Forum menu
Don't mind a bit of Bowie. But this week R6 has been a bit OTT with the ten year anniversary.
Agree on the F&S show: it's a must-listen every week, but it definitely doesn't feel quite as compelling as it used to, perhaps because CC has 5 weekday shows to handle each week as well. When Maconie sits in there's a wee bit more energy, and a different mix of tunes, refreshing.
Don't mind a bit of Bowie. But this week R6 has been a bit OTT with the ten year anniversary.
It's OTT on Our Merciful Lord and Saviour David Bowie at the best of times!
But that said, I did enjoy Iggy Pop's Berlin special yesterday. He's always one of the more interesting presenters
I did enjoy Iggy Pop's Berlin special yesterday. He's always one of the more interesting presenters
I haven't listened, but I can imagine it being pretty interesting - Bowie of course helped rebuild Iggy's career after the Stooges, although it wasn't all sweetness and light, in my (v limited) understanding
Bowie / Iggy was one of those circular relationships. Ziggy Stardust was losely based on Iggy.
Quite happy with Deb Grant replacing Huey Morgan, although I always quite enjoyed his obvious flights of fancy "yeah I remember back when I used to hang out with Lou Reed and Andy Warhol down in Brooklyn back in the day man" NO YOU DIDN'T!
Other than that Scooby snack song can you name another Fun Lovin Criminals song without looking it up? Of course not, nobody can.
A brilliant quiet addition to the lineup is Femi Koleoso on a Friday evening - two hours of total gold this week.
I just wish they'd get rid of the hourly news at the weekend. Really, who cares how many migrants crossed the channel this week or what wild promise Kemi Badenoch made on Laura Kuensberg's programme that morning desperately trying to stay relevant - it's the weekend, I'm here for music and interesting chat and constant reminders to buy a smart speaker.
"Tell your smart speaker to play BBC Sounds"
Seriously lads, f off. I'm currently listening to you, on the BBC, so stop telling me what to say to my technology, ta very much.
Really, who cares how many migrants crossed the channel this week or what wild promise Kemi Badenoch made on Laura Kuensberg's programme
That is a very good shout. And I think because it's such a short bulletin, especially the weekend morning news just ends up pushing a very pro-Reform, very anti-government angle on the news.
yeah couldn't agree more with the news bulletins - surely noone wants it and it can completely ruin your high if you're enjoying some music. Plus the reform curious bent/ migrant hysteria surely pleases no-one at the station, or its listeners (apart from Liz Kershaw)
"Tell your smart speaker to play BBC Sounds"
I do wonder what it is that the BBC are getting out of smart speakers that means they have to fire this jingle out every 10 minutes. Is there some kickback they're getting?
Surely they realise that people are already listening on something, why do they feel the need for listeners to switch to using a smart speaker? Is it audience tracking or something?
"Tell your smart speaker to play BBC Sounds"
I do wonder what it is that the BBC are getting out of smart speakers that means they have to fire this jingle out every 10 minutes. Is there some kickback they're getting?
Surely they realise that people are already listening on something, why do they feel the need for listeners to switch to using a smart speaker? Is it audience tracking or something?
It is where the audience is going, particularly younger audiences
What we have found – in brief
• The number of people listening to online music services each week is now on a par with those
listening to music radio, at around six in ten adults aged 16+. Younger people are more than
twice as likely to listen to music streaming services compared to those aged 55+.
• A fifth of time spent listening to audio in cars is now to music streaming services and
podcasts. For all adults, listening to streamed music services while travelling in a car has
increased by 8pp between 2018 and 2024, taking time from CDs and cassettes (-3pp) but
especially radio (-7pp).
• Over seven in ten (71%) people who use a voice assistant (such as Amazon Alexa, Google
Assistant or Apple’s Siri) use it to listen to both radio stations and other types of audio, such
as music streaming or podcasts. Smart speakers are the most widely used device for voice
assistants, and over half of voice assistant users (54%) that listen to radio make their voice
requests using a smart speaker, compared to just one in five (20%) using a smartphone.
It's a fight/battle to stay relevant and maintain listeners in a world where there are far more options. FM radio - DAB - Internet Radio - Internet Radio + auto playlists/'radio' on Spotify/YouTube/AppleMusic.
Each of those shifts has diluted the BBC's audience so promotion focuses on the newest platforms to try to gain audience there (presumably existing listeners talk to other people about how they listen?)
But they're preaching to the converted! And there's generally remarkably little cross-channel (radio) promotion - an occasional "you could be listening to Nicky Campbell right now" in the morning, but no "did you know we have the Jazz Show every Monday night on R2" or similar on R6M
Wait a minute everyone, you're not going to believe this,
ITS 90s DAY!
again
As Nick Grimshaw put it "90s Forever! For 12 hours"
Well they do know their audience.
Nothing more depressing than a grey Sunday afternoon with Guy Garvey rambling on about his "old dear friend *insert influential musician*...." on 6.
Surprised his ego fits through the studio door.
He's been like this for the best part of a decade!
/rant over.
Nothing more depressing than a grey Sunday afternoon with Guy Garvey rambling on about his "old dear friend *insert influential musician*...." on 6.
Surprised his ego fits through the studio door.
He's been like this for the best part of a decade!
/rant over.
It's a toss up as to whether his music tops the depressing stakes tbh
George urgh
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2026/bbc-radio-6-music-stream-on-bbc-sounds
It sounds like they've invented Radio 2? #flippant
I'd rather have Nemone.
Oh hell no! She’s nice enough as a person, but her obsession with all that is Electro is more than I can tolerate.
I’ve been listening to a bit of Huey of virgin. The music is good, though the self promotion is off the scale!
Ive only listened to the Saturday show, interested to see what the relaxed Sunday offering is
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2026/bbc-radio-6-music-stream-on-bbc-sounds
It sounds like they've invented Radio 2? #flippant
6MusicXtra then.
More Steve Lamacq & the indie lad on Friday's, possibly. It'll no doubt prove to be quite successful, given the target dempgraphic.
Bring back Keaveny!
I'd rather have Nemone.
"Did I tell you that I'm a certified psychotherapist? Not in the last 20 minutes? Well here's a trailer for my new podcast where I talk about therapy and music"
Bring back Keaveny!
Pretty much my first thought when I saw that 6xtra description. Although if he can't drop in Led Zeppelin at least once a show he won't have it
Im still salty about the departure of Keaveney, and all the hours of listening pleasure I've missed out upon over the years.
I delved into the 1-4 show yesterday and Craig Charles was playing Zakk Wylde and apparently he's interviewing him today? WTF?
However, that would be perfect for Sean K. CC will probably just ask him does he miss Ozzy or something.
So, it's started.
Six weeks of endlessly banging on about the build up to 6 music festival, then three months after that rinsing it. Kill me now
"here's our 6 music festival session from [shouty bangy arhythmic flavour du jour], and remember, you can listen back to all the sessions from all the shouty bangy arhythmic flavours du jour on BBC Sounds. Just say "BBC Sounds, kill me now"".
And what is with their complete obsession right now with stuff that's barely music? English Teacher, bored woman talking over something; Sports Team, bored man yelling over something etc.
Yeah, maybe I need to find a new station, at least for the bits that aren't RadMac, Funk n Soul, 6 of the best or Cloud bosting
of the best or Cloud bosting
Even cloud busting seems half arsed these days. Let's just play anything suggested, doesn't have to be uplifting, but here's Grace Jones again. They even finished it off the other day with Mitski, Where's my Phone, that they play endlessly anyway
Beth Ditto taking Huey’s Saturday slot.
Jarvis looking after Iggys slot for a year.
both from April I think..
I’m not sure about Beth tbh
Bring back Keaveny!
Keaveny is slowing getting his feet under the table at Radio 2. Hopefully he'll get a prime-time slot at some stage.
Beth Ditto taking Huey’s Saturday slot.
Jarvis looking after Iggys slot for a year.
both from April I think..
I’m not sure about Beth tbh
Beth seemed a lot less annoying when I heard a whole show of hers than her drops ins to the Nick G's shows. A lot less hyper. But suggests it's going to be very indie focussed (but then I guess Jamz takes it the other way afterwards)
Jarvis will be good to have back. I wonder what Iggy's doing that he's off for a year - he's a handful of festival gigs booked but a few missed shows would cover that.
↑Bring back Keaveny!Keaveny is slowing getting his feet under the table at Radio 2. Hopefully he'll get a prime-time slot at some stage.
Also, tbf, he's definitely an acquired taste, and his schtick is a bit old now if you didn't know him from 6Music/ XFM days. I went through a phase when I genuinely hated his guff, but couldn't find much else to listen to, so kept at it til I got a type of Stockholm Syndrome.
New music fix hasn't been as good since Ravenscroft was replaced by Shepherd. The amount of landfill indie has increased massively at the expense of the interesting esoteric stuff. I loathe Nathan Shepherd, especially on his Friday night show where he serves up the sort of stuff you'd find in the set of a britpop covers band as if we've never heard it before - mate we're all middle aged and heard it the first time around. And stop fading up for half a second as you pause mid sentence.
Now that 6music has gone youth, Maybe Shaun K is a better fit for Radio 2 albeit as the token 'edgy' one that plays Sonic Youth rather than Ed Sheeran in a niche slot.
However, just looked at the R2 playlist and its truly an atrocity exhibition: Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, Mumford & Sons, Nial Horan, louis Tomlinson, jessie ware, Petre Andre!
I'm not ready to make the switch. Im gonna stay with 6music for now but reserve the right to moan and be grumpy
Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, Mumford & Sons, Nial Horan, louis Tomlinson, jessie ware, Petre Andre!
Jesus, that does sound like some godawful mashup of Virgin/ Capital/ Magic. Presumably a BBC strategy of "chuck enough sh*t at a wall and see what sticks", while choosing to ignore the existing sh*t on the wall that is Vernon Kaaaye
↑Bring back Keaveny!Keaveny is slowing getting his feet under the table at Radio 2. Hopefully he'll get a prime-time slot at some stage.
Also, tbf, he's definitely an acquired taste, and his schtick is a bit old now if you didn't know him from 6Music/ XFM days. I went through a phase when I genuinely hated his guff, but couldn't find much else to listen to, so kept at it til I got a type of Stockholm Syndrome.
I seem to be in a minority on here but he never clicked with me. Always just found him massively irritating.
Now that 6music has gone youth, Maybe Shaun K is a better fit for Radio 2 albeit as the token 'edgy' one that plays Sonic Youth rather than Ed Sheeran in a niche slot.
However, just looked at the R2 playlist and its truly an atrocity exhibition: Bruno Mars, Harry Styles, Mumford & Sons, Nial Horan, louis Tomlinson, jessie ware, Petre Andre!
I'm not ready to make the switch. Im gonna stay with 6music for now but reserve the right to moan and be grumpy
It's a dangerous tactic for the Beeb. The Yoof just don't pay the licence fee.
Quite like new music fix. I think it's better than Mark and Coe. There I said it.
/ 6 music dad
It's a dangerous tactic for the Beeb. The Yoof just don't pay the licence fee.
True but that's a more fundamental issue they have to address at an organizational level - fewer people are paying the licence fee, so they jack up the price etc. They also feel the need to show consistently high audience reach for generalist stations like Radio 2, hence chucking sh*t at the wall in the hopes the yoof might find something they want.
I'm not sure 6 music really has gone youth. I think we're all just ageing out.
They always said the target was 25-45 year olds. In 2010 the average listener was 36, right in the middle. The average listener is now mid-40s. (i couldn't see a figure for the whole station but saw several for individual shows which were all around there), but our 2010 listener is now 52.
(R2 by contrast has an average age of 55).
Has anyone heard there is a 6Music festival happening soon?