Why BBC Radio 2 was wrong to let Ken Bruce go in its futile pursuit of a younger audience - GP Taylor

With a massive listenership of over eight million people per week, you would think that the BBC would be paying him the earth to stay. In reality, many more presenters were paid more than him. Now he has gone to Greatest Hits radio and I too have departed from listening to Radio 2.

It would seem that Helen Thomas, the head of Radio 2, looks down from an ivory castle over her radio paradise, believing that she is doing a good job. Under her stewardship, many older, famous names have been moved on, only to be replaced by presenters with voices that are not compatible with our nation’s flagship station. The music played has changed. Gone are the 70s and 80s favourites, now replaced by bland lift music, as the BBC pursue a younger audience.

The station is chasing women listeners aged 35-44, dubbed “Mood Mums” by the BBC and defined as “time-poor, family orientated, put children first and are tight for money.” Hence, they brought in the screeching Scott Mills who recently replaced the sacked presenter Steve Wright.

The new dumbed down afternoon show presented by Mills is a complete turn off. Two hours of humourless, boring music mixed with inane and mediocre chat. I managed to listen to three shows before I fled to Craig Charles on 6 Music. Like millions of others, who will abandon the Beeb, now that Ken has gone, I too will have to search for a new radio home.

Helen Thomas doesn’t seem to understand that you don’t try to fix what isn’t broken. The “Mood Mum’s” of Britain will never come over to Radio 2.

As far back as 2018, one BBC executive wrote, “reach amongst the ‘mood mum’s unfortunately shows no upward lift.” All that the ageist pursuit of youth will do is destroy the listenership of what was once a great station.

Radio 2 has always been a station for people over 45. A third of their audience is over 63. These are not the type of people who want to have their ears rattled with endless Sophie Ellis-Bexter or rap. They are not people who spend their summer holidays nightclubbing in Ibiza. The core listeners to the station are punk pensioners and bopping baby-boomers.

It is a fact that all those teenagers jumping up and down to the Sex Pistols in 1976 are now eagerly awaiting their state pension. What do they listen to now that Radio 2 has cast them out along with all the presenters who played the music they loved?

No more Kate Bush, Pink Floyd, or David Bowie. Radio 2 appears to have even ignored the amazing music of Brit-pop. I hardly hear anything by Pulp, Oasis or Blur. Do they not want anyone over 45 to listen to the station?

The chasing of a younger audience has been an obsession of the BBC since before Sir Terry Wogan retired. It is as if the elixir of youth will save the broadcaster.

What they don’t understand is that younger people consume listening to music in different ways.

Spotify, commercial radio and other streaming systems are far more popular than the BBC for millennials. They are so well appreciated by them that it will be hard to get under 35’s to switch back. Chasing young listeners is futile.

BBC Radio 2 must radically overhaul its presenters and bring in voices that reflect the true age of listeners. It needs to have more mature presenters and doesn’t need those that call everyone ‘babe’, ‘darling’ or ringing their mum live on air for a chat.

In our insecure world, there is a great need for certainty. Mark Radcliffe, Stuart Maconie and Craig Charles are wasted on 6 Music. They are the type of presenter that could save Radio 2. Yet, according to reports, even 6 Music have an ageist policy and are in pursuit of a younger audience.

I do not think Helen Thomas realises the importance of Radio 2 in the lives of those who tune in. BBC executives cannot be allowed to play fast and loose with the listeners. I am angry that I am being given no option other than to stop listening to the poor presenting replacements.

Now that Ken Bruce, Steve Wright, Venessa Phelps, and Simon Mayo have gone, I have no idea what station to listen to. I never thought I would be an exiled listener from the BBC, but it looks like I will be heading to Scarborough’s Coast and County Radio.

The BBC has lost its ways and the listeners will be soon deserting the station in their millions.

GP Taylor is a writer and broadcaster who lives in Yorkshire.