Loved the show, Steve

After 23 years on BBC Radio 2, and previously (but not immediately before) on Radio 1, Steve Wright in the Afternoon has come to an end... at least for now!

A huge thank you to Steve Wright for his 23 years of Steve Wright In The Afternoon! 🧡

Read in full 👉 https://t.co/Joqs2nL0RL pic.twitter.com/zL1a83lOHB

— BBC Radio 2 (@BBCRadio2) September 29, 2022

Scott Mills, who left Radio 1 a month ago, will take over the reigns in a couple of weeks.

The move comes as the station looks to close the gap between itself and Radio 1 by repositioning towards the younger end of its remit (35+).

There are a few key sentences in Wright's statement:

• In advance of our last SWITA show for a while...

• I’m not retiring!!! I repeat, I am NOT retiring!!!

• I am taking a break from daytime radio...

“…as it’s the last one today…

…on Radio 2.”

😉#SteveWrightInTheAfternoon

— Harrison RB (@HarrisonRBRadio) September 30, 2022

While he says about both continuing with the Sunday Love Songs show and hosting some seasonal specials for Radio 2, as well as Serious Jockin' exclusively on BBC Sounds and another podcast, one would've expected other offers to come rolling in almost immediately after the announcement.

In the avoidance of sounding like Digital Spy, I won't dwell on this too much; but where would Steve's natural commercial home be?

Greatest Hits Radio is the most obvious. The point has been made that SWITA wouldn't be on-brand for Virgin Radio, unless it's taking a "talent first, station second" approach whereby the outlet is merely a platform for big names.

An ode to "the big show"

Some of my earliest, fondest memories of falling in love with radio involve Steve Wright. He is my radio hero - someone who massively influenced me and helped me find my own presentation style.

As one of the most hardworking creatives around, he's been a constant, through the good times and the bad, and always given it his all in every show. Consistency counts for a lot in radio.

Wright gets a lot of stick; from the press - over his salary or, appallingly, appearance - and from those who find his style tedious (each to their own); but none of this has held him back as a legendary familiar voice with jolly jingles that has been a comfort blanket to millions.

His last show was typically humble and unique in its own right but still the same format we've come to know and love each weekday.

New audio - And so it begins. The final #SteveWrightInTheAfternoon @BBCRadio2 starts.#AircheckDownloads pic.twitter.com/rstPi0GpAc

— Aircheck Downloads (@airchecks) September 30, 2022

New audio - We're almost at the end. Some closing words from #SteveWrightInTheAfternoon @BBCRadio2 (Sept 30th 2022).#AircheckDownloads pic.twitter.com/0DKnIB3rWM

— Aircheck Downloads (@airchecks) September 30, 2022

New audio - There we go. The final moments of #SteveWrightInTheAfternoon @BBCRadio2 (Sept 30th 2022). #AircheckDownloads pic.twitter.com/MMNgZiqSNu

— Aircheck Downloads (@airchecks) September 30, 2022

When presenters are trusted to say goodbye to their loyal listeners with a spectacular send-off, the result is magical and just epitomises why we love radio.

The outpouring of affection for someone we feel we know personally and the memories they made with us.

It’s so special.

"They're a bit local radio"

As Liz Truss comes out of hiding amid economic turmoil with the standard pre-conference regional media round, the night before saw plenty of snobbery from some critics who believed Local BBC Radio would give the PM an easy ride.

Truss appeared on Leeds, Norfolk, Kent, Lancashire, Nottingham, Tees, Bristol and Stoke and will also sit down with regional TV news.

Did the government itself assume local radio would be lightweight? We don't know, although talking to regional media ahead of the party conference is traditional.

One thing's for sure: anybody who did believe this was proved wrong.

PoliticsJOE has published the highlights of each grilling:

"JUST a local radio presenter" or "they’re a bit local radio" has a whole new meaning.

Each of the interviews shows the real talent and skill that Local BBC Radio has to offer - from those working their way up, to others proudly looking after their communities for many years.

“JUST a local radio presenter” or “they’re a bit local radio” has a whole new meaning today.

This morning shows the real talent and skill - from those working their way up, to others proudly looking after their communities for many years - and the snobbery has been proved wrong.

— Harrison RB (@HarrisonRBRadio) September 29, 2022

Introducing outsiders to the inner workings of community radio

The Shine Radio team enjoyed a productive but fun development day this weekend as we provided training for new and existing volunteers.

Great day at the @shineradio team development day, including hosting another training session myself - always a pleasure spending time with these guys and nice to meet some of our new volunteers 💚 pic.twitter.com/tjwd9BugbC

— Harrison RB (@HarrisonRBRadio) September 24, 2022

Veteran radio consultant and media law expert Paul Chantler delivered the first session on legal and Ofcom compliance and broadcast journalist John Ryan discussed avoiding clichés in news bulletins and storytelling in as few words as possible.

I was delighted to host audio production training as well as introduce some of our programming and share details of an exciting future project.

The afternoon also included a recording of Shine Radio's weekly magazine programme, the P pod. I was invited to talk about my roles at the station and the voluntary opportunities we offer local people.

Our diverse team consists of all ages and people from all walks of life who share a passion for their community and a will to give something back.

While all of us love making radio, it's not the sole reason for getting involved.

The dedication to serving local listeners is what makes this so special.

Working with a voluntary project is a delightful challenge in itself as you're introducing techniques and technology for the very first time.

You have to adopt the radio presentation skills of sharing new information with the listener and not using jargon.

*initiating Obit mode* - for The Queen

In April 2021, I wrote about radio's response to the death of Prince Philip.

Prince Philip is not The Queen whose death will spark a more widespread emotional response.

Shortly after 12:30pm last Thursday (8th September), following the unusual passing of a note to the Prime Minister Liz Truss in the House of Commons, Buckingham Palace released a statement to say that doctors were concerned for Queen Elizabeth's health and that she was under medical supervision.

This would not have been published unless it was significant - and the country would begin to prepare for the worst over the next six hours.

Everybody in radio is doing the same thing.

— Harrison RB (@HarrisonRBRadio) September 8, 2022

At 6:30pm, the Palace confirmed that The Queen had died peacefully at Balmoral.

RadioToday reports that Times Radio was the first national station to break the news just one minute later.

At Global, after a pre-recorded network bulletin and several minutes of classical music, the entire group simulcast a special live programme from LBC hosted by Andrew Marr and Shelagh Fogarty until 10pm before each brand broke away for tailored Obit playlists which continued over the weekend, presenter-led.

Bauer's handling was similar, with a mix of news updates, sombre music to suit each format, reflections from presenters and listener interaction.

Best music radio I’ve heard tonight is @andycrane64 on @greatesthitsuk. Real and warm with listener interaction at the forefront - including a positive outlook following the King’s speech; refreshing to hear people looking to the future as opposed to purely dwelling on the past.

— Harrison RB (@HarrisonRBRadio) September 9, 2022

A clockstart BBC News announcement interrupted normal output on all its stations at 6:36pm and they continued to simulcast with Radio 4 until 7am on Friday (9th September).

Firstly, I'd like to say well done to those in all sectors who, whatever your views, excelled in their duties.

Whatever it does, a broadcaster (particularly the BBC) cannot win right now.

You're either hounded by those who want normal programming or hounded by the right-wing media and royalists.

It’s clear that what audiences have come to expect and what they actually want can be different.

This is not a criticism of anybody following a procedure.

BBC News (on all platforms) has been exceptional; providing both what is expected of it and wanted by many.

Trusting usual BBC radio presenters - who can play a vital role in times like these - to keep their loyal listeners company throughout was the right call too.

My point is a political one. Given how much consumer choice exists nowadays, I wish people were more accepting of radio stations delivering what their listeners actually want as opposed to what has been historically expected of them all.

In this case, a mood may be reflective of certain audiences but less so of others - "the nation" is too broad.

For example, local radio in traditional little Petersfield should probably respond differently and more sensitively to a youth station in Birmingham (which I’m sure has a brilliantly-programmed Obit playlist tailored to the format - but is its audience going to be mourning the Queen’s death in the same way?)

We have all lost and will all lose friends and family members as time progresses. There is nothing harder to go through.

If it's purely out of respect and not accurately reflecting how listeners feel or providing what they want, I don't see why royalty should be worthy of such extortionate measures over another prominent individual who has sadly died - particularly if it's someone the audience has a genuine connection with or tragic circumstances.

"No presenter is bigger than the station"

It's an old saying in radio - suggesting talent should be team players and rely on the station's overall success for the platform they have.

While I will always agree with the former (an issue of morality), I would question to what extent the latter is still true given how much more radio and other media we now consume.

Ultimately, it depends how the presenter as a brand compares to the station as a brand.

If the presenter merely exists as a voice to link together the overall package and talk up the whole station, despite fulfilling a valuable role, they are obviously not bigger.

If they consistently factor in personalised content that listeners emotionally connect with in some way, perhaps prompting people to follow them on social media, that's when the tables can turn.

However, it takes a lot of work to get into that position if you're starting from nothing on the radio.

You may have heard a few community station egos who believe they are the big draw - often doing shows that seem to be all about them which, ironically, is the first barrier to winning an audience.

Anoraks like to criticise radio for hiring influencers or any celebrity who isn’t a jock, yet we’re enticed by TV shows hosted by the most famous faces.

For radio, as just one platform in a multi-media world, hiring the biggest and best talent has never been more important. The risk of them having a stronger personal brand is one the industry has to take.

Chris Evans was far bigger than Virgin Radio upon joining and went on to more than double its existing reach in his first quarter, adding almost a million listeners. He began to drive audience for the whole station with more people tuning in throughout the day.

If Evans left, would the overall churn be just as significant?

On the flipside, Radio 2 remained fairly static when Zoe Ball took over from him and, despite seeing declines by up to 2m since then, it is still the most listened-to.

No one presenter is bigger than Radio 2.

Eurus on Twitter shared their analogy:

That's like saying no train is bigger than the station. But, many come to the station to catch or watch trains, surely. Though there also are some, who are interested in certain stations as well.

I think this sums up today's radio landscape well.

Many railway enthusiasts enjoy everyday service trains, but a special loco with distinctive characteristics attracts specific attention and people go out of their way to catch a glimpse.

Why music quotas can be counterproductive

As an autistic person, diversity & inclusion and equal opportunities for disabled people is very important to me personally.

There is also still much work to be done in these areas for women, ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ+ community and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

It is not my place to comment on anybody else's experience and those of us who are not affected by something owing to a certain privilege should listen and learn.

Radio 3 presenter Kate Molleson's has said that quotas should be imposed to broaden the range of classical music composers played in daytime programming.

It is not clear if Kate's suggestion was specific to the BBC or asking the same of commercial stations, but it's got me thinking, hypothetically, about what regulatory intervention in this way would mean.

Radio 3 vs Classic FM & Scala Radio

Let's take a look at its remit:

Radio 3 should aim to enrich the cultural life of the UK and reflect its musical and arts agenda.

The service should aim to educate audiences about music, broadcasting a wide range of programmes that expose listeners to new and sometimes challenging material they may not otherwise experience.

It should commission new work from composers, musicians and playwrights and draw on the best talent from across the world to create its output.

The service should produce regular special events on significant themes across a wide range of music and arts topics.

The great composers should regularly be represented on Radio 3, but there should also be a range of less familiar music in order to introduce listeners to new works.

Kate acknowledges a lack of diversity within the classical music industry. With an annual budget of £35m, and not having to play ads, the BBC is best placed to introduce lesser-known composers.

To those who are defiant against quotas: of course it has to be about quality and suitability, but there is so much great work from minority groups to be celebrated. Had the world never began to embrace diversity and inclusion, could you imagine how little progress would've been made?

Commercial radio is a more complex picture. If you made the same demands of Classic FM and Scala Radio, for example, they would come under enormous pressure.

The first step in building a sustainable music radio business is to play tracks that people know and like - and that applies to all formats.

In fact, removing music requirements from analogue local and regional licences was part of the commercial radio deregulation set out by DCMS in 2017 (yet to be legislated) to ensure the long-term viability of stations.

What makes the BBC unique is that it can afford to take risks.

Similarly, the Audio Content Fund brought diverse public service content to commercial radio and I'm disappointed that the government chose not to renew financial support for it.

Final whistle goes on 5 Live's classified results

And so, after 70 years on BBC radio (originally via the Light Programme), Sports Report will no longer include the classified football results - at least not in the traditional form.

The obvious point to make is that scores are available at the touch of a button today, in real time, but what about those who listen while driving?

I have it on good authority that a punchier round-up from across the leagues will be heard instead, as part of a shorter programme preceding commentary of the Premier League's late kick-off.

It may be part of the match day fabric for many in the way the racing results once were to others. Old habits die hard.

Genuine question: when did you last switch on specifically for the classifieds? (Not just general sport).

There's appointment listening, and then there's just routine listening where it happens to be on.

They think it's all over... it's not

Anyway, panic over, talkSPORT will be keeping the tradition alive every weekend.

I wonder how much of the uproar is from people who claim the BBC doesn't do anything different from the commercial sector?

On a related point, if Radio 4 axed the Shipping Forecast, would it get a similar outpouring of affection to this? Good luck trying to modernise that one…