Radio times

An odd mood pervades BBC Radio this week.  Chief "digital engager" Steve Bowbrick has gone into hyper-drive about tomorrow's audience figures (released to management teams this lunchtime) yet it's the figures three months hence that will be really interesting, as the new "national" commercial stations come into play.

At Radio 2, Bob Shennan again spins the Death-to-the-over-30s Carousel from "Logan's Run", taking Jo Whiley from Radio 1, to sit alongside Chris Evans, Simon Mayo, Steve Wright, Janice Long, Johnnie Walker, Bob Harris, Paul Gambaccini, Steve Lamacq, Zoe Ball and Trevor Nelson.  In an odder move, Chris Evans is set to launch a story-writing competition for 13-year-olds - with the Trust still demanding the average age of the Radio 2 audience doesn't fall below 50.

At Radio 1, Jo is replaced by Huw Stephens, described in the press release as a "prominent tastemaker".

Meanwhile at Trust HQ, the service licence reviews for Radio 3, 4 and 7 must be in the burnishing room, having been under consideration since June last year.  Recently published minutes from the BBC Executive reveal bare details of the plan to magic BBC Radio 7 into BBC4 Extra (cunning, unspecified "use" of The Archers and Desert Island Discs), but the Trust will, of course, want to sandpaper that in their own sweet way. My guess is they'll temper the boy strategists' wishes to turn it into a catch-up/preview service, and changes from the core comedy/drama archive will be at the margins.

Meanwhile this reader is hoping for a generous surge in listening figures for the Asian Network.  Talents like Nihal, Bobby Friction and Sonia Deol deserve Executive support, not abandonment to dodgy evening slots on BBC local radio  - and there is no better alternative for the audience than to keep it going, even with a much-reduced budget.