Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years - Printable Version
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+--- Thread: Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years (/showthread.php?tid=319)
RE: Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years - London Lite - 24-02-2023
(24-02-2023, 09:12 PM)TVNerd Wrote:(24-02-2023, 08:34 PM)Brekkie Wrote: (TBH I wouldn't know where to find GHR anyway - is it digital only?)It’s on some FM/AM frequencies that were previously home to Bauer’s “heritage” stations or their oldies offshoots, also including the old Virgin/Absolute 105.8 frequency in London, but there is a feed with national advertising on DAB.
FM was expanded in 2020 when Bauer converted stations owned by Wireless, UKRD and Celador. This has led to coverage being expanded to the Yorkshire Coast, York, Reading, Blackpool, Guildford, Chichester, Salisbury and so on, but they're largely small scale licenses. Bauer also acquired Imagine FM in Stockport and Revolution in Oldham to have Greater Manchester wide coverage without having to swap Hits Radio Manchester's FM frequency. On April 3rd, GHR replaces CFM in North and West Cumbria on FM.
As mentioned, most metropolitan areas of England have GHR on FM including London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester (on small scale FM licenses), Leeds (replaced Radio Aire) and Bristol, but not Newcastle where it's on DAB.
DAB is slightly more promising. It's has coverage across England except for the South Lakes and Furness Peninsula in Cumbria. However it's not a fully 'national' network. Five areas of England have regional programmes from 1-4pm on weekdays. These are Yorks & Lincs, Southern England, West/South West, East of England and the West/East Midlands.
In Scotland, GHR UK is on DAB running alongside the sister GHR Scotland stations that currently operate on AM/DAB under local heritage brands such as Clyde 2 and Forth 2. It's also on FM in Dumfries and will expand to the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland in April replacing Radio Borders.
The Scottish '2' stations become GHR on April 3rd and will continue to take a slightly different schedule compared to England with programming from Scotland including breakfast and mid-afternoons but will take Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo.
Wales is on DAB only on the SE Wales and Swansea multiplexes only. Currently they have programming from Swansea from 6am-4pm weekdays and a Welsh language late show. From April 3rd, GHR South Wales will take national programming from England through the day, but the tick box Welsh show continues.
Northern Ireland has country wide coverage on DAB.
It's also on Sky and Freeview, but no idea of the LCN for those platforms.
RE: Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years - Omnipresent - 24-02-2023
When a longstanding presenter leaves it's quite common for the station to ensure there is a decent length break before the permanent replacement takes over.
I have listened to Scott Mills a few times - I think the show still needs to develop and Scott seems to be lacking someone to bounce off.
RE: Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years - Stooky Bill - 24-02-2023
(24-02-2023, 09:10 PM)CATV Wrote: He is lucky other stations take presenters off without warning and don't get to say goodbye.
See today's story about Steve Allen
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2023/02/morning-presenter-steve-allen-has-hosted-his-last-show-on-lbc/
RE: Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years - Brekkie - 24-02-2023
I assume he was only due an extra couple of weeks anyway when leave is taken into account.
(24-02-2023, 10:32 PM)Omnipresent Wrote: When a longstanding presenter leaves it's quite common for the station to ensure there is a decent length break before the permanent replacement takes over.The show has improved immensly since he started, and he'll benefit from the heat now being on Vernon for a while instead. Is certainly missing Chris though and needs some stronger features, but good move to revive the Wonder Years.
I have listened to Scott Mills a few times - I think the show still needs to develop and Scott seems to be lacking someone to bounce off.
RE: Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years - London Lite - 25-02-2023
(24-02-2023, 11:53 PM)Brekkie Wrote: I assume he was only due an extra couple of weeks anyway when leave is taken into account.
Ken had planned to stay on Radio 2 until the end of March, but the BBC decided to take him off next week.
RE: Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years - James2001 - 25-02-2023
Shame these things often seem to end in acrimony.
RE: Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years - Andrew - 25-02-2023
(24-02-2023, 09:22 PM)Larry the Loafer Wrote: I was hoping for a worse choice than Vernon, as I wouldn't feel so bad switching to GHR in the late morning. I can't say I really understand the (albeit isolated) negative feedback to his appointment; he's one of the most competent presenters in the business at the moment and I find myself enjoying his stints covering for Zoe Ball than the aforementioned host herself. Either way, I'll find myself feeling ever so slightly torn.
Does anyone know how Scott has been doing yet? I didn't listen to his show on R1 but I'm assuming it had more meat than the show he has now; as far as I've heard his only real "features" he has are playing WhatsApp voice messages and telling callers what songs were in the charts on their birthday
When it came to features, Scott’s show was only second to breakfast in the amount of well established features it had
He’s probably playing it safe at the moment and when listeners get used to him he’ll start showing more personality. It is funny to those of us who listened to him on Radio 1 hearing Radio 2 listeners saying he’s dull and boring.
A bit poor Ken Bruce is being pushed out earlier than scheduled, you would surely have expected a big planned last week of shows to mark the occasion, like when Mills left Radio 1
RE: Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years - London Lite - 25-02-2023
I think half the problem is that while Ken was continuing his R2 show as normal, he's been doing off-air promotional work for Bauer.
Only this week, Ken has been filming a tv commercial for Greatest Hits Radio which is scheduled to go out in March which would have clashed with his Radio 2 show.
It seems the BBC had no issue with Ken preparing for his new gig off-air, but the commercial would clash while still working at a BBC radio station. Also he had every intention of staying on-air until March 31st on R2 and then start on Greatest Hits the following Monday.
The decision to let Ken go next week provides a two month buffer between Ken leaving and Vernon starting.
RE: Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years - all new phil - 25-02-2023
Scott’s show is pretty good I think. It fits well and has found its feet pretty quickly. The trend does seem to moved been away from the ‘zoo’ format to a single presenter carrying the whole show. Agree that he might maybe benefit from a traffic / news presenter to bounce off like Zoe Ball has.
Really pleased with Vernon Kay. The breakfast show is infinitely better when he covers - much like it was when he used to cover for Moyles on R1. I know he’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I’ve always found it strange he’s been a fill in but never the permanent host when he’s genuinely good at it.
I think I’m well and truly a Radio 2 listener now. The whole line up, maybe with the exception of the breakfast show, is right up my street. Hopefully it’s not long till Greg James makes his way over.
RE: Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 show after 31 years - IanJRedman - 25-02-2023
That's a good point regarding the GHR ad - the BBC has a rule against talent appearing in commercials that directly mimic their BBC roles. See also, the issues around Nick Knowles doing a Shreddies advert in his DIY SOS persona. So whilst it may not have been a direct factor in all this, I can imagine Ken Bruce doing a commercial for GHR whilst still working on the BBC might have been a controversy in waiting.