2

1. +
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 1 Xtra

2. +
What we will be focusing on:
- How, when and why BBC radio 2 started?
- Who is there target audience?
- What sort of content is played?
- Controversies with in BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2

3. +
BBC Radio 2 from the beginning.
• BBC Radio 2 was originally The Light Program and
broadcasted mainstream light entertainment and music
from 1945 until 1967 when it was rebranded as BBC
Radio 2.
• The station launched at 5:30AM on the 30th September
1967 with the first voice to be heard was thirty year old
Paul Hollingdale on his early morning breakfast show.
• They had benefits that other radio stations didn’t have;
free national UK coverage and higher audio quality of
VHF for the most part of the day.
• BBC Radio 2 stayed much where the Light Program
featuring people like; Max Jaffa, Sandy Macpherson and
many others.

4. +
Shows and programs
on BBC radio 2
• Over 7 hours of BBC radio 1
shows were played on BBC
radio 2 during the weekends.
Some of these shows
included; Family choice, The
Jimmy Young Show, Late
Night extra, and many more.
• Many of the weekday shows
were tailed to housewives with
shows such as: Breakfast
Special, Family Choice,
Woman’s Hour, and many
others throughout the day.

5. + What could you expect to hear on
BBC radio 2 today?
Over the course of these past few weeks I have listed to radio 2
at a range of different times in the day and night to see what sort
of programs, songs and news you could hear in 2015 on BBC
Radio 2.
This is what I have learnt:
• In the morning you can expect to hear the breakfast show
hosted by Chris Evans, in this there were a range of music
genres from various years are played along with the latest
news and the occasional traffic and weather updates, over all
the mood is quite relaxed and the program is rather chatty.
• The afternoons provide a slightly different type of atmosphere,
Steve Wright, I have found plays the same type of music
however the program also provides gest hosts which I feel can
sometimes give the show a bit of a ‘talk-show’ feel to it.
• During the evenings the station seems to soften down with
more music than anything else. The host, Jo Whiley, for
around 2 hours plays some of her favorite songs.
The overall atmosphere is relaxed and I feel would appeal to
people of their 30’s to late 40’s and upwards as even though
there is a variety of music play the majority is targeted to this age
range.

6. + Some of the controversies inside
BBC Radio 2…
• 1999- Johnnie Walker was suspended from his daytime show over
allegations of drug and alcohol abuse were made against him in the
Sunday tabloid, News of the World. Later that year he was reinstated after
ha was fined £2,000 for possession of cocaine.
• 2008- Russell Brand and Jonathon Ross were found to have left four prank
messages on actor Andrew Sachs’ answering phone (during an episode of
the Russell Brand Show) which included rude and offensive remarks about
his granddaughter and the use of ‘foul language’. Both the presenters were
suspended for 12 weeks from all BBC programs, shortly after Russell
Brand announced his resignation and Jonathon Ross was suspended for a
further 12 week without pay.
These are only two of many examples of controversies with in BBC Radio 2,
personally I don’t feel that enough has been done to punish the offending
presenters or prevent these types of ‘scandals’ from happening…
What is you opinion of this and do you think the radio could have done more
in these cases?

7. +
BBC Radio 1 Xtra
What we will be focusing on:
• How, when and why BBC Radio 1 Xtra started
• What sort of content could you expect to hear on this radio
station.
• Who their target audience are.

8. + BBC Radio 1 Xtra from the
beginning.
• BBC Radio 1 Xtra is a relatively new
station so does not have as much history
as BBC Radio 2.
• It was first aired on the 16th of august
2002 as the DAB sister station of BBC
Radio 1.
• The BBC recognized that BBC Radio 1
audiences were aged between 25 and 35
and that there was a gap in the audience
figures so BBC Radio 1 Xtra which was to
help the BBC target younger audiences
between 15 and 25.

9. + The type of news
you would hear
on BBC 1 Xtra.
BBC radio 1 Xtra is required
to carry a significant amount
of news, information and
speech content, their news
is mainly operated of Radio
1’s Newsbeat operations,
however only news stories
that the BBC feel the
younger audience would be
interested in is played.

10. + What sort of music is played on
BBC Radio 1 Xrta.?
• The typical genres of music that are
played on this station are, grime,
baseline, garage, dubstep and drum
and bass.
• The artists and musicians are largely
British and North American which gives
the station a certain style and feel that
would appeal to a mainly teenage
audience.
• Unlike BBC Radio 2 where you might
find that the shows change and differ
depending on the time of day, BBC
Radio 1 Xtra sticks to the same style of
show, music, news and subjects.