Put another record on..

Oh, the creation of casual anxiety.

I've been pointed to a letter to the Sunday Telegraph, re the ending of Russell Davies' Sunday night show on songs, songwriters and song performers pre-Beatles, from Controller Radio 2:

Radio 2 won’t turn pop, says Controller

SIR – Far from abandoning older listeners (report, August 4), Radio 2 has just posted the largest listenership in its history (15.44 million) and the highest figures ever among over-55s. The growth is even more significant among the over-65s. 

However, Radio 2 has to find ways of saving 20 per cent of its cost base. Sunday evenings do not perform well and single hours are an expensive format for weekly shows. But our commitment to the broadest musical repertoire remains robust. Sundays will certainly not become a “pop” zone and Russell Davies will be doing a new series of 26 shows starting in December.

Great, timeless, melodic music is the bedrock of Radio 2’s success, and will continue to be. 

Bob Shennan Controller, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Asian Network
London W1

Those currently hosting one hour shows on the network include Jamie Cullum, Tim Rice, Desmond Carrington, Clare Teal, Don Black, Paul Jones, Mark Radcliffe (on Folk). There's also an hour tonight from the Country Music Association (director Bob Shennan).  If single hours are expensive, gawd knows what half hours - like The Organist Entertains and Listen to the Band - must cost.

This morning's Ken Bruce show featured a range of great, timeless melodic music - and songs by Kodaline, Naughty Boy, Mayer Hawthorne, The Yeah You's and Gavin McGraw, which may not be bothering a celestial jury in years to come.