency.
Any other station couldn’t cut through today without a clear focus. Whichever demographic it chooses to serve, the station needs more aggressive targeting in daytime.
Looking at RAJAR, the main bulk of Radio 2′s listenership is aged 45-74 - but is it out of genuine loyalty or just routine? The station is helped by its heritage position, talent and inbuilt trust.
With steady decline among 35-44s over the last decade, you can see why R2 is repositioning to narrow the gap between itself and Radio 1 - but it’s risky business.
Perhaps more baffling is BBC Local Radio. The majority of its audience is 55+ and there’s a golden opportunity; these are people who listen to a lot of radio and we have an aging population.
In cutting costs, the BBC could create a solid offering with a mix of quality local content and network shows providing friendly company just for older listeners who are not as well served by commercial radio.
In October last year, Ofcom’s annual report suggested the BBC will need to do “much more” to attract young people to their services - but that doesn’t mean across all outlets nor that it should desert older demographics in doing so.
Chasing the dream of more younger listeners who already have a whole host of media that most are satisfied with, while tinkering with stations built for and successful with older audiences who are among the BBC’s strongest supporters and therefore alienating them, is a puzzling move.
I hope they think again.
