[Aled]

Aled, do you know how much in the way of live tracks from the Big Weekend you will be playing next week?

A phenomenal amount... The most we've ever - by a long shot.

[mcmahonman]

That's a scary thought but thank you Aled.

[itbe_Tyler]

Aled, I understand that you don't have control over what is published on the Radio 1 website schedule, and that most people aren't sad enough to look at the week(s) coming ahead so I may be answering my own question.

But recently I've noticed that whilst on the show you've said 'broadcasting from a secret location on [Day]' to build up suspense, but if you go to that day on the schedule the information is clearly displayed. Does this not defeat the point slightly or is it a genuine error with someone putting the information up before they should?

Sorry if it seems like I'm having a massive go but I was just curious.

[bwfcol]

Is The Surgery tent at Hackney?

[Aled]

Aled, I understand that you don't have control over what is published on the Radio 1 website schedule, and that most people aren't sad enough to look at the week(s) coming ahead so I may be answering my own question.

But recently I've noticed that whilst on the show you've said 'broadcasting from a secret location on [Day]' to build up suspense, but if you go to that day on the schedule the information is clearly displayed. Does this not defeat the point slightly or is it a genuine error with someone putting the information up before they should?

Sorry if it seems like I'm having a massive go but I was just curious.

Out of the 8 million listeners I'm happy that a very good percentage of them will find this out when we announce it on air - so it's still worth doing.

[Aled]

Is The Surgery tent at Hackney?

Sadly, no.

[bwfcol]

Aled, how come Radio 1 staff don't get tickets to Sunday (eg Tina)?

I'd be fuming if I were her!

[Yudster]

Hi Aled - I posted this elsewhere on the site, but I thought you might be interested.


Tomorrow is a very special day. On Saturday the 23rd June 2012, Catherine Amelia Hartland and Christopher Carl Welch will be married.

What makes this all the more special for www.chrismoyles.net is that this is where they first met.

When I joined this site Topher was a long-standing regular already. Cat came along a little later - a mouthy, gobby teenager from Birmingham who quickly earned herself the nickname ASBO Girl. Unlike so many youngsters who ventured on to this site and quailed under the relentless onslaught of sarcasm from the then regulars (who were a hell of a lot worse - or better - than us let me tell you!), Cat fought back and proved that she could give as good as she got, and soon established herself as a regular contributor.

However it was the chatroom that provided the "forum" for this blossoming relationship, a journey that I and others were not only witness to, but often (carefully!) a mediator of!

I have to say it wasn't immediately obvious that this would happen. If memory serves, it was well over a year - possibly more! - before either of them showed anything other than mild annoyance at the other. Indeed there were some times when they really didn't seem to like each other at all! However things move on, and people change. The Chatroom Massive managed to counsel Topher through a frankly disastrous relationship and break up with a woman who can only be described as a dragon (although that might be being unfair to dragons), and Cat - well, Cat was busy growing up (and I don't mean that patronisingly at all, its what teenagers do!) and working out what she wanted to do with her life - and more importantly, what she DIDN'T want to do. And even more importantly, who she didn't want to do it with - Auntie Yudster and Uncle Zoot were pulling their hair out for some time! Realistically though Cat is a very clever, resourceful little sausage and she worked it out for herself in the end.

Then came the change. Gradually, it became apparent that there was something developing between the two of them. Of course this is a very common scenario in chatroom situations, and mostly meaningless, but in this case, it looked different. However neither of them wanted to admit it was happening, and yet again, Auntie Yudster was called upon to provide a series of listening ears, as little direct advice as she could get away with, and a LOT of non-committal grunts! However tempted I was then to just tell them what the other was telling me, I resisted the urge and trusted that it would work itself out. Of course, it did - a meeting was eventually arranged which involved enough wine to seal the deal as it were, and the rest is history!

Their relationship has been further blessed by the birth of Reuben Thomas Welch in September 2010, and I am sure you will all join me in wishing Reuben's mummy and daddy a fabulous day, and in offering our very best wishes to your lovely family on the occasion of your marriage.

Congratulations Catherine and Topher, and all our love. xxxxx

[RyanBridgwood]

Aled, is there a reason why Chris didn't play any jingles last week? By jingles I mean the 50ish second jingles with Richard singing the lyrics. I don't think I heard one last week at all. Usually there's one before the two songs after the news and one before Carpark Catchphrase.

[slaphead1982]

How much of the desk is actually used by Chris on a regular basis? I ask because I just looked at a pic Chris put on twitter of the desk and there is a hell of a lot of switches (Or whatever they're called) for a radio show.

[slaphead1982]

Me again.
On occasion Chris has mentioned doing a duets album. Is this just a pipe dream or is it actually going to happen. (I'm asking with an eye towards my 2012 Christmas list. )

[dimtimjim]

Al, still REALLY don't like the forced song before 7. I'll admit, on the very odd occasion, the shows opening link leads itself to a 3 min interlude before the news. But, as is more often the case, Chris is in mid flow with a story and has to cut everything off short to force in a song to 'check the box'.

All respect to Rhys (we met him during CM.net 'brainstorm' last year) but he is wrong on this one. Please fix.

[Evs]

Aled would it be fair to say that the more music argument that sits behind the "song before seven" debate is a bit counter-intuitive to what Radio 1 is often trying to tell us about its audience?

My point is that, at that moment in time, 6:55am, if someone really wanted to listen to Stooshe they could pick up their smart phone, tablet, games console, laptop or PC and download the mp3 for pence, they could log on to Spotify, they could stream the video from VEVO and YouTube. They could even, likely switch to a commercial competitor. It's precisely radio 1s target audience that is doing those new things to get their music.

Yet if that same member of the audience wanted to listen to Chris and the team, friendly banter and conversation then they have no real alternative as far as I can see.

I could understand it on Radio 2 where the target audience will be less tech-savvy and less in the “on-demand” frame of mind the only place they might hear these songs is on the radio until they decide they like it and buy the physical CD album. Even then, if someone in the Radio 2 bracket wants talk radio they have both 4 and 5 that broadly hit their age range.

It just seems to me that, in general, the BBC and Radio 1 is all about providing something its target audience can’t get elsewhere (I think that describes the Chris Moyles Show to a tee – companionship radio, irreverent social comment and high profile interviews) yet it seems transfixed on providing a small number of limited genre songs (that can already be sought through a range of other channels) in a really linear format. This seems out-dated for me and, irrespective of what Radio 1's official remit is, times have changed for young people to a point that youth radio needs to offer something different.

[Yudster]

*Stands up and applauds enthusiastically*

[Aled]

Aled would it be fair to say that the more music argument that sits behind the "song before seven" debate is a bit counter-intuitive to what Radio 1 is often trying to tell us about its audience?

My point is that, at that moment in time, 6:55am, if someone really wanted to listen to Stooshe they could pick up their smart phone, tablet, games console, laptop or PC and download the mp3 for pence, they could log on to Spotify, they could stream the video from VEVO and YouTube. They could even, likely switch to a commercial competitor. It's precisely radio 1s target audience that is doing those new things to get their music.

Yet if that same member of the audience wanted to listen to Chris and the team, friendly banter and conversation then they have no real alternative as far as I can see.

I could understand it on Radio 2 where the target audience will be less tech-savvy and less in the “on-demand” frame of mind the only place they might hear these songs is on the radio until they decide they like it and buy the physical CD album. Even then, if someone in the Radio 2 bracket wants talk radio they have both 4 and 5 that broadly hit their age range.

It just seems to me that, in general, the BBC and Radio 1 is all about providing something its target audience can’t get elsewhere (I think that describes the Chris Moyles Show to a tee – companionship radio, irreverent social comment and high profile interviews) yet it seems transfixed on providing a small number of limited genre songs (that can already be sought through a range of other channels) in a really linear format. This seems out-dated for me and, irrespective of what Radio 1's official remit is, times have changed for young people to a point that youth radio needs to offer something different.

What you're saying is right, and we don't want our younger tech savvy listener consuming the song through other means. We want them to stay with us on Radio 1.

[Yudster]

Obliterating the things that Radio 1 can give them that nothing else can will not help you with this. Opposite.

[Aled]

Al, still REALLY don't like the forced song before 7. I'll admit, on the very odd occasion, the shows opening link leads itself to a 3 min interlude before the news. But, as is more often the case, Chris is in mid flow with a story and has to cut everything off short to force in a song to 'check the box'.

All respect to Rhys (we met him during CM.net 'brainstorm' last year) but he is wrong on this one. Please fix.

What specifically is he wrong about? He's in charge of programme output of Radio 1 and doesn't want 45 minutes of speech.

[Aled]

Obliterating the things that Radio 1 can give them that nothing else can will not help you with this. Opposite.

What if they want music?

[Yudster]

Some do - but the evidence is that they DON'T - at least not between 0630 and 0700!

[James H]

If I wanted music in the morning I'd tune to my local faceless Global Radio-owned station, even if it does have "Poor music variety".

Having said that, I'm quite enjoying these Hackney live performances.

[Evs]

Aled would it be fair to say that the more music argument that sits behind the "song before seven" debate is a bit counter-intuitive to what Radio 1 is often trying to tell us about its audience?

My point is that, at that moment in time, 6:55am, if someone really wanted to listen to Stooshe they could pick up their smart phone, tablet, games console, laptop or PC and download the mp3 for pence, they could log on to Spotify, they could stream the video from VEVO and YouTube. They could even, likely switch to a commercial competitor. It's precisely radio 1s target audience that is doing those new things to get their music.

Yet if that same member of the audience wanted to listen to Chris and the team, friendly banter and conversation then they have no real alternative as far as I can see.

I could understand it on Radio 2 where the target audience will be less tech-savvy and less in the “on-demand” frame of mind the only place they might hear these songs is on the radio until they decide they like it and buy the physical CD album. Even then, if someone in the Radio 2 bracket wants talk radio they have both 4 and 5 that broadly hit their age range.

It just seems to me that, in general, the BBC and Radio 1 is all about providing something its target audience can’t get elsewhere (I think that describes the Chris Moyles Show to a tee – companionship radio, irreverent social comment and high profile interviews) yet it seems transfixed on providing a small number of limited genre songs (that can already be sought through a range of other channels) in a really linear format. This seems out-dated for me and, irrespective of what Radio 1's official remit is, times have changed for young people to a point that youth radio needs to offer something different.

What you're saying is right, and we don't want our younger tech savvy listener consuming the song through other means. We want them to stay with us on Radio 1.

I appreciate the response Aled and we have to appreciate that you guys are the ones with the benefit of listening figures/audience research etc to make these decisions. It just seems unlikely to me that if someone was that set on hearing music they would listen to 25 mins of chat for that 3/4min pay off, they'd already be elsewhere surely? I would have expected it more of a risk that people tuning in for the chat would tune out (and what's more they'd have little or no alternative to change to).

Still, as I say, if the evidence is there that the majority of the audience like the current set-up then we have to accept it. It just seems peculiar to me.

[dimtimjim]

What if they want music?

This is my main point - IF I wanted music before 0700 there are numerous options to scratch said itch. The pre-0700 'half hour mike check' was something not done elsewhere and a signature of tCMS - one which most people here will agree is the BEST part of the show.

This has now been soiled. I get you'll never please everyone all the time, but I do feel as though Chris has had one of the things which makes him truely unique destroyed.

Sorry Al, not trying to belittle your efforts. Just don't like non-broken things being 'fixed'.

[Clarkehhh]

I understand the need/want to play more music, but you're playing more music now than you did a month ago purely because Carpark Catchphrase has passed it's expiry date. Listening to the team talk for half an hour gets me into the show, but the song before the news so far always cuts short a conversation.

[McGuinness-89]

The first link has been mine and clearly a lot of other peoples favourite bit of the show for a long time, sacrificing it just to tick a box doesn't seem fair. I'm disappointed Chris hasn't put up more of fight on this.

[mcmahonman]

It just seems unlikely to me that if someone was that set on hearing music they would listen to 25 mins of chat for that 3/4min pay off, they'd already be elsewhere surely?

I can't improve on this in anyway. If people wanted the music they would be listening to Capital for that half hour. The song isn't going to drag anyone along to the show. No one will change their station to Radio 1 at 6:57 because they are suddenly playing a track.