BBC bosses get thumbs up for Wogan successor
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Voters in Marketingweek.co.uk’s latest poll have backed the decision of BBC Radio 2 bosses to name Chris Evans the host of the station’s flagship breakfast show.
Evans will step up from his current slot at drive-time in January to replace Sir Terry Wogan, who has presented the breakfast show on the station for 27 years in two stints.
The majority (60.2%) of those who responded to Marketing Week’s online poll say Radio 2 is right to promote Evans.
The decision to replace Wogan with the former Radio 1 presenter could be a bitter sweet one for commercial radio chiefs. While Evans is likely to bring with him a raft of younger listeners, Wogan’s loyal fans, known as TOGS - Terry’s Old Geezers and Gals - could well be put off by Evans’ brasher style.
Commercial radio industry body RadioCentre recently accused the BBC station of targeting younger listeners at the expense of the ad-funded sector. The body claimed that Radio 2’s shift in programming policies has increased the station’s reach among 15- to 34-year-olds, traditionally the domain of commercial radio and Radio 1, by 62% since 1999.
However, commercial radio could also be buoyed by the absence of Sir Terry at the most important time of the radio day. His “Wake up to Wogan” show is the most popular in the UK and, according to latest Rajar listening figures, had a weekly reach of 7.9 million listeners in the second quarter.
Evans has seen his BBC Radio career resurrected after he was fired from the Radio 1 breakfast show in 1997. He returned to the corporation in 2005 and took over the drive-time show a year later.
Do you think Radio 2 has made the right choice in naming Chris Evans as the replacement for Sir Terry Wogan for its breakfast show?
Readers' comments (4)
Matt Mawdsley | Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:31 am
YES absolutely this is the right decision. I've been bored of Moyles for months (years?) now, but there has been no decent alternative (I've even tried radio 4!)
I will defiantely be retuning my morning alarm and car radio to Chris Evens for the morning wake up and commute.
Great to have him back!
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Anonymous | Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:57 am
I'm mid-forties and I like listening to Chris Evans and so do most of my contemporaries - the only thing I'll lament is not hearing Chris on "drive-time"
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simon anderson | Thu, 17 Sep 2009 9:22 pm
Its great news Chris is a great broadcaster and will be great to switch him on in the mornings well done chris
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Anthony | Fri, 25 Sep 2009 8:41 am
Great news. Chris Moyles spends every morning just gablling on about himself and his childish friends. Even my teenagers think he is self promoting. It will be great to have a professional breakfast presenter who is fun, sharp and able to present a show on his own, without a team of others to bounce off. Good luck Chris - and well done for growing up, getting on with the job and knowing which side your bread is buttered !
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