BBC reveals Radio 2 ‘pop nostalgia’ spin-off plans after industry feedback

The BBC has revealed its revised plans for a projected Radio 2 euphony hold and an extended Radio 5 Sports Extra pursuing feedback from the manufacture and audiences.

Under the caller connection for the Radio 2 extension, which has been agreed by the BBC committee earlier being sent to media regulator Ofcom, the BBC Sounds integer vigor presumption volition person 60% of the docket utilizing speech-led content.

Previously determination was disapproval from nostalgia presumption Boom Radio and manufacture assemblage Radiocentre astir the caller work connected BBC Sounds, earlier the corp was asked by Ofcom to behaviour marketplace and assemblage investigation arsenic portion of a nationalist involvement trial process.

The Radio 2 hold presumption was announced successful February 2024 arsenic a soundtrack of “pop nostalgia” from the 1950s to 1970s, drafting from enactment by “the radical who shaped the taste scenery astatine the time”.

Following responses, the latest proposals accidental it would person an accrued measurement of archive content, with 20% of the docket drafting from the BBC’s archive of recorded songs, sessions and interviews.

The presumption plans to play songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s, with astatine slightest 6,000 unsocial tracks a year.

Radio 2 volition besides bash much enactment with the BBC’s section and nationalist vigor stations, arsenic good arsenic commissioning contented from autarkic producers crossed the UK.

The online presumption could see an archive amusement each weekday for 3 hours, a legends amusement each weekday for an hour, and a civilization amusement each weekday for 3 hours.

It besides plans to rebroadcast aged episodes of Steve Wright’s erstwhile amusement Pick Of The Pops, which was besides fronted by DJs Tony Blackburn and Alan “Fluff” Freeman and is presently presented by Gary Davies, arsenic it celebrates its 70th day successful October 2025.

Bob Harris’ Sound Of The 70s, primitively presented by Johnnie Walker, and Sounds Of The 60s with Blackburn would besides aerial connected the presumption arsenic good arsenic Radio 2 nether the proposals.

Lorna Clarke, BBC manager of music, said: “Our euphony extensions let america to enactment caller music, showcase British talent, resurface performances from the BBC’s unrivalled archive, and assistance audiences observe a greater breadth and scope of euphony than what’s disposable connected the market.

“The continued maturation of commercialized vigor and the planetary streamers person shown there’s country for aggregate ways to bring genres and decades to beingness for audiences.

“Our plans are unique, with context, curation and storytelling done successful a mode lone the BBC tin do, gathering the evolving expectations of audiences and providing much prime to licence interest payers.”

New stations antecedently launched connected BBC Sounds see Radio 1 Anthems, taken from the 2000s and 2010s, Radio 3 Unwind, which focuses connected modern composers, and an expanded Radio 1 Dance, concentrating connected UK artists from the genre.

Recent years person seen the maturation of nostalgia vigor stations, including Greatest Hits Radio pursuing erstwhile BBC Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce joining the commercialized outfit.

Greatest Hits Radio had a 13% summation from the 6.6 cardinal mean a twelvemonth ago, according to information from probe assemblage Rajar released successful October.

The updated proposals besides revise the BBC’s plans for Radio 5 Sports Extra to “mitigate the hazard of immoderate imaginable marketplace impact” connected commercialized radio.

Currently, it is simply a part-time presumption with nary fixed broadcasting hours, and erstwhile determination is nary unrecorded sports being broadcast, Radio 5 Sports Extra plays a selling proceedings connected a changeless loop.

The proposals would spot the presumption tally from 9am to 7pm, alternatively of 6am to 10.30pm arsenic had primitively been planned, and removes the plans to simulcast wider Radio 5 Live contented connected Radio 5 Sports Extra that is not unrecorded sports commentary.

Heidi Dawson, controller of Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Sports Extra, said: “Our program for Radio 5 Sports Extra allows america to amended cater to underserved audiences and assistance them observe much contented we already marque crossed the BBC, without immoderate further walk connected our sports rights fund oregon hours of unrecorded coverage

“After conducting elaborate investigation and receiving feedback from the audio industry, we person importantly reduced our plans to mitigate the imaginable interaction connected the market.”