Please explain to me the differences between R2/Heart/Smooth/Magic/Absolute and Greatest Hits Radio?

[KittyWithStripes]

There was a thing in today’s Telegraph:
“ it’s a mad idea for Radio 2 to try to poach listeners from Heart, Smooth and Magic. They’re completely different radio stations. And if Radio 2 is concerned about its own listeners deserting, it should look to Absolute and Greatest Hits Radio instead”.
I kind of like all of them, but can’t work out the points of difference and it’s boggling at me. I’m late 40s and forrin and live in London and I need the nuances, please

*niggling
Damn autocorrect

Lots of difference...
Adverts
Contemporary nature of the music
R2 is the best IMO but they should totally get rid of Z Ball .... can’t stand the shallow, patronising,
Moronic drivel that harbours that breakfast show - appalling

They are all about the same, but I keep a couple of CD's in the Doggy Funbus (my work vehicle) to put on whenever Jeremy Vine or Steve Wright get particularly irritating.

Of course I get R2 doesn’t have ads.

But do the others have noticeably different styles of music?

Oh I love Jeremy vine @QueenOfLabradors I think I just like shouting at the moronic callers tbh. I like that he encourages that kind of trash so I can be enraged!

You're right about Steve Wright though. I loved him when I was younger...Steve Wright in the afternoon on radio 1! I've definitely grown out if his shite!

OP I think radio 2 is so different to those other radio stations. Absolute is a bit more similar in that it plays a lot of classic tracks but radio 2 does a mixture. Greatest hits is just pure cheese!!!

Greatest hits is just songs from 70s, 80s and 90s (though I have heard the odd 60s or 00s hit in there)

Not sure what difference in terms of audience they have though as they are all similar.

I flick between radio stations (mainly greatest hits, smooth and heart though) in the car if DH is with me, on my own its my phone plugged into the speakers with spotify on.

IMO the only good thing on R2 is that music quiz at half 10 with Ken (sorry can't remember the name now) if that is still even on.

I've just changed to greatest hits instead of heart.

Heart radio just play the same 10 songs on repeat....

4 of them by P!nk. 🙄

Some are heavy on chat, some more on phone ins. Some are just basically gambling, they have competitions to win loads of money every hour

Can't stand R2. Farrr too many stuffy old men talking you half to death and not nearly enough music.
Heart, as above. I used to listen to it but the songs are extremely limited.
I listen to Hits radio (local version of it, then drive time and evening are national broadcasts)

So R2 has beloved/hated DJs.

But the others - don’t any of them have distinguishably different music? Like in other markets, one would play more blokey rock and one would play more pop and one would play more RnB, that sort of thing? What’s the actual difference?

I only really like heart radio, I like the presenters and I like the songs I sing a long.
Most of the people i work with will not have it on, they say it is too repetitive.
I am autistic so that is probably why I like it so much!

I cant bare to listen to any of them for more than a few weeks, at work. I can't stand most of the presenters.

Heart is a little bit more upbeat/pop than Smooth and Magic and sometimes plays songs from the last decade. They all seem to have pretty rigid playlists, Heart changes a song slightly more often

Absolute has a variety of stations - 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, New Music, the main Absolute station and Absolute Rock.

On the main station, they have a 'no repeat guarantee' between 9 and 5 and they play a little bit of everything from its sister stations.

Breakfast and Drivetime each have two presenters, laddish, funny and plenty of chat and banter with the listeners.

Magic also has a variety of stations - the main has Breakfast with Ronan Keating and Harriet Scott, also Chilled (slightly more modern), at the Musicals, at the Movies, Mellow Magic and Magic Soul.

Greatest Hits has songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s

Greatest Hits also has some big name presenters - Simon Mayo, Janice Long, Alex Lester (latest truck writing slogan is ALISON - Alex Lester Is Still On Nights), Paul Gambaccini, Pat Sharp and Mark Goodier, although many of these are pre-recorded shows.

Simon Mayo will be doing a networked Drivetime show on Greatest Hits from the middle of March.

None of them have much by way of news, interviews or opinion and most turn to pre-recorded automatic shows (robo-jocking) from about 1am.

Most of them are geared towards 30 somethings, the audience Radio 2 are looking for.

Local BBC radio stations don't start up until about 6am now (there is a 5am guy, but he's awful and does 'the best of' round-up from around the BBC local radio stations- they also do kick by kick coverage of any local football matches, which is truly tiresome if you're not interested.

Country Hits Radio will soon be Absolute Country.

radiotoday.co.uk/2021/02/country-hits-radio-is-rebranding-to-absolute-radio-country/

Absolute radio is the old XFM in my head- it plays grungy indie type of stuff. Heart to me plays more pop and R&B, smooth goes even further into R&B and Magic plays pop and rock classics. I would locate all of them in the 80s-00s time band. Radio 2 plays more easy listening.

That's my perception of the brands.

Radio X is on DAB now. Chris Moyles and his 'crew' does the Breakfast show.

Most of them are so middle of the road that I avoid them. Largely bland and/or bedwetting music.

@Sugarandteaandmum

Absolute radio is the old XFM in my head- it plays grungy indie type of stuff. Heart to me plays more pop and R&B, smooth goes even further into R&B and Magic plays pop and rock classics. I would locate all of them in the 80s-00s time band. Radio 2 plays more easy listening.

That's my perception of the brands.

Used to love XFM. I can't listen to Radio X as I can't stand Chris Moyles and listen on my drive to work in the morning. I listen to Absolute now which is pretty good.

We have either Radio 2, Scala or Smooth on in the morning and usually flick over to Absolute Classic Rock in the afternoon.

Smooth can be a bit schmaltzy and they keep playing the 'Can you look them in the eyes' Covid ads. Scale has a nice classical mix although we get a bit fed up with Simon Mayo. Radio 2 is ok apart from Jeremy Vine - turned over to Radio 1 at 12 today as Foo Fighters were on the Live Lounge which livened up my day.

I have to get up at 0345.

There is nothing....NOTHING I want to listen to up to 0430.

Vanessa Feltz is awful, most commercial stations are on automatic or have 'robojocks' - all I want is a presenter, regular time checks, news and local traffic and travel - there is nothing out there.

I don't want to have to keep referring to my phone all the time.

I like the music on Absolute, enjoy Planet Rock, like Radio X (but reception is spotty), Smooth has a presenter, but it sends me to sleep, Greatest Hits has Alex Lester but he's barely there.

Free Radio keeps referring to Dua Lipa as a 'throwback' and Heart gives me the rage - you can almost time the same 10 tunes to the minute.

LBC and Times are news stations with no music or travel, ditto the World Service (Radio 4 doesn't kick in until abou 0530).

I think heart is not really a music station, it's a win a shit load of money station.

AKA send us a text that cost 2 quid every hour