Radio 2 bosses ‘too focused’ on young listeners

BBC Radio 2’s exodus of talent will worsen as executives are too focused on attracting younger listeners, a former chief at the corporation has said.

Trevor Dann, an ex-head of BBC music entertainment, said the station’s managers were prioritising attracting working-class women aged in their late 30s and early 40s over loyal audiences.

Mr Dann told Radio Times: “If you’re seething about the high-handed way the bosses are treating you, don’t bother writing to complain, because they don’t care what you think.

“What’s driving their obsession with change is the data that says that Radio 2’s audience is getting older, the average age is now 54.

“Its published remit may be to attract all age groups over 35, but privately the management team stresses its focus on what it calls 35-44 C2DE women.”

Radio 2 fans have accused the corporation of ageism after Paul O’grady, 67, announced he was quitting the station earlier this month. He departed after a shake-up that led to him splitting his Sunday show with comic Rob Beckett.

Steve Wright, 67, Tony Blackburn, 79, and Craig Charles, 58, have recently lost their Radio 2 slots. Presenters Simon Mayo, Vanessa Feltz and Graham Norton have also quit their jobs at the station in the past few years.

Mr Dann said: “In the world of audience research, listeners are nowhere near as important as potential listeners. I’ve even heard older loyalists described as ‘the wrong kind of listeners’.”

A BBC spokesman said: “Whilst we always want new listeners to discover Radio 2, we are focused on providing the 14.5million people who tune in each week with a brilliant range of programmes.

“Radio 2’s multi-generational appeal serves a 35-plus audience, a target which hasn’t changed in decades.”