chrismoyles.net
- Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:16 pm
#276097
Hey, just posted a new blog about this but thought I'd post it over here too cause I think it's relevant & I'd love to know what sort of radio you guys all listen to, other than Moyles obviously.
So, here are my favourite radio programmes with some thoughts on them (Moyles is further down, these are in no particular order btw), so let me know what you think & please add your own recommendations.
George Galloway
TalkSport, Friday & Saturday evenings, 10pm-1am
I simply cannot recommend this programme highly enough. It's one of the few shows I will willingly listen to on this station, I wouldn't go as far as to say it's worth staying in on a Friday night for, but if you do find yourself having an evening in, I strongly suggest you check this show out. The reason I love it is quite simply that it's basically intelligent radio. That's all. No inane chat, no music… just intelligent chat. Justifiably branded "The Mother of All Talk Shows", the programme itself more than lives up to its title. George Galloway is a smart, articulate, and regularly controversial man, and he makes fantastic radio. He floats effortlessly between taking live callers, starting new topics, reading out texts and emails, and he is extremely professional on air. If you want a really hardcore talk show that deals with relevant, topical and important issues then you simply cannot beat this one. Whether it be politics, religion, or whatever hot topic it is this week, you can bet George will have a well-informed and often controversial viewpoint to air, and the debates he gets into with listeners get so heated that it simply makes for brilliant radio. I already had utmost respect for George Galloway as a political figure, and my admiration for him is cemented by this fantastic programme.
Sara Cox
Radio 1, Saturday & Sunday, 1-4pm
Sara Cox is, in my opinion, the best female radio DJ in the UK without a doubt. She's one of the only DJ's I can think of that can easily hold her own. By that I mean that she can pull of a hugely entertaining show without any aid from a co-presenter. Chris Moyles has Comedy Dave to bounce off of, Scott Mills has Chappers, and come to think of it, almost all the most successful radio DJ's have a sidekick, someone who chips in and contributes in some way. Sara Cox, on the other hand, is more than capable as a solo DJ. This, of course, may be because she's a bit of a nutter and is more than happy to talk to herself. Either way, I think she's utterly brilliant. Sara Cox genuinely makes me laugh out loud, and my favourite thing about her is how warm she is. As I hear her coming through my stereo speakers, she's so friendly and upbeat that I feel like I'm listening to one of my mates nattering away in the pub or something. She's laid back, entertaining, and she's criminally underrated, settling for just two shows a week on Radio 1. I actually like her better now than I did when she was on Breakfast, she now seems to be less crude and offensive (not that that bothered me) and far more listenable.
Angie La Marr
Choice FM, Saturdays, 9am-12
If I could create my fantasy radio station, the music policy would be identical to Choice FM. Sadly, the obnoxious loudmouth DJ's let this station down considerably, but the music simply cannot be faulted if you're a black music fan. 1Xtra used to be my station of choice when it came to black music, but the DJ's there are even worse. Jenna G on a Saturday morning, for example, is cringe worthy and genuinely painful to listen to. Anyway, this brings me to my next point. Angie La Marr is one of the best things about Choice FM, music aside, she is the exception to the rule. Her Saturday morning show which can be heard from 9am is flawless, and a refreshing change from the mind-numbing other DJ's on the station. A perfect mix of music and chat, this is an oasis of intelligence in an otherwise dumbed down station. I usually listen to radio programmes for either the great music, or for the great DJ. It's very rare that I find a show where you get both together, but right enough, this show pulls it off. The first hour is mostly made up of (very good) music, the second hour takes on more of a chat show format with listeners calling in. This makes for a pleasant, easy listening and hugely enjoyable show.
Zane Lowe
Radio 1, Monday-Thursday, 7-9pm
Musically, this is possibly the best programme on national radio. I literally cannot fault it. Radio 1 during the day becomes monotonous as the same records are rotated sometimes every hour, but as soon as Zane Lowe kicks in at 7 it's a whole new ball game. This show is responsible for bringing to my attention some of my favourite records of the past few years. A mix or rock, indie, hip-hop, alternative, dance, R&B and everything in between mixed with Zane's incredible charisma and enthusiasm for new music means that he more than fill's John Peel's shoes as the pioneer of breaking new music. This show should come with a warning at the beginning, that you'll probably be considerably poorer by the end of it, because I always find myself downloading shed loads of songs after Zane has played them. Can't fault the music, it couldn't be presented better by anyone else, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is sick of the same old poppy chart tunes
Michael Parkinson
Radio 2, Sundays, 11am-1
One of the few programmes that I can be bothered with on Radio 2, Michael Parkinson cements his reputation as a brilliant broadcaster with an easy-listening Sunday morning chill-out show. This show actually beats coffee in terms of a good hangover cure for me. True, he's an inoffensive white old man which makes him fit the mould of the Radio 2 DJ perfectly, joining the likes of Terry Wogan, Ken Bruce, Steve Wright and Jeremy Vine, but Parkinson is, in my opinion, far superior to them. One of the main distinguishing factors is probably the music that's played on this show. A selection of the best jazz and classical music crops up on this show, and the choices are pretty much flawless, the music on this show is good for the soul and I find it extremely therapeutic! Plus, the guests are always well chosen and interesting to listen to. If you're looking for something to ease you through your Sunday morning and help you surface, nothing does it better than this.
Anita Anand
Five Live, Weeknights, 10pm-1am
This is my favourite show to wind down to. I usually go to bed sometime between 10pm-1am, which puts me in an ideal position to go to sleep to this show. To be quite honest, there's nothing too substantial or thought provoking to be found here, it's quite lightweight, easy listening radio that's perfect to chill out to. The format is simple, it's a topical chat show discussing the day's top stories in more detail, with a lot of comment and opinion from listeners. By the time I get to this stage in the day, I'm usually sick of the news stories that I've heard being recapped since 7am, but this programme takes a new slant on things. It's far more opinion based. It gets appropriate guests to comment on the various stories, and mixes it with balanced views from listeners. The debates get quite heated sometimes, but hearing different opinions on various stories can be extremely interesting. One of my favourite talk shows.
Eamon Holmes
Five Live, Saturdays, 10am-12
I face a dilemma every Saturday morning, whether I should listen to this or to Angie on Choice FM, cause I really love both shows. Radio 1 is usually my station of choice but certainly not at this point in the week - I'd rather slit my wrists than listen to Vernon Kay to be honest, so that's why I go elsewhere on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Anyway, this is another show I'd recommend in the light-hearted field. The chit-chat is fun, the stories are lightweight, the banter is great, the presenters are bubbly, and ultimately this is the blueprint of how Saturday morning radio shows should sound.
Chris Moyles
Radio 1, Weekdays, 7-10am
Ahh, yes, how could I leave out this man? The Chris Moyles show has rapidly become a national institution, and a huge part of my life for the past year. Seriously, I cannot picture my day starting any other way than my radio alarm going off and me listening to Moyles for a good hour and a half at least. Music takes a back seat on this show as it relies more on banter between Chris and the various members of his fantastic team, the hilarious and witty Comedy Dave, Rachel Jones (an undeniably excellent producer), Aled (another producer) & Carrie (the sports reader). Also featuring on this show is the incredible Dominic Byrne, who has one of the best news voices I've ever come across on radio, and he's also a genuinely funny guy who regularly contributes on air between reading bulletins. The reason Chris works so well as a presenter, in my opinion, is unlike a lot of other morning DJ's, he's sarcastic, moody and cynical, as most of us are in the mornings! He reflects the grumpy mood that most of us wake up in, and yet he still manages to cheer me up and make me laugh every single morning. No adverts to put up with, no dreadful commercial radio DJ's trying to be cheerful and funny, not too much music, laugh-out-loud comedy… it's an all-round brilliant breakfast show. This programme, is, quite simply, a very prominent and hugely enjoyable part of my day, and I find myself deliberately waking up earlier than I need to just so I can listen longer. There are very few shows that could do that to me!
Some other shows / DJ's I like:
Mica Paris (Presenter of Soul Solutions, Radio 2, new series starts soon)
My favourite specialist music show on Radio 2, this programme comes in doses of 6 weeks at a time, and produces about 3 series a year. Exactly my sort of music, well presented.
Letita & Mark (The Sunday Surgery, Radio 1, Sundays, 10pm-midnight)
Great way to end the week, relaxing and easy to listen to, whether you're paying close attention to it or having it on in the background.
Newsbeat (Radio 1, weekdays, 12.45 & 5.45)
A 15 minute news bulletin in bite size pieces, ideal for young people who don't have too much time for news. Brilliantly produced with well-chosen stories, if I don't get a newspaper on any given day, I know this will have everything I've missed that I want to know.
Ras Kwame (Radio 1, Wednesday mornings, 2-4am)
I know, it's a ridiculous time for a show, but it's always so good it's worth going online to Listen Again. Possibly the best specialist show on Radio 1.
Trevor Nelson (Radio 1, Saturdays, 4-7pm)
Extremely underrated, Radio 1 don't use this guy enough, one show a week is no where near enough of Trevor in my opinion. Brilliant show, quite R&B heavy but well mixed with a lot of chart music. Trevor Nelson is a very funny man and another one that can successfully pull of a three hour show completely by on his own.
These are the specific shows I like to listen to, but when all else fails, I just listen to Choice FM or Kiss 100, both of which play my sort of music. As you can see, I've not got a preference yet in the way of DriveTime shows. Drive Time radio is really quite dreadful at the moment. You've got Scott Mills on Radio 1 who is about as funny as getting cancer, and Chris Evans on Radio 2, who is tolerable, but if I had the choice between listening to him and watching paint dry, I think I'd have to go with the paint. Early afternoon radio isn't up to much either. I usually end up with Simon Mayo on Five Live or with Jeremy Vine on Radio 2, but anything is better than Edith Bowman (or Boreman as I call her) on Radio 1, who will hopefully be replaced soon. Same goes for Jo Whiley, who I used to adore, but is fast becoming stale – her days are numbered too I think, Annie Mac is starting to steal her thunder.
Let me know what you think of my picks & leave your own
So, here are my favourite radio programmes with some thoughts on them (Moyles is further down, these are in no particular order btw), so let me know what you think & please add your own recommendations.
George Galloway
TalkSport, Friday & Saturday evenings, 10pm-1am
I simply cannot recommend this programme highly enough. It's one of the few shows I will willingly listen to on this station, I wouldn't go as far as to say it's worth staying in on a Friday night for, but if you do find yourself having an evening in, I strongly suggest you check this show out. The reason I love it is quite simply that it's basically intelligent radio. That's all. No inane chat, no music… just intelligent chat. Justifiably branded "The Mother of All Talk Shows", the programme itself more than lives up to its title. George Galloway is a smart, articulate, and regularly controversial man, and he makes fantastic radio. He floats effortlessly between taking live callers, starting new topics, reading out texts and emails, and he is extremely professional on air. If you want a really hardcore talk show that deals with relevant, topical and important issues then you simply cannot beat this one. Whether it be politics, religion, or whatever hot topic it is this week, you can bet George will have a well-informed and often controversial viewpoint to air, and the debates he gets into with listeners get so heated that it simply makes for brilliant radio. I already had utmost respect for George Galloway as a political figure, and my admiration for him is cemented by this fantastic programme.
Sara Cox
Radio 1, Saturday & Sunday, 1-4pm
Sara Cox is, in my opinion, the best female radio DJ in the UK without a doubt. She's one of the only DJ's I can think of that can easily hold her own. By that I mean that she can pull of a hugely entertaining show without any aid from a co-presenter. Chris Moyles has Comedy Dave to bounce off of, Scott Mills has Chappers, and come to think of it, almost all the most successful radio DJ's have a sidekick, someone who chips in and contributes in some way. Sara Cox, on the other hand, is more than capable as a solo DJ. This, of course, may be because she's a bit of a nutter and is more than happy to talk to herself. Either way, I think she's utterly brilliant. Sara Cox genuinely makes me laugh out loud, and my favourite thing about her is how warm she is. As I hear her coming through my stereo speakers, she's so friendly and upbeat that I feel like I'm listening to one of my mates nattering away in the pub or something. She's laid back, entertaining, and she's criminally underrated, settling for just two shows a week on Radio 1. I actually like her better now than I did when she was on Breakfast, she now seems to be less crude and offensive (not that that bothered me) and far more listenable.
Angie La Marr
Choice FM, Saturdays, 9am-12
If I could create my fantasy radio station, the music policy would be identical to Choice FM. Sadly, the obnoxious loudmouth DJ's let this station down considerably, but the music simply cannot be faulted if you're a black music fan. 1Xtra used to be my station of choice when it came to black music, but the DJ's there are even worse. Jenna G on a Saturday morning, for example, is cringe worthy and genuinely painful to listen to. Anyway, this brings me to my next point. Angie La Marr is one of the best things about Choice FM, music aside, she is the exception to the rule. Her Saturday morning show which can be heard from 9am is flawless, and a refreshing change from the mind-numbing other DJ's on the station. A perfect mix of music and chat, this is an oasis of intelligence in an otherwise dumbed down station. I usually listen to radio programmes for either the great music, or for the great DJ. It's very rare that I find a show where you get both together, but right enough, this show pulls it off. The first hour is mostly made up of (very good) music, the second hour takes on more of a chat show format with listeners calling in. This makes for a pleasant, easy listening and hugely enjoyable show.
Zane Lowe
Radio 1, Monday-Thursday, 7-9pm
Musically, this is possibly the best programme on national radio. I literally cannot fault it. Radio 1 during the day becomes monotonous as the same records are rotated sometimes every hour, but as soon as Zane Lowe kicks in at 7 it's a whole new ball game. This show is responsible for bringing to my attention some of my favourite records of the past few years. A mix or rock, indie, hip-hop, alternative, dance, R&B and everything in between mixed with Zane's incredible charisma and enthusiasm for new music means that he more than fill's John Peel's shoes as the pioneer of breaking new music. This show should come with a warning at the beginning, that you'll probably be considerably poorer by the end of it, because I always find myself downloading shed loads of songs after Zane has played them. Can't fault the music, it couldn't be presented better by anyone else, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is sick of the same old poppy chart tunes
Michael Parkinson
Radio 2, Sundays, 11am-1
One of the few programmes that I can be bothered with on Radio 2, Michael Parkinson cements his reputation as a brilliant broadcaster with an easy-listening Sunday morning chill-out show. This show actually beats coffee in terms of a good hangover cure for me. True, he's an inoffensive white old man which makes him fit the mould of the Radio 2 DJ perfectly, joining the likes of Terry Wogan, Ken Bruce, Steve Wright and Jeremy Vine, but Parkinson is, in my opinion, far superior to them. One of the main distinguishing factors is probably the music that's played on this show. A selection of the best jazz and classical music crops up on this show, and the choices are pretty much flawless, the music on this show is good for the soul and I find it extremely therapeutic! Plus, the guests are always well chosen and interesting to listen to. If you're looking for something to ease you through your Sunday morning and help you surface, nothing does it better than this.
Anita Anand
Five Live, Weeknights, 10pm-1am
This is my favourite show to wind down to. I usually go to bed sometime between 10pm-1am, which puts me in an ideal position to go to sleep to this show. To be quite honest, there's nothing too substantial or thought provoking to be found here, it's quite lightweight, easy listening radio that's perfect to chill out to. The format is simple, it's a topical chat show discussing the day's top stories in more detail, with a lot of comment and opinion from listeners. By the time I get to this stage in the day, I'm usually sick of the news stories that I've heard being recapped since 7am, but this programme takes a new slant on things. It's far more opinion based. It gets appropriate guests to comment on the various stories, and mixes it with balanced views from listeners. The debates get quite heated sometimes, but hearing different opinions on various stories can be extremely interesting. One of my favourite talk shows.
Eamon Holmes
Five Live, Saturdays, 10am-12
I face a dilemma every Saturday morning, whether I should listen to this or to Angie on Choice FM, cause I really love both shows. Radio 1 is usually my station of choice but certainly not at this point in the week - I'd rather slit my wrists than listen to Vernon Kay to be honest, so that's why I go elsewhere on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Anyway, this is another show I'd recommend in the light-hearted field. The chit-chat is fun, the stories are lightweight, the banter is great, the presenters are bubbly, and ultimately this is the blueprint of how Saturday morning radio shows should sound.
Chris Moyles
Radio 1, Weekdays, 7-10am
Ahh, yes, how could I leave out this man? The Chris Moyles show has rapidly become a national institution, and a huge part of my life for the past year. Seriously, I cannot picture my day starting any other way than my radio alarm going off and me listening to Moyles for a good hour and a half at least. Music takes a back seat on this show as it relies more on banter between Chris and the various members of his fantastic team, the hilarious and witty Comedy Dave, Rachel Jones (an undeniably excellent producer), Aled (another producer) & Carrie (the sports reader). Also featuring on this show is the incredible Dominic Byrne, who has one of the best news voices I've ever come across on radio, and he's also a genuinely funny guy who regularly contributes on air between reading bulletins. The reason Chris works so well as a presenter, in my opinion, is unlike a lot of other morning DJ's, he's sarcastic, moody and cynical, as most of us are in the mornings! He reflects the grumpy mood that most of us wake up in, and yet he still manages to cheer me up and make me laugh every single morning. No adverts to put up with, no dreadful commercial radio DJ's trying to be cheerful and funny, not too much music, laugh-out-loud comedy… it's an all-round brilliant breakfast show. This programme, is, quite simply, a very prominent and hugely enjoyable part of my day, and I find myself deliberately waking up earlier than I need to just so I can listen longer. There are very few shows that could do that to me!
Some other shows / DJ's I like:
Mica Paris (Presenter of Soul Solutions, Radio 2, new series starts soon)
My favourite specialist music show on Radio 2, this programme comes in doses of 6 weeks at a time, and produces about 3 series a year. Exactly my sort of music, well presented.
Letita & Mark (The Sunday Surgery, Radio 1, Sundays, 10pm-midnight)
Great way to end the week, relaxing and easy to listen to, whether you're paying close attention to it or having it on in the background.
Newsbeat (Radio 1, weekdays, 12.45 & 5.45)
A 15 minute news bulletin in bite size pieces, ideal for young people who don't have too much time for news. Brilliantly produced with well-chosen stories, if I don't get a newspaper on any given day, I know this will have everything I've missed that I want to know.
Ras Kwame (Radio 1, Wednesday mornings, 2-4am)
I know, it's a ridiculous time for a show, but it's always so good it's worth going online to Listen Again. Possibly the best specialist show on Radio 1.
Trevor Nelson (Radio 1, Saturdays, 4-7pm)
Extremely underrated, Radio 1 don't use this guy enough, one show a week is no where near enough of Trevor in my opinion. Brilliant show, quite R&B heavy but well mixed with a lot of chart music. Trevor Nelson is a very funny man and another one that can successfully pull of a three hour show completely by on his own.
These are the specific shows I like to listen to, but when all else fails, I just listen to Choice FM or Kiss 100, both of which play my sort of music. As you can see, I've not got a preference yet in the way of DriveTime shows. Drive Time radio is really quite dreadful at the moment. You've got Scott Mills on Radio 1 who is about as funny as getting cancer, and Chris Evans on Radio 2, who is tolerable, but if I had the choice between listening to him and watching paint dry, I think I'd have to go with the paint. Early afternoon radio isn't up to much either. I usually end up with Simon Mayo on Five Live or with Jeremy Vine on Radio 2, but anything is better than Edith Bowman (or Boreman as I call her) on Radio 1, who will hopefully be replaced soon. Same goes for Jo Whiley, who I used to adore, but is fast becoming stale – her days are numbered too I think, Annie Mac is starting to steal her thunder.
Let me know what you think of my picks & leave your own
Last edited by StevieFM on Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
