Ken Bruce Quits BBC Radio 2

[duncanp]

More evidence that the BBC, and Radio 2 in particular, is going to pot.

Ken Bruce is going to quit his BBC Radio 2 show when his current contract expires at the end of March.

But the thing is, he is going to start a mid morning show on Greatest Hits Radio from 10am - 1pm, at more or less the same time as his current show.

So it is not that Ken Bruce wants to stop broadcasting, or that the timing of his show is not convenient.

With Alex Lester on in the early mornings, Simon Mayo on at drive time, and now Ken Bruce in the mid morning, Greatest Hits Radio is becoming more and more like Radio 2 used to be.

Presumably if Sir Terry Wogan was still alive today, he would be presenting the breakfast show on Greatest Hits Radio.

Ken Bruce quits BBC Radio 2 after 31 years

Ken Bruce is leaving BBC Radio 2 after 31 years presenting is mid-morning show as he moves to rival station Greatest Hits Radio.

www.express.co.uk

Ken Bruce quits BBC Radio 2 after 31 years as he joins Greatest Hits Radio​

Ken Bruce shared the news he is stepping down from his role on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday.​

Ken Bruce shared the news he was quitting BBC Radio 2 after 31 years presenting his 9.30am show. The star explained it was the right time to move on and has made “many friends and worked with many wonderful colleagues”. He is set to host a mid-morning show from 10am – 1pm on Greatest Hits Radio.

Speaking on his Tuesday Radio 2 show, Ken said: “Nothing stays the same forever and I have decided the time is right for me to move on from Radio 2 when I reach the end of my current contract in March

“It’s been a tremendously happy time for me: I’ve made many friends and worked with many wonderful colleagues.

“However I feel that after 45 years of full-time broadcasting on BBC Radio it’s time for a change.

“I would stress that this is entirely my decision but some new opportunities have come up and I would like to continue my career in a slightly different way in the next few years, the details of which will be revealed shortly.

“I will always be very proud of my association with the BBC and Radio 2 in particular and I’d like to thank everyone who has helped to make the mid-morning show a success.”

Lorna Clarke, Director, BBC Music, added: “Ken is an extraordinary broadcaster with an exceptional career over many decades.

“He has been part of every significant occasion marked by BBC Radio 2 and we, his faithful audience and the Radio 2 all-star line-up will miss his warm humour and wit.

“Congratulations on a brilliant career.”

Ken joined the BBC in 1977 as a BBC Radio Scotland staff presenter and landed his first regular slot on Radio 2 was the Saturday Late Show in 1984.

The following year he fronted the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, taking over from Terry Wogan.

Ken moved to the mid-morning shift in 1986 before a brief stint on late nights and early mornings.

He returned to mid mornings in January 1992, where the show's most recent weekly reach was 8.56million.

 

[yorksrob]

Very sad news. Ken's dry wit has me chuckling into my tea regularly.

I wonder who they'll replace him with. Gary Davies has been doing an excellent job standing in on the breakfast show of late.

 

[dk1]

Very sad news. Ken's dry wit has me chuckling into my tea regularly.

I wonder who they'll replace him with. Gary Davies has been doing an excellent job standing in on the breakfast show of late.

Agreed mate. Gary would fit that slot perfectly & is the only one that comes close to Ken when doing PopMaster.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Ken Bruce is actually decent and has moved with the times not like the dinosaur steve wright.

Id like Veron to get a permanent slot. Would prefer him at breakfast though.
Greg James would be good fit too.

Theres a travel reporter who the BBC seem to be trying to push down our throats, please don't let it be him

 

[duncanp]

Theres a travel reporter who the BBC seem to be trying to push down our throats, please don't let it be him

....Richie Anderson.

Not that I give a monkeys who is going to take over from Ken Bruce on Radio 2.

I will be listening to Ken on Greatest Hits Radio in the morning on and from Monday 3rd April.

In memoriam : BBC Radio 2 : Born 30th September 1967 : Died 31st March 2023.

 

[yorksrob]

Agreed mate. Gary would fit that slot perfectly & is the only one that comes close to Ken when doing PopMaster.

Indeed, although I read that Sir Ken of Bruce is taking popmaster to his new station. I wonder if he owns the copyright !

 

[dk1]

Indeed, although I read that Sir Ken of Bruce is taking popmaster to his new station. I wonder if he owns the copyright !

Yes, sadly I heard Fiona Bruce say that on the news earlier.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Well, not exactly like Radio Two. I don't listen to Greatest Hits but if it is anything like other commercial stations you will be bombarded with a small number of hysterical adverts repeated very frequently, station idents and other jingles. You're listening to Greatest Hits Radio, no sh** Sherlock, that's what my scrolling display tells me already. Enjoy!

Is Chris Evans still 'advert free' on his show wherever it was he went?

Yes, I made much the same comment when whoever it was left the Sunday teatime slot. Yes, the BBC itself has more than enough self-promotion.

 

[dk1]

CORRECTION - Jane Hill not Fiona.

Well, not exactly like Radio Two. I don't listen to Greatest Hits but if it is anything like other commercial stations you will be bombarded with a small number of hysterical adverts repeated very frequently, station idents and other jingles. You're listening to Greatest Hits Radio, no sh** Sherlock, that's what my scrolling display tells me already. Enjoy!

Is Chris Evans still 'advert free' on his show wherever it was he went?

Yes, I made much the same comment when whoever it was left the Sunday teatime slot. Yes, the BBC itself has more than enough self-promotion.

That’s my biggest gripe. I cannot abide commercial radio for that very reason. I know I’ll not be happy & take yonks to adjust to the change, but I’m a BBC listener (& viewer) through & through.

 

[12LDA28C]

Very sad news. Ken's dry wit has me chuckling into my tea regularly.

I wonder who they'll replace him with. Gary Davies has been doing an excellent job standing in on the breakfast show of late.

Gary Davies is ok, better at least than Scott Mills.

Liza Tarbuck would be great, she's funny and more than a little bonkers. Always an entertaining listen.

 

[dgl]

This will probably be the end of me listening to Popmaster and Ken Bruce sadly as I will not listen to Greatest Hits Radio on principle after they closed loads of regional stations and got rid of most of the staff, also I don't understand the morals of someone respected in the industry moving to them when they've done so much harm.

 

[Crossover]

Is Chris Evans still 'advert free' on his show wherever it was he went?

Virgin Radio and yes - still sponsored by Sky (so whilst there are no ads, Chris and co do mention Sky and Sky products from time to time...)

 

[adc82140]

This will probably be the end of me listening to Popmaster and Ken Bruce sadly as I will not listen to Greatest Hits Radio on principle after they closed loads of regional stations and got rid of most of the staff, also I don't understand the morals of someone respected in the industry moving to them when they've done so much harm.

If the stations had not morphed into Greatest Hits Radio, they'd have closed. There is no money in local radio.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Virgin Radio and yes - still sponsored by Sky (so whilst there are no ads, Chris and co do mention Sky and Sky products from time to time...)

Sky deal expiring soon to be replaced by Cinch

 

[dgl]

If the stations had not morphed into Greatest Hits Radio, they'd have closed. There is no money in local radio.

I don't think that's necessarily true, our local station Wessex FM had only a few years before closing moved into new premises with all new state of the art equipment and had the highest listening share in Dorset.
I wonder how many local radio presenters you could get for the amount the big names get, and whether there is much cost savings.

 

[Crossover]

Sky deal expiring soon to be replaced by Cinch

Fair enough - at least it'll still be ad-free, presumably

 

[dosxuk]

I don't think that's necessarily true, our local station Wessex FM had only a few years before closing moved into new premises with all new state of the art equipment and had the highest listening share in Dorset.
I wonder how many local radio presenters you could get for the amount the big names get, and whether there is much cost savings.

It's more there's less money to be made by local radio than by centralising and genericising the output into national stations with local advertising. That this, and the compete lack of any local connection, turns listeners off in their droves, just gets used to prove that nobody listens to local radio, so the format's become even more bland and corporate.

I guess we're due another round of the commercial sector complaining that the BBC is unfair competing with them and should be stopped from having popular music stations, as it's abstracting their audience. It's been a while since the last one.

 

[Ashley Hill]

It’s sad to see yet another departure from Radio 2,are they leaving a sinking ship?
I enjoyed Ken’s show especially Popmaster,at least he’s taking it with him so his successor can’t ruin it. My only gripe with him was that he strictly adhered to the official playlist and no doubt this will continue at GHR.
I don’t get GHR where I live,its nearest location is Torbay where it took over The Breeze which had earlier taken over Palm FM. What infuriates me about the likes of GHR etc is that they still try to pretend that they are a local station when frankly they are not!
Thankfully we do have Phonic FM,a truly independent station without adverts.

 

[tbtc]

I guess we're due another round of the commercial sector complaining that the BBC is unfair competing with them and should be stopped from having popular music stations, as it's abstracting their audience. It's been a while since the last one.

The cognitive dissonance required to believe that the Big Bad BBC is squeezing the poor commercial sector at the same time as seeing the buoyant commercial sector able to poach yet another high profile BBC DJ since they can outbid them…

The BBC gets blamed for being popular and the BBC gets blamed for being a “failure”

(Since people need a narrative to believe in, it can’t just be as simple as “Greatest Hits Radio are willing to throw huge sums of money at a high profile broadcaster”, we must come up with a version of events where this is a BBC “failure”, even though we’d soon be complaining if huge sums of licence fee money was being direct in a competitive salary)

I’m sure Lisa Tarbuck or whoever will do a decent job as Bruce’s replacement. People need to remember that Radio 2 wasn’t for them once, then they grew into it, and other generations are now getting to that stage - keeping a guy in his seventies in a prime show isn’t a long term solution though

 

[nw1]

I'd probably say Radio 2 now is similar to how Radio 1 was in the mid-late 90s, does that sound about right?

I'm not one for generalisations, but I wonder if there is an unofficial "upper age limit" of the target audience for R2?

I note, for example, that they rarely play 60s and 70s stuff these days, which might mean less listeners from around 60 upwards.

My feeling is that I am still within the "target" age range for R2, but towards the upper end of it - and I do listen to the station some of the time. I like the 80s and 90s stuff but I would prefer to see more 60s and 70s and less current music, as R2 was always supposed to be "oldies" orientated compared to R1 and commercial stations. I can see that if things keep changing at the same rate, I might perceive the station as "too young" for me in around 10 years time.

 

[DarloRich]

People need to remember that Radio 2 wasn’t for them once, then they grew into it, and other generations are now getting to that stage - keeping a guy in his seventies in a prime show isn’t a long term solution though

spot on - and that pop master quiz is just nigelly tedium. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

 

[12LDA28C]

spot on - and that pop master quiz is just nigelly tedium. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Some might say that Popmaster is the highlight of the show. Always fun to join in at home.

 

[DarloRich]

Some might say that Popmaster is the highlight of the show. Always fun to join in at home.

that assumes you have an interest in or knowledge of pop music! it is just pleasant noise to me.

I just don't get the DJ moves radio station chew this kind of thing generates in a certain type of person. It is such a non-event when the country is falling apart

 

[The Ham]

I'd probably say Radio 2 now is similar to how Radio 1 was in the mid-late 90s, does that sound about right?

I'm not one for generalisations, but I wonder if there is an unofficial "upper age limit" of the target audience for R2?

I note, for example, that they rarely play 60s and 70s stuff these days, which might mean less listeners from around 60 upwards.

My feeling is that I am still within the "target" age range for R2, but towards the upper end of it - and I do listen to the station some of the time. I like the 80s and 90s stuff but I would prefer to see more 60s and 70s and less current music, as R2 was always supposed to be "oldies" orientated compared to R1 and commercial stations. I can see that if things keep changing at the same rate, I might perceive the station as "too young" for me in around 10 years time.

All radio stations change, the problem is that those who liked those stations then get upset that it's not stayed the same.

Radio 2, if it focused on music from the 1970's (would appeal the most to those aged 10-30 in 1970) wouldn't be all that relevent to those under 60, with those aged 42 and under not even been born by the end of decade.

Given that a lot of people listen to it at work, that's going to reduce your audience significantly.

Music from the 80's onwards with a mix of more modern stuff is going to be the music of choice for the current target audience (not that they don't enjoy some music from before then).

If you were to look at the music of choice from Radio 2 in 1992 I'd guess that it would have been 1950 onwards and so it's just updating it's music to suite the same age range as before.

Whilst there'll be complaints about the changes, the station is still doing well and has many of the most listened to programs.

Whilst it'll be sad to see Ken Bruce move on, he would have done so at some point anyway (possibly even retire).

I'd hazard a guess (and they'll always be exceptions) that a lot of those most upset by all this change at Radio 2 are aged over 60 (if not over 70), whilst those who are happiest with the changes (Zoe Ball on Breakfast, sounds of the 90's, etc.) are those aged 35 to 55.

 

[nw1]

All radio stations change, the problem is that those who liked those stations then get upset that it's not stayed the same.

Radio 2, if it focused on music from the 1970's (would appeal the most to those aged 10-30 in 1970) wouldn't be all that relevent to those under 60, with those aged 42 and under not even been born by the end of decade.

I wasn't suggesting it should focus exclusively on the 70s, but rather from, say, the mid-60s to the mid-00s - at the expense of the current stuff which is really Radio 1's department (as Radio 1 is presumably the station aimed at the teens and twenties market).

I do actually welcome the apperance of more 90s dance music, as I thought that was the one thing lacking about 10 years ago (when it was otherwise pretty good).

I'd hazard a guess (and they'll always be exceptions) that a lot of those most upset by all this change at Radio 2 are aged over 60 (if not over 70), whilst those who are happiest with the changes (Zoe Ball on Breakfast, sounds of the 90's, etc.) are those aged 35 to 55.

Well I'm 35-55 but closer to 55 than 35 (sadly), hence my mixed feeling that there are some improvements and some deteriorations.

I started listening to R2 around 2001, and at the time my opinion was perhaps the opposite: I liked many of the presenters (including Ken Bruce) but thought there wasn't enough more modern music!

spot on - and that pop master quiz is just nigelly tedium. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

"Nigelly" ?

 

[yorksrob]

I wasn't suggesting it should focus exclusively on the 70s, but rather from, say, the mid-60s to the mid-00s - at the expense of the current stuff which is really Radio 1's department (as Radio 1 is presumably the station aimed at the teens and twenties market).

I do actually welcome the apperance of more 90s dance music, as I thought that was the one thing lacking about 10 years ago (when it was otherwise pretty good).

Well I'm 35-55 but closer to 55 than 35 (sadly), hence my mixed feeling that there are some improvements and some deteriorations.

I started listening to R2 around 2001, and at the time my opinion was perhaps the opposite: I liked many of the presenters (including Ken Bruce) but thought there wasn't enough more modern music!



"Nigelly" ?

Exactly. Radio 2 should be a broad range of popular music across the generations. Yes, a bit of new stuff, but not a dominating play list type approach.

 

[nw1]

Exactly. Radio 2 should be a broad range of popular music across the generations. Yes, a bit of new stuff, but not a dominating play list type approach.

Yes, that's what I mean. Not zero new stuff, but some carefully selected tracks which are likely to appeal across the generations, along with plenty of old stuff.

I find the Sara Cox show good for this, seems to focus a bit more on older, relatively speaking (80s, 90s, early 00s) music.

 

[DarloRich]

"Nigelly" ?

dull, boring, tedious.

 

[Jimini]

All radio stations change, the problem is that those who liked those stations then get upset that it's not stayed the same.

Radio 2, if it focused on music from the 1970's (would appeal the most to those aged 10-30 in 1970) wouldn't be all that relevent to those under 60, with those aged 42 and under not even been born by the end of decade.

Given that a lot of people listen to it at work, that's going to reduce your audience significantly.

Music from the 80's onwards with a mix of more modern stuff is going to be the music of choice for the current target audience (not that they don't enjoy some music from before then).

If you were to look at the music of choice from Radio 2 in 1992 I'd guess that it would have been 1950 onwards and so it's just updating it's music to suite the same age range as before.

Whilst there'll be complaints about the changes, the station is still doing well and has many of the most listened programs.

Whilst it'll be sad to see Ken Bruce move on, he would have done so at some point anyway (possibly even retire).

I'd hazard a guess (and they'll always be exceptions) that a lot of those most upset by all this change at Radio 2 are aged over 60 (if not over 70), whilst those who are happiest with the changes (Zoe Ball on Breakfast, sounds of the 90's, etc.) are those aged 35 to 55.

Agree with this. I'm 42, and have turned to R2 more and more over the past few years as the content moves to more my cup of tea. Shades of Radio 1 back in the '90s, now.

Back in the '90s, it was my parents / grandparents who tuned in.

 

[nw1]

dull, boring, tedious.

OK. Not a reference to Mr Farage then?

FWIW I do like Popmaster ans pop quizzes in general...