Radio 2Gate

Chirpy Red

At least something good has come out of this sorry, sordid affair. BBC Radio 2 Controller Lesley Douglas has resigned. Thank goodness!!!
The woman who sacked Jimmy Young, moved Russell Davis and Desmond Carrington from the appropriate Sunday afternoon slot to obscure times. The woman who thought that celebrities, however bland could present a radio show just as well as any experienced, talanted broadcaster. For example:-
Dale Winton
Ealaine Page
Michael Ball
Dermot O'Leary
Richard Hammond
Mark Lamar
All of the aboves presentation is nothing short of amtetuer.
Of course she also brought back L'enfant terrible, Chris Evans to replace tried and tested Johnnie Walker when she could have givien the Drivetime slot to the excellent Stuart Maconie.
Finally of cousre she hired Russell Brand. Well her chickens have certainly come home to roost.
No one, IMO, has done more damage to Radio 2 than this woman.

As for Jonathan Ross, I do/did like him but has got too big for his boots lately IMO, he tries too hard to be in with all the young so called talent.
I am glad he has been suspended for 3 months without pay (reptued to cost him £1m). It will give him time to reflect and if he was any sort of man he will also resign.

Rothko

Dermot is a darn good presenter, as is Mark Lamar.

Rothko

and Chris Evan is a top broadcaster.

LoOkOuT

Couldn't keep this in the original thread?

Chirpy Red

[cite]Posted By: LoOkOuT[/cite]Couldn't keep this in the original thread?

No, someone sunk it!

Thommo

IMO Mark Lamarrs shows is class, Evans does drivetime excellently and Radcliffe and Maconie is the best thing on the radio.

DJ Desmo is still class too!

Radio 2 is such a mix, old timers and old radio 1'ers, Im always asking myself whether I should still be listening to radio 1.

... and I hope JR is back on the radio again soon!

BDL

Hamster started off working in local radio

Sco

So it's all a matter of opinion then.

I notice that Terry Wogan doesn't get a mention - perhaps the other stalwarts had to move on to keep the channel fresher and he remains because he is still popular and relevant.

I found more people on the list of people you called amateurs that I'd listen to than from the people who rightly or wrongly were moved about. Mark Lamar & Dermot O'Leary are very good presenters imo too.

suzisausage

I like listening to elaine paige too. Obviously not there because of her necessary presenting skills, but because of the music she plays, which imo is more important.

Chris_from_Sidcup

To be fair i think Douglas was trying to make sure it didn't get stuck in the past so she made changes to keep it modern without alienating the entire audience. People change, tastes change, music changes.
Inevitably, a few old school people weren't going to like it and probably stopped listening, but I suppose the gamble is that there were also plenty of new listeners who follow the likes of Chris Evans, Dermot O'Leary and did follow Brand.
I don't think she killed it as listening figures were/are always good for Radio 2.

Chirpy Red

[cite]Posted By: BDL[/cite]Hamster started off working in local radio

Well he should have stayed there!
Alan Partridge has more presenting skills.
He found fame by crashing a car. Douglas gave him a Bank Holiday slot on Radio 2, he didn't turn up. She gave him another one some months later. He didn't show again!
Unbelievably he got offered another chance and covered Ken Bruce, he was awful, atrocious.
Good old dependable Richard Allinson covered his 11th hour non-appearances, guess who has stepped in for Ross tomorrow? Yep, deal old RA again.

suzisausage

same with 6music and the changes over there. george lamb/gideon coe/shaun keaveney - certainly not everyones cup of tea!

BlackForestReds

I've quite liked listening to R2 these last few years, too much rubbish boy/girl band pop music on R1 and on the commercial stations. In my view Lesley Douglas did a good job of re-positioning R2 as a decent radio station that didn't take itself too seriously or come across as too boring.