[Tunster]

They did. They lasted seven months. Bear in mind that they were so reluctant to take the show that they demanded a 100% pay rise, thinking they would never get it - and they did.

I can't find any reference to any sort of listening figures though. Must of been pretty bad as I think there was a funny transition period going on. I do remember them in the mid-afternoons before Chris did the drivetime slot. It was quite clever radio from what I remember rather than music based.

I won't make any full judgements until we get 2 - 3 weeks into the show, but I'd like to put a marker on a maximum a year if BBC takes a stubborn attitude to the listening figures.

[Nicola_Red]

I can't recall if he mentions listening figures in his book. I'll have to have a look at home. The part about the 100% pay rise is undoubtedly the best bit

[fatboydave73]

It's almost as if he's been set up for a fall by management. The best DJ's use their own personalities when broadcasting. Look at every successful major DJ, most are slightly rebellious and edgy. Grimshaw is the opposite at the moment and its going to hurt him badly.

I suggested this yesterday; that Ben Cooper will be able to say "told you so" when he recieves his pay off in a few months time, due to dwindling figures and complaints etc.

The thing that brought Grimmy to the front of the queue was his evening show. If you had mixed that show into the "forbidden" zoo format, and allowed him some freedom, maybe he would have had a better show, and we would all be heralding him as the new saviour.

At the moment, I would suggest he keeps his lunch dates with those at T4; because this gig might be the killing off of him on radio....

[Wykey]

This morning I heard Grimmy say something to matt and matt replied on-mic and then Grimmy said "alright, less of the zoo format"

He's definately been given the orders from his superiors. Gives me satisfaction this show is unlikely to get any better.

Do you actually want the show to fail?

I don't particularly like Grimey or his style, but it would be a bit mean to feel satisfaction if he crashes and burns.

[Nicola_Red]

Same here. I have no vested interest in him failing. They're not gonna bring Chris back!

[Yudster]

I think the show has had a shaky start, and I don't think Grimmy seems full of confidence in the format yet - but I honestly wish him and Fincham all the best.

[Tunster]

This morning I heard Grimmy say something to matt and matt replied on-mic and then Grimmy said "alright, less of the zoo format"

He's definately been given the orders from his superiors. Gives me satisfaction this show is unlikely to get any better.

Do you actually want the show to fail?

I don't particularly like Grimey or his style, but it would be a bit mean to feel satisfaction if he crashes and burns.

Maybe my comment was a little harsh and non-specific.

The thing is, I don't mind Grimmy at all. But for the BBCs sake, this new format deserves to fail to teach them a thing or two to be honest. I'm going to hate seeing BBC use Grimmy as their eventual scapegoat. Grimmy is up there as one of the best on the station (even above Greg) as an upcoming big name on Radio 1 and if the show fails (not the fault of his own), he'll be seen on the eyes of the media as a failure. The RAJARs will live to tell the tale. To not give the presenter some freedom of choice to dictate the shows direction (from what I personally see) highlights the BBCs problems currently.

I know Chris won't ever be back in the mornings, but it's the way it's been dealt with. Maybe I shouldn't listen to Grimmy just to ensure I don't grow a stronger bitter taste in my mouth about the whole thing.

[MK Chris]

Ok I vowed to give the show 2 weeks to impress me. The truth is I cannot listen to it any longer and refuse to give it any more of my time. It is without doubt the worst Radio show I have heard on Radio 1 and I'll give it 8 months before Grimshaw is replaced.

I'd give it three RAJARs. The first one won't truly reflect the change as it's due for release at the end of October but runs up to the end of the TCMS. Will be interesting to see if the final 2 weeks of shows uplifted this 6.93 million figure. However, end of January; we should know the start of how far deep the change has cut into the listening figures. This includes figures between the Scott Mills interim week and all of Nick's shows up until 16th December.

If the BBC has gone too far to attract the younger audience, I would guess the overall listenership will go down from 11.27 million to under 9 million as a worst case? And the TCMS to Grimmy from 6.93 million to maybe under 6 million? Maybe 5.5 million if people have really taken a dislike to it.

The BBC may defend itself in January and ask Grimshaw to step up, but 8 months will get us to the third RAJAR. Think you'll be right.

I'm fairly sure I saw Aled say either here or on Twitter that we'd have to wait 12 months for meaningful RAJAR comparisons - however, given that the BBC are resigned to losing (older) listeners, I wonder how many they are prepared to lose - especially given there's no category for under 15s or whatever it is.

[Wykey]

I'm fairly sure I saw Aled say either here or on Twitter that we'd have to wait 12 months for meaningful RAJAR comparisons - however, given that the BBC are resigned to losing (older) listeners, I wonder how many they are prepared to lose - especially given there's no category for under 15s or whatever it is.

Same with any retail / commercial enterprise - they look at year on year comparisons to gauge trends (which is why the "Moyles loses half a million listeners" headlines were always irrelevant).

[WeekendAtBernies]

Ok I vowed to give the show 2 weeks to impress me. The truth is I cannot listen to it any longer and refuse to give it any more of my time. It is without doubt the worst Radio show I have heard on Radio 1 and I'll give it 8 months before Grimshaw is replaced.

You never heard Richard Blackwood when he stood in for Chris on the Afternoon Show?! Within 5 days he'd turned Radio One into a pirate station

[Tunster]

I'm fairly sure I saw Aled say either here or on Twitter that we'd have to wait 12 months for meaningful RAJAR comparisons - however, given that the BBC are resigned to losing (older) listeners, I wonder how many they are prepared to lose - especially given there's no category for under 15s or whatever it is.

Same with any retail / commercial enterprise - they look at year on year comparisons to gauge trends (which is why the "Moyles loses half a million listeners" headlines were always irrelevant).

Generally, the summer RAJAR is always lower by some sort of percentage across board for various reasons (holidays etc). It'll be difficult for the BBC to ignore the RAJARs if they tumble quickly. The media will very quickly get back on CMs side just to bash the BBC (assuming CM doesn't return to Radio 1 before the end of his contract).

[daveG]

I can't belive they have replaced chris and the gang with this rubbish
poor mans sarah cox with none of the charm...

I don't care who he is friends with
I don't care who wished him well
I don't like Drake

the constant arse licking is making me want to vomit

the coverage in the press seems overly positive!
they even thought the mis-queue of 1 directions new dirge was a deliberate dig at wooden top harry
no Guardian Mr grimshaw ain that clever

i'm 41 so i'm not target audience by 20 years i know

but i'm last generation BBC Colour TV..... listen to the radio programme on a radio when its broadcast

i.e one of the people who can listen to a breakfast show when its broadacst because i can afford to insure a car and drive it with the radio on.......
and
i have an attention span that means i'm not constantly flicking channel
i belive that certain bands are unsigned and under the radar because they are crap

i guess i'm now one of the legions of over 35s who drive trucks or commute to work every day listening to radio one who never ever appear in any listening figures and who will be switching off...

i could stomach Mills
they screwed that with Greg James
they've now done the same in the morning

a DJ who gets the breakfast show not on his own merit.....how much merit can be gained by covering the 10- midnight slot? but on the fact that he has some famous friends and somone in managemnet thinks that will attract internet savvy, happy to find their own music, listen how i want when i want, don't buy CDs, what is vinyl? teenagers to an old skool format, broadcast radio show....my kids have no interest in radio they just you tube it or spotify it


i hope Mr Grimshaw feels guilty and Embarrassed he's not there because he is good, a pawn in BBC politics, a bit part actor in what i guess is an experiment that will be considered a mistake in 2 years time


I listen to radio 4 news
I can't stand radio 2 my mum listens to radio 2 whats their target audience 25 to 90?
capitol? absolute? radio jackie???

i don't want DAB its an outmoded 1980s midi system of a format another BBC idiotic mess

aaaarrrgh

sorry for this second post rant

I feel a bit better....

i'm off to watch gangnam style

Dave

[Tunster]

I can't belive they have replaced chris and the gang with this rubbish
poor mans sarah cox with none of the charm...

I don't care who he is friends with
I don't care who wished him well
I don't like Drake

the constant arse licking is making me want to vomit...

Oh dear....

[The Deadly]

I love the way Dave G posts. I keep thinking its poetry.

[neilt0]

I hear Grimmy has been set up. In 6 months time, it'll be:

The Radio 1 Breakast Show With Finchy and Steer

[Nicola_Red]

one of the people who can listen to a breakfast show when its broadacst because i can afford to insure a car and drive it with the radio on....

Oh, you can afford to insure a car? Well done. Golf clap for you. I don't understand what it has to do with your listening preferences, though.

[Sally A]

Well put daveG, as for calling them the BBC Trust....quite frankly I wouldn't trust them to shovel manure into my bean trench, but they have managed to shovel manure into my speakers in the morning.

BBC Trust......hah, there's an oxymoron if ever I saw one.

[chrysostom]

The BBC Trust was probably correct in their decision on the basis that Radio 1 is a channel primarily for 15-26 year olds. They get a bad rep on here.

What they should have concluded (in by opinion) is that Radio 1 daytime is now SO popular across age groups, that a new channel needed to be created to provide the demographic with niche content - however they've just left a significant proportion of their listeners with nowhere to go except Radio 2 or their rivals.

[Wykey]

The media will very quickly get back on CMs side just to bash the BBC (assuming CM doesn't return to Radio 1 before the end of his contract).

I'd be surprised at that to be honest, mainly because CM actively flipped the finger to the tawdry celeb mongering branch of the media that Grimshaw has singing his praises.

He didn't really court their attention or give them stories, so they made them up - and he called them out on air.

Grimshaw "is all about the" being photographed in the company of "celebrities" and feeding the celeb-columnists exactly what they need to survive.

[James H]

Grimshaw "is all about the" being photographed in the company of "celebrities" and feeding the celeb-columnists exactly what they need to survive.

I think his iPlayer mugshot illustrates how well he photographs:


MADE for the media

[Wykey]

The BBC Trust was probably correct in their decision on the basis that Radio 1 is a channel primarily for 15-26 year olds. They get a bad rep on here.

What they should have concluded (in by opinion) is that Radio 1 daytime is now SO popular across age groups, that a new channel needed to be created to provide the demographic with niche content - however they've just left a significant proportion of their listeners with nowhere to go except Radio 2 or their rivals.

The BBC Trust was absolutely correct IF it believes that there's a need to change the audience. My opinion would be that the audience of the breakfast show target group IS strong, but it's also strong in that outside it's target audience.

They get some things wrong, get some things right, mis-time some things and mis-judge some things, but the BBC has a mission statement - it MUST conform with that mission statement.

If it doesn't, it would be in danger of being privatised / sold off / shut down. And frankly that must never happen.

[dannimaria]

Is just 'I blame Matt Fincham', yes?

#tealeafs

[Johnny 1989]

Ok I vowed to give the show 2 weeks to impress me. The truth is I cannot listen to it any longer and refuse to give it any more of my time. It is without doubt the worst Radio show I have heard on Radio 1 and I'll give it 8 months before Grimshaw is replaced.

Agreed although I don't wish Grimshaw out of a jobal at all, I hope (if it doesn't improve of course) he does less than Mark & Lard did and gets moved to another slot. However to be honest I wish no real ill will on hom, if the BBC let him do the show how he wants rather than how they want.

Thing is, I don't think, if Grimmy had his own way, that he'd do the show this way. His night time show was nothing like this, surely the BBC need to realise this wont work in the long term and give him some freedom to do something other than one direction related features? I'm very much in the target audience and finding it boring and monotonous.

Agreed, I've heard his night show was decent, I'm not feeling this from the breakfast show so far.

It's almost as if he's been set up for a fall by management. The best DJ's use their own personalities when broadcasting. Look at every successful major DJ, most are slightly rebellious and edgy. Grimshaw is the opposite at the moment and its going to hurt him badly.

Agreed, management need to back off and give him room to do his own thing.

Mark and Lard had the lowest breakfast show ratings didn't they?

They did. They lasted seven months. Bear in mind that they were so reluctant to take the show that they demanded a 100% pay rise, thinking they would never get it - and they did.

That's bloody brilliant, I can see it now:

BBC boss: Mark, Lard, we want you to do the breakfast show

Mark & Lard: no, no, no, no

BBC boss: please, come on what will it take for you to do it?

Radcliffe (taking the piss): double wages...

Lard:..each

BBC boss: done congratulations boys you're the new breakfast show hosts

Lard: Ah you're joking

Radcliffe: double pay our kid though

Lard: in that case must'n grumble

Apologies that sounded better in my head :razz:

They did. They lasted seven months. Bear in mind that they were so reluctant to take the show that they demanded a 100% pay rise, thinking they would never get it - and they did.

I never knew that. Sad to say I've never heard Mark and Lard before I just remember hearing how bad the ratings were on their breakfast show. I keep meaning to give them a listen.

There's an brief example of their Breakfast show in the archive frim May 1997, they certainly gave it a unique touch

There's also an excellent chapter about their time on breakfast in Mark's book Thankyou For The Days. Very funny and honest.

Ooh I have that book but haven't read it yet, must give that a read now

I can't recall if he mentions listening figures in his book. I'll have to have a look at home. The part about the 100% pay rise is undoubtedly the best bit

Glad I got this book now, sounds great

The BBC Trust was probably correct in their decision on the basis that Radio 1 is a channel primarily for 15-26 year olds. They get a bad rep on here.

What they should have concluded (in by opinion) is that Radio 1 daytime is now SO popular across age groups, that a new channel needed to be created to provide the demographic with niche content - however they've just left a significant proportion of their listeners with nowhere to go except Radio 2 or their rivals.

I always though Radio 1 Xtra was created for the "yoof", we'll you'd think it was considering a lot of their playlist is on Radio 1's playlist these days

[Yudster]

That post must be in the running for some kind of award?

[Martyn B]

I've been listening on the way to work, and I have to say, its not great, is it? It genuinely feels like its aimed at 13 year olds.

Thing is, I actually like Nick, I do find him quite funny, but the show just feels very forced/scrypted, and like others have said, they're not letting Nick be Nick.