How to ruin a radio station - What are the BBC doing to BBC Radio London?

 So we've now had nearly a month to get used to the 'new format' at BBC Radio London. I'm writing this listening to Eddie Nestor on what was Robert Elms former show. I like Eddie and I think he's a great presenter. That being said, he is now in the wrong slot. His former drivetime slot was excellent. I particularly liked the fact that the last hour between 7pm and 8pm was always a bit more edgy. The powers that be decided that the last hour should be a London sports show. This is great when there is football or other sports on, but when not much is going on, it can be very dull. Most people who want to listen to sports shows have talksport. When there is a London match on commentary, BBC London does sports well, but the rest of the time? There is no real logic. 

Eddie's show on the 10am-2pm slot is ok, if you like phone in's. He doesn't get to choose his own music and there is almost no cultural content. Eddie even moaned that he couldn't choose his own music. For me, the music is a problem. Robert Elms, who had some latitude in the slot and guests, often played stuff that you'd never hear elsewhere, I probably have a couple of hundred records in my collection because I heard an artist on his show. Now? This morning we've has such tunes as ELO Mr Sunshine and the Kaiser Chiefs Ruby. A good, public service broadcaster opens cultural windows. This simply isn't happening on Eddie's show. Who is picking the music? I have no idea, but the plan seems to be to play inoffensive bland pop and AOR. To be honest, I'd rather they didn't bother if that's all they can do. Anyone who wants to listen to this sort of stuff has plenty of options. I run a music studio and music on the radio has a vital job of introducing us to new sounds. It is what used to keep London at the forefront of world music. I was naughty yesterday. We had an amazing artist rehearsing in the studio on Monday. I wanted London to hear her. I have no vested interest in her, she isn't signed to us, she just booked a studio for the day to practice for a gig. Yesterday I phoned Eddie and made sure I have her a massive plug. Her name is Miss Baby Sol. Have a listen. She is amazing.

I did this to make the point that from Monday to Thursday we are not getting a fix of new artists as we did when Robert had the slot. Eddie is working to a brief. He does it well, but it is quite simply the wrong brief. Put him back on drivetime where he belongs. I'd be fascinated to hear a show where Eddie plays his own choice of music and has something to get excited about. I'd like to see a few regular slots on his show. But what we have is a sort of LBC light with dull music. It is not doing Eddie any favours and that really irritates me. 

Jo Good was replaced by Jeanette Kwakye for the mid afternoon slot. Jeanette started on the station on the womens sports show. As a sports presenter she is great. She is knowledgeable and engaging. She asks the right questions. When she sat in for Robert Elms, before his show was moved, she did a great job. With all Roberts slots and the feel of his show, it worked. I thought she'd be brilliant. However, her show at the moment isn't working. It lacks the energy and fun of Jo's show. I can only assume that like Eddie, she's lumbered with a brief that doesn't work and a selection of music that doesn't excite her. Jeanette hasn't the experience of Eddie so at times it sounds to me like she's struggling to keep the show going. She should have been given a later show and more latitude to do the subject she has a passion for.

Then there is the new slots for Robert Elms. This is starting to drive me around the bend. He is on the radio on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Every day the show starts/finishes at different times. I have put the radio on, only to find it hasn't started or it has finished. The slots that worked so well in the week just seem to be on at the wrong time. For instance, Robert would always start the show on a Monday with the Listed Londoner slot. I love this slot. It would be the first hour, he'd have a chat and then ask the fifteen questions. Now it seems a bit compressed as Robert tries to fit it all in, as the last slot on the Sunday show. When he started it on a Monday, it would often throw up topics that people would ring up about. Now there is no chance to chew the cud on it, and that is a huge loss. Robert doesn't have the opportunity to remind listeners for feedback, notes and queries and there is far less time for artists and new music. Shoehorning the show into less hours, hasn't made it better, it has meant there is no time to breath. For me it is essential listening, but I am rarely able to on a Saturday or Sunday. Robert is also lumbered with the awful playlist. It simply doesn't work on his show. How some numpty could think that imposing music that doesn't fit the show is a good idea is beyond me.

And finally, we have Jo Good. I don't listen to the radio at night. I made an exception a couple of times for Jo, when I had a bath after football. In truth, Jo is great at that time of night. I am sure that for those who like Jo and like listening to the radio at night it is great. She has said she feels liberated, as she can be a bit naughty later on (when the bosses have gone home). I miss her in the afternoon, as it was always fun listening to her. She is a great presenter. 

If it wasn't for the fact that I feel a degree of loyalty to Eddie and Robert, I probably would have stopped listening to BBC London in protest at the changes. I had a long dialog with Sara David, the boss who imposed the changes. I explained why I thought they wouldn't work for BBC Radio London. I got bland, uninformative responses. She refused to share the new 'show briefs'. Now it is clear what they are, it is clear that she has an agenda to change the station from being one that informs London to one that reflects London. I doubt she listens to the shows very often. I doubt that she has much interest in the culture of London that the station supports. I would guess that she considers herself knowledgeable about local radio and what formats work on paper.  She is lucky to have some excellent presenters that may pull the coals from the fire, but to me the whole things is ill conceived. 

I've been told that one key brief was to make the show 'more diverse'. The execution of the changes, shows how out of touch the bosses were. Robert Elms had a better understand of various diverse music genres than just about anyone. Giving Eddie Nestor a playlist with ELO and the Kaiser Chiefs, shows just how clueless they are. If he was given free range to play the music he actually liked, then this charge couldn't be levelled but, come on. The same goes for Jeanette. A couple of times when playlist tunes have finished, she's sounded as if she's almost dozed off. I don't blame her, I would. 

I spend my days sitting in the reception of a London music studio. I see some of the greatest talent we have on a daily basis. I discuss London culture with them all of the time. For some reason, people think I have some sort of insight into what is going on. I haven't. I've not got a clue why they've got it all so wrong. I don't think they have either.

If any benevolent billionaires are out there, please get in touch. Lets set up a proper radio station for London, that does the job BBC Radio London used to do before the bosses decided to ruin it. It isn't hard. Get great presenters (something that the station has), Give them a degree of free reign to play the music they like, cover the topics they like and interview the guests who interest them. If they are good, the calls from Londoners will flow.