In an interview with Metro, Paul O'Grady hit out at the BBC following his departure from Radio 2:
Radio 2 has changed, it’s not what it was. They’re trying to aim for a much younger audience, which doesn’t make sense because you’ve got Radio 1. Radio 2 was always for an older audience.
I've written countless blogs playing devil's advocate with the reasons for repositioning Radio 2 while discussing the BBC's focus on younger audiences which alienates older licence fee payers.
While Paul is right that Radio 2 is looking to attract younger listeners than the average age of its current lot, the whole point is to create more of a stepping stone up for ageing Radio 1 listeners.
Programmers may question some of R2's music choices, of course, but that's not to say overlap is the intention of senior management. It isn't. R2 is supposed to be a station for gen X and older millenials.
The issue is not Radio 2 specifically abandoning those aged 55+ - it's the wider point about what the BBC is offering that demographic given the traditionally older-focused Local BBC Radio has also been heading in the same direction (arguably even younger than Radio 2 at times).
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