Read this: Media Masters - Ken Bruce

Media Masters with Paul Blanchard

welcome to media Masters series of one-to-one interviews with people at the top of the media game Ken Bruce better and radio presenter for BBC Radio 2 starting out in hospital radio can join BBC Scotland is the announcer in 1978 and was given his first show shortly afterwards you move to Radio 2 in 1980 and its first regular gig came in 1984 when he was off this Saturday Late Show after spending a year shifting around the schedule came from his rightful place in the morning slot where he has been ever since he is also been the radio commentator for the Eurovision song contest for the last 30 years can thank you for joining my pleasure and nearly just did a version that you say where do I buy Ken Bruce who was a legend can thank of a join me without having a shorter version in Strictly through work for the BBC the less you feel like a legend.

He must have bumped into you in the corridors radio threadable place to work as lovely friendly places easy place.

Who have pitched up at Radio 2 generally have that they've got rid of the the massive ambition and their careers.

They're not desperate to get on the knot clawing their way to the top.

They reach the very happy bladder and soberly work later content happy and just grateful for the work usually and that would include your good self that was widely used as it's people at the top of the media game.

I mean you are abusing institution, but you are I would kill people if you moved off the shed you think the great thing about radio.

Is it if you're in the same slot for a long time people get very used to you and radio spot of people's audible furniture if you like.

They're like it to be in the place where it's always so you're not tripping over it.

You're not surprised by heads and you know where you're comfortable program will be so if I have had any success is due to longevity.

If you like it.

Just being in the same play.

Same time for long time people get used to having her around therefore.

They don't want it to change a I would object vociferously centre changing how long has it been known as it's 34 years of the work because I started daily programs on Radio 2 1985 that was very late breakfast shows 807 we went on it which year for most people if we're back breakfast, but I went on a 207 after a year and a half or so that I got shifted to 9:30 and I was there for another three 4 years and then I get shifted to night-time 10 p.m.

To midnight now and then back in 6 a.m.

The year after that and then following that 1992 in 9:30 again.

I've been there ever since and you feel I mean clearly been there for decades now, but it is that does that slots suit your personality or disposition.

It's my body clock is everything alright time of day for me to be comfortable be working.

My best I want to do the late night show and I really did enjoy that at all my body clock kept saying you are you you should be in bed by now.

You know you're not I wasn't working at my best and I've done a Morning Joe I've been much better 6 a.m.

But I was happy at that butt 1938 since we don't have to get up too early.

I'm here till 12 the rest of days my own working 10 at night.

I was always going to work later that day.

It was always something at the back of my mind so I thought I'd have a really nice boozy lunch couldn't do that because I had to work later on in the day so I felt it was kind of restricting my options if you like and my body clock didn't care for it so 932 cut this story very sure is the ideal time for me and I'm so glad I'm able to stay there a 3 hour podcast so don't put that other typical day for you.

Get up to the studio and and I mean this is a compliment but because it's so effortless what you do it seems.

As a listener I cook little bit lot of preparation, but how do you prepare for the show while what's the actual law regime? Will I lock myself in a room for the rest of the day really was studying and prepare completely I finish work at 12 and I just forget about it for the rest of the day.

I live in Roblox which are so I get up at 6 and on the train coming to town on the train everyday.

I come in 8/30 posing in the studio and then 930 am I here? I just read the newspapers.

That's all.

I do read the newspapers.

Have a coffee sit down.

Enjoy myself and launch at 9:30 without really a massive thought and I had and just hope for the best, but that's probably what your listeners want cos they did basically just want you it's not even about what records you playing out.

It's a bit pop master in a bit of you.

You're your Dulcet Tones

So I get on nice a couple of things and then you text email start coming in and I'll go with the reactions that im getting and if somebody has to suggest an idea or something just things in my mind.

I've got that right through the morning or me know before and that's the great thing about email and text and compellable whilst and I Began at you can just shift streams halfway through the day and just start something totally new finish at that day were you could to keep it going for 203 days before you got a response by postcard.

Yeah, I was hacked emails out a carrier pigeon.

Yes, I enjoyed going on here not knowing exactly where it's going to go and this dialogue starts with the listeners and as long as that that keeps going out than happy to keep doing it, but there's something about the joy of it being Radio 2 in about it being an enjoyable and meaningful experience because I listen to the Today programme Anna

Would want to be John Humphrys much as I respect in because there's a tension there isn't everyone he's getting on his trying to challenge house the audience will be nodding at what he saying half of them will be saying that bloody idiot the format of the Today programme listen to it as well, and I always take half an hour Today programme to bring myself up to speed but I find the format actually works against understanding a 3 minute interview really you're not going to get much in 3 minutes and especially if I'm not gonna name John he's not really he's not one of the prime offenders in this regard, but there are the presenters who will say you know my will briefly if you can because we're running out of time and then I'm brexit Institute 2 seconds then the 22nd 25 second question.

Are you what you've already wasted that I'm hoping you feel the presenter was trying to show how much they understand the subject to the interviewee and I think that's not there so we assume you know what you're talking about.

He's just asked the idiots question.

What does this mean and get the proper get the full answer get an extra 20 seconds of answer, but it's 3 minutes it can be frustrating to listen to because the IRA 20 minute interview you get quite a lot of people won't be able to avoid the topic that you wanting to get into speak about it.

So every minute.

She having a bias against understanding and I asked me now work in PR so I'm part of the problem here, but I also don't like the fact that the interview either over Media trend these politicians its chief executives this start all of the interviews with where can we teach our customers and we are very sorry that little Timmy died in our canoe did Harry know that why did he die? But I blame broadcasters who are no longer in work because there are no longer on the radio going to be going to media training and they teach all these company executives everybody in a public role know how to avoid answering a question, so you do need longer to get people to answer because if you get the properly trained CEO

They will just deflect the Question Time After Time After Time and then you run out of floods and nobody's happy at the end and it's not the biggest change to your chosen over the Decades that did just the sheer amount of connectivity with your listeners live emails and texts you say it in the old days newspapers.

Just had the kind of newsstand sales isn't have any ability to interact on know what page you know what audiences with reading in terms of individual storage.

You must know everything going to symmetric cypher and will I think it's the right thing to do but then the other days as we were saying I went into the Studio with a box of Records and no producer.

Just a technical operator boxer records may be a pilot from postcards wrapped up with an elastic band Take That was out and see how you could use them in the program it made you more creative.

I think and it made you.

Look a bit harder at connecting with your audience and it could say something and then 3 days later the postcard about that topic would coming through had to keep lines flowing year to get threads flowing through several weeks and side, but you always did get that feedback.

It was always there and the BBC Duty log was always there as well.

We'll be with phone up.

Speak to the duty officer down at the front of Broadcasting House who would they dutifully your pardon the pun write down every word that this person Mrs Miggins from Cleethorpes called inside the news painkillers changed in Canary old one come back and get that ridiculous Scotsman on you get feedback from An Audience you look at it in the first reaction is rubbish, but it lodges in your mind and you got it on maybe they're just like point a few days later.

You will last forever it.

Was you might say well.

Maybe I shouldn't have said that so it is used.

Call to have it, but you must be ruled by as soon as somebody says get off you must say no no, I'll just stay on for a bit and if somebody criticize what you say you just think about it, but allow it to percolate through your mine for a bit before you make any rash decisions and don't shout back and don't apologise immediately absolutely.

I'm sorry but I'm not going to apologise.

See you don't get an email from an anonymous middle Manager at the end of every show saying this is what you did write this.

We did wrong.

Are you coming busking it or absolutely not we don't get any I am but there's no and there's never been any kind of micromanagement from BBC produces and manages we don't go at the end of the show and sit and have a debrief and go over what was right.

What was wrong about show me I just obviously that I've just got his going on today saying that wasn't helpful they leave you very much for your own devices.

Hired people who are experienced in all sorts of areas of Media to be on here they tend to say right do what you do and if something is seriously wrong will have a word, but it's usually only if you've been reliable somebody or said something politically wrong or inconvenience.

I tell me about supposed to be making critical remark or you breach the BBC guidelines then usually at B&M fairy indirect thing will be is somebody will speak to your executives as they will then speak to you produce are enabling SE10 these idiots upstairs have been moaning about what you said about exactly but you do go away you think maybe I shouldn't do that again, but it doesn't really doesn't have they don't micromanage.

They don't tell us what to say what to do anything like that and it's always been like that since I've worked in the BBC must be a brave person.

They won't let you know to alter the schedule to make changes because I meant when Chris Evans starting a breakfast at all would like this.

I'm going to cost within a few months of that offers you greater than 4 years you'll get used to me.

I was Zoe Ball's taken of the world like this.

It's changed now.

She's brilliant.

You know what I remember.

When Jimmy was moved off before Jeremy started another that there's an outcry isn't it was a sackable hanging offence to consider moving your slot baby people love the radio that is the thing to remember so you've got to be careful you got to be very sure that if you make a schedule change it's for the better and it's going to be better or you can't help it.

You say this of necessity.

If somebody is leaving for their own reasons other than that well.

I said that you have to make a schedule change but if you do change a schedule of any radio station has been running for any length of time audience your listeners are your core support and there's no point and pissing them off basically.

You've got to take them with you.

Keep the listening.

So if the BBC used to do this a lot more Land Rover I started Radio 2 DJs to schedule.

Always the year this was the 80s and

Before I joined our daily basis.

There was a great broadcaster called Steve Jones who was given the 12 midday slot 12 till 2 everyday use following Jimmy Young and it was very successful program a little quiz.

I can't actually writing quiz and remember to produce that saying to me one week and it's not as immediate email to send a postcard and they got 10000 postcards one week no response for somebody to take postcard write it out put a stamp on it take it to the postbox and send it 10000 people do that.

So it was obviously working but at the end of the year 1 years on the to come off and offer them Saturday night's one show week having done 5 days a week now and those days because the BBC coats new best Close quote.

It could do that.

There's all done.

Don't know it's not up to listeners.

What they got here.

It's up to us.

We know what's right to the listener something to be said for that you are being bold and saying another this doesn't feel quite right to her.

Yes getting good audience figures good appreciation index scores that they don't feel it's quite right.

I thought was a great show I didn't understand why they wanted to take it off, but they had that part nowadays.

They don't make such decisions as likely that they know that the audience are listening carefully and they're very quick now and it's much easier to respond.

You know if you have a strong feeling fire off for a tweet an email some form of electronic communication is there you've done it within seconds to get the postcard and get your paying out and stick a stamp on it.

You've done it within 10 seconds with this rubbish.

You want to be ashamed of yourself on so they do hear about it now much more quickly and also the names of the people the executives are in the

Public domain much more so nice making later.

They don't like it up em as corporal Jones you don't like being named and shamed executives.

Don't like the day Sunday but no dear Mr Smith you made a bad decision that they don't like that appears in the paper the name of the network.

Yes, it's very public now for them.

So they have to be careful they've made the right decision as much as we are careful everyday on there and you can kind of guess the executives email address now that you can tell them executive really important when they have a contrived email address to stop people just getting Bob.

General tips about three ways of the BBC's mask the really imagine.

There's only three of them.

So you can kind of guy that now that I've got all coming soon.

It's only cos I couldn't work out.

What is really Mela dresses.

Not all that bbc.co.uk probably gonna get some anyway.

I think you probably won't talk about the immediacy of the I mean I can go on the Jeremy Vine show and I've been on on head.

You're talking and arguing with someone about whatever it was and I've seen some of the screens popupwear some it will as I'm talking.

It'll pop-up saying yet another token northern.

Who is this idiot and I'm actually still speaking and then already decided I'm wrong.

Let me see which is a good thing because you can be swayed too much by a negative or positive into thinking or got this app later.

I've got this absolutely wrong.

So it's good to see immediate response, but you must believe it all.

What's a good Sean what's a bunch of you.

Cos I mean in show business sense even if you want a bad mood or you've suffered some EE tired or you've had some bad personal use you next door neighbours broken a leg whatever's on your mind you still gotta be you know that Ken Bruce off of Radio 2 x A4

Romance of sorts but then I think any job is you know if your having a bad time and I just had a fight with your other half and the dog is Dido something that you've got to go into work the following day and put on your performance of being inefficient worker, so it's the same for almost everybody.

It's just a little bit more obvious if you're on Broadcast Media because it difficult to mask your true feelings in on radio particularly, you can cover it and I've gone through tough times in the past and we'll my boss.

I remember one thing I never have known never have known which is that as a compliment.

Yes, but you should be giving a bit more of yourself.

You know so nobody wants to hear a miserable begin on the radio.

I want to hear somebody improving their day and been on the radio improve my day.

I always feel better that the end of a program that I do the beginning.

I have had a lovely time being great music people have been sent.

Is that makes me laugh and I use it to make other people laugh so it all together a life affirming experience and that's what we should be presenting to the public.

It's an entertainment after all and never forget that but I mean you are right there when you mentioned about this that you'd the dog dying is it where because in one senses a human being and id like to share that with me as a listener but not on the other hand it is a bit of a dampener because I live I feel sorry for you as the presenting as a human being house.

I don't wanna that someone has dogs die cause.

I want to be tapping my foot always I'm driving up the anyone and if you say I'm sorry if I'm not sending great day my dog died this morning then.

You'll get you know 40 or 50 other people whose dogs have died recently here and then develops into some kind of Misery moment where you're all going home outfit, but you get an hour on the fish and chip shop.

How did Sandra you hear change days without being overly Augustine pompous about it 9 million listeners? Do you feel like sense of responsibility not quite nice? I'm out she said you can't count heads in this business because radio is one-to-one one person listening usually mostly.

You always listening alone.

Very rarely do people maybe if you two of you in the car, but usually you done the kitchen alone at home alone you listening to what you're doing something else.

It's one-to-one should be one person talking to another person not listening to a conversation with two people but I think it's into your more than 2 people in the studio.

You lose the Magic radio at 3 or 4 then becomes Justin

Yeah, I yabba first every Scherzinger really else no matter how well, it's handled no matter how well curated.

It's still too much to take in and you do feel your eavesdropping on a conversation with you and me sitting here people can feel invested in both of us as they're listening and it feels like an intimate friendly conversation but soon as you get more than that it becomes.

Just a shouting match at even if people are being tremendously polite to each other ideally I think radio is one person talking to be listening, but I've got to say comedy shows in contact as well.

That's fine.

I do is I think best one person.

I don't like double heads particularly have done double heading have enjoyed it that you've got to have complete respect for the person you've ever had enough.

That's the only proviso if that isn't there is never going to work but if they have complete respect for the other person.

And basically you're trying to make eachother laugh, then it's always going to work chemistry.

Isn't it? I mean I think some of males in incredible broadcaster sells Jo Whiley but when they were paired together and it is no disrespect to them individually just didn't quite work so so the weather the controller was it for them to get it could have worked so you know the name for trying but it just didn't work.

There's no reason to suppose that wouldn't work with no reason suppose it would you get to well-known individual broadcasters put them together it could have been brilliant.

You don't know until you try and that's one of things.

It's great that people still try but it still attempt to get something a little bit different and see if it works sometimes.

It will take off brilliant leave things you wouldn't expect other times for bold experiment remember one of my favourite BBC call David Hatch who was controller Radio 2 controller Radio 4 and then director of radio and he was a great believer in just trying something for 3 months.

Didn't work taken off.

It was no you wasn't afraid of failure.

I embraced it, you try this kind of programme secret sequence programming a radio for a while at a great 3AW sequence was I think Richard Baker presenting it and it didn't work but it was worth a try it was worth trying and I love that kind of freewheeling nature.

They give something a chance because you never make any progress if you don't but also you know that protect what you've got that does work and make sure nobody fiddles about too much for that.

That's me.

I'm talking about a good love David Haye doing that because he is somebody else and I think that's well.

Let's try that go with it really try and make sure it work, but if it doesn't work to say let's forget it.

Do something else I mean the formula that you've developed for your show it in if I could call it that it works perfectly so do you ever worry that if you ever make any changes? It's like you're pulling one string of the tapestry in the whole thing and rubbles.

You've got to be careful.

Not to up that you get to problems with a long-running show one is that you just refuse to accept change you think this is worked for me before it will always work and the other problem is I've been doing this now for now.

We've tried this would run this for a few years.

It will account let it run any longer.

Well, then you know running the risk of throwing out something that is still working I like to think I examine what I do quite regularly and think is this still working.

Yeah, ok? We'll keep doing it.

Is this still work if we run out of things on this do we need to tweak this little bit and we have to eat a couple of things on the show doesn't last couple of years, but it's just been 8 week.

It's not been anything massive then pop master of course.

We've been just don't do anything to because we get an outcry.

Whenever I make it resignation offensive humour Chinese change this very weak, I had to come to the end of a tyre break with 22 questions in the tiebreak after the main Ramsbottom Arthur and I still did have some questions life that I'm not keeping this going any longer because they will answer anything correctly which is always boring everything was wrong and after 22 questions right was inside this on at anchor as it made the New Zealand made the news most radio think about that made news because it was out of the ordinary and my decision people was it shouldn't goes wrong so it just to show that people do not know you've done something different.

Don't do it the same thing.

To remember that you protect what it is.

Really good and work, but don't be afraid to move things around think about it and see you I can try something better.

I think it's universal at knowledge that pop Masters the greatest quiz in the history of humanity.

I will go one step further and say that I think it's the greatest thing humanities ever achieved.

I am prepared to Stephen Hawking maybe it's a very popular and successful quiz and we didn't know what we were starting when we started it.

That's the thing we only thought it was on a few months and we haven't assumed it will run forever we just keep doing it while we sense that people are enjoying it and people do still seem to be enjoying having it has the peak of the day and Radio 2 10:30 is the Peak audience of radio Tuesday unlike most other station vs ratm news which everybody tunes in 4 and are station.

It's 10:30 put my son very proud of their.

Goodbye that and I think we have to protect that nurture it and make sure we don't mess with people's expectations and you still innovating.

We pop master in centres you going to take it round the UK for the first time this summer you're doing a bit of a clue.

It's really just an excuse to do that side broadcast but we're going to people's workplace.

It's because we're getting a lot of stuff for people saying PopMaster we stop a whole factory stop support master we all get the enzyme paper.

I am we do this building sites.

We overheard get the blue on painters and decorators.

They lay down the brushes and they do PopMaster people working in your eyes.

You know the message in an institution has become a point where people stop so we did this we stop for PopMaster a little idea and we find that quite a lot of people were doing I'm sending pictures of themselves stopping and we got one let's just take this a little stage further so good workplaces.

People's workplaces right round the country with the one in Northern Ireland won in Scotland weather.

England 1 Wales go to work places and stop with them.

We'll just do the normal program a pretty normal program from there.

We still have the two contestants on the radio that they will be on the phone from wherever and the country we won't be using people in the factory because it's going to be kept the same as it usually is but the whole factory will stop and we'll have a little chat with three people working there about complaining scores this app and will bring them a bit of entertainment get some singers along some popular acts at some local people and just take it to two out of the people are it's what the BBC doesn't do enough of I don't think and going out to meet you or the end of the listeners want the show to be the same as it was there before love a bit of a day or so of something a little bit different so we will take it out to workplaces will never done it before and we don't have other work to Mundesley well, but we want to do it so we will add another Radio 1 roadshow.

I wished I was in La couple of weeks or chatting my friend Peter Bowes I know we were just Remy

Did you ever go to it and then he said I was on them all the time I read the news he said I was the radio One recently the word horrendous.

You'd expect a haircut so amazing Radio 2 PopMaster Roadshow it's not quite people's workplaces and letting them know join in and be a part of the show what happens if you are ill.

Do you ring someone at damning has that ever happened? Why you are you lose your voice with it does happen from time to time an emergency response button, where is Vanessa Feltz console stay on for a 3 hours or something is doing to me the other one has to play records.

I've only had one day off sick in the last have a long 34 years unforced day.

So I just couldn't come in one day because

Give you the details so I able to do it before or early in the morning so I can message from the producer who did then send the staff distress flare management and we used to have the Great Richard Allinson on our roster who lived in North London so he could be in the Studio with in 20 minutes or so in the event of somebody not being able to do it and it cause he could cover any program being the brilliant broadcast a year later.

He could be cold in because he's working for other people that we can do that, but I do still have a couple of people obviously that we can get in at short notice.

So that's what would happen or the person who was on with after stay on for a bit as OE with me know maybe stay on for an extra hour, but I don't think Jeremy could come in earlier, because he's coming in his early as you can with his Channel 5 commitment and of course the last half be sure it's actually.

Who recorded that is that true second that was recorded before the first hour some big news comes in how's it going to cover that? I don't know about that supposed to go to something else entirely.

Yeah.

I'm chatting with Phil actually Jeremy said he said he's a good friend of mine and he was saying that something out couple of times where it's something big happens on air in our one and then we can do anything about it.

It's Melissa's huge have to cut the broadcasting times at that point within that it is a little known fact that the last half hour is pre-recorded on Channel 5 radio programmes absolutely in the studio at 11:30 absolutely live again.

I've seen Bellagio me quite a little bit in terms of his show their yeah.

I'm a bit like Witcher down somewhere if you can't get anyone good on at short notice to talk about a variety of nonsense topics like veganism of politics or whatever I am available at short note.

Rent of youth basically all those people but I am one anyway.

Very professionally produced and the whole Studios like something out of NASA these days not think I mean, is is that something that you've got used to know that the technology is just so immediate you can do almost do anything now you press up a touch screen very quickly.

I mean I've always thought I am when I was at Stafford arunside.

We were self up in Scotland and is a television announcer we were vision mixing and speaking at the same time so you'd make me know it was always welcome to come at the same time.

I will have to look that was the worst job I ever had in terms of stressed because vision mixing you know if you watching the network program finish you do Scottish updates if you like and we also just at the blanket as we said the London announcements because he wanted a Scottish between programs even if there's nothing coming from Scotland wanted the BBC One Scot

Logo and so we had to come up until you fade out of London fed up your symbol fed up BBC1 Scotland at the app fill up your mind and then saved BBC One Scotland it's Star Trek and then mix slowly into the bing bong bing bong and missing the London symbol of course you do if you can't that's very bad, but one of my colleagues that serves opting out to brynna local program.

I didn't do television continuity very often and so faded out the network program.

Open his open free laughing open days broadcast microphone I said DVD and total Silas for 10 seconds until the VT came up so I cut out a few people have luckily.

I think I got away with it, but it's sweat running down your back every time but people.

What's that these days? I mean I remember when the BBC News studio bed last year had some going to malfunctioning huw Edwards was just sitting at the desk Tweenies some SE3 init that then became the most viewed article on BBC News website that they had a malfunction and his 4 minutes of huw Edwards you start with in his some people loved it.

We don't get enough going wrong these days.

That's the problem.

So when something does go wrong.

We absolutely adore.

We want to see it over and over over again because the of the old days of things breaking down so much and people getting things wrong and spoonerisms when it with mental are Gino saying the wrong thing if you're reading the news and making a mistake when it was both formal and say nothing too much looser.

It doesn't matter so much if you say the wrong thing you know Simon McCoy BBC change but you couldn't do that 20 years ago from even 15 years ago.

You can do that in the 60s 70s and 80s so things have become much easier now.

Its old mistakes.

Happen if we do we just get out yet mistakes we going to win a really good one happened, so we will pylon that what does actually go wrong when initially little goes wrong.

Am I so that I can't just laugh out of here people that ringing and and swags that's always my worry because I always remember that famous clip where I'm going live where five star in the student some young kid which actor Billy Samina official academic, but secret having use a legend is question was also going out with them.

Why you so everything she also cannot wait.

We never get swearing on I can't remember anybody someone.

Are you having another the fed is the opposite of a delay either but in the BBC way? What we do is the evening we take the number.

We putting them back and put them on there that way so we always know where they live as a workaround.

We've got your number and it makes people that bit more.

Of love doing that back to Touchwood and I don't wish to encourage anybody we haven't had that we've had some old people on then and we haven't had any swear apart from yeah.

I've had people say Christ and after it went.

Could you please make sure you don't do that again and the older I'm sorry sorry, but think they're not they're still wrapped up and they can't help themselves anything worse than that.

I don't think so yeah.

I've been lucky so far.

I love it.

There's a listener when some of your phone in guest waffle on a bit and I can hear you very professionally stay them back and although you done it politely and maybe they're not away your millions of listeners are like a well.

That's a bit better but we know you trying to do I like to think that work behind you with it's on both levels.

Yeah, I think I'm representing that the Great British Public believe a big polite to people and people are on the radio who are not used to it.

Then you a little bit of a helping.

Harassment and they don't want somebody being smart ass with them and so I just think they really and I'll say something is a message to the people at home as it worked out well.

I've never had to cut in a video of what happened to cut someone there's nothing I didn't believe they were who they said they were so we did that already tried to know know know it was a kind of cut a long story short somebody who was misrepresented themselves.

We thought they'd tried the previous day and then a and executive at phoned up because I quite like this doesn't flag that was it about the one that one but an executive I phoned up person talk to me then been convinced that they were on the level, but as soon as I heard them on there like that.

No, you're not you're not you're not who you say you are so I took them out.

How did you say what to play music terms are there is a hostess far above me.

I'm in such patients are not taken by me.

Centres, are we have our music team and musicologist been on the agenda is very small team with only three of them BBC programme the entire day.

I have a and ability to move things around in the schedule that I have I cannot have to be till five stars song being played I can't eat.

I don't want to play something.

I won't play I don't do that regularly or often but then they have been a couple of records that I think now I don't like this and I think it's wrong for us and it's wrong for my audience, so I don't want to play it and there's a couple of artist that I think are vastly overrated now rather play something by somebody else.

Who's that kind of area, but I think is better but by March I do I'm not so ego driven us to think that only my taste.

Is that right one if this is been chosen by the Radio 2 playlist people to play I think the ok, let's play Uno

Why do things the best record ever made a lot of people do not be all like the music by X or y so, who am I to say? I'm not going to play it but if I know if you're comfortable with it, then.

It's not going to say I'm going to have to in.

It's better when you're being on a program every day.

You have to be honest to a certain extent so I will I would say something which would be a barbed comments about the record.

What's the point doing that because most people think you've chosen it at listeners think I did you play if you don't like it, so it's a shame.

You're all power flower show Jeremy Vine show me the player record.

I don't like but that's not to understand exactly how it works so I generally play what's sometimes in a different order depending on how I feel.

I need the music to be.

What do you do while the records are on I'm a man wants to show you might have a 5 minutes on where you think I can pop to the lab, but you know is there any other kind of a motorway you think like the rec.

Catch up on my emails are read tweets are Imagine not just sitting there waiting for the record to finish but what do you actually do I actually go onto tweets and text messages and emails and just see what you want to come in and what I can use and I tried to use it as quickly as possible if I'm going to the Old Bank something that's quite good, but it's not quite right just now so I'll find something that I can use immediately if I can't use anything then I'll just go from my own but I do like to keep a listeners in but used and the more you say more you use listeners than the more they will respond so I like to prime the pump and get people to contact program and use it so looking at what I might do next others up as a big format format to the program for me.

I think something sent out.

There's a lot of space on the show you some people who have debt for me find it difficult you left on your own quite a

No, I'm not on my own because I got the listeners getting in touch all the time but you are left to their own devices which I think is great.

I love that but not everybody that way say Mrs Miggins emails in and say something interesting other email and there's her phone number on the bottom where you and you sit up reducer.

Let's get her on her she sounds amazing we really don't do that.

We don't get the punters.

I never get them off when you die do one liners on very short stuff.

I don't do great long story is so there's no point getting some Beyonce one-liner and sometimes.

I mean I'm not busy myself about it sometimes.

I know it's just needs a tweet to make it funnier and I'll do it funnier than they will that that's the way I look at it.

It's not a comedian stand-up but I do recognise that around change that would be great to see Bob

Bunkhouse and I was a teenager my dad drag me to see him and I actually thought I least have just present quiz shows I didn't know as a comedian and it was a funny smell in my life when I when I was young.

I tell my parents I wanted to be a comedian and they just laughed well.

They're not laughing now that is inherited bobs joke book that's what the what the doughnuts The Lost and hiccup and Colin is a huge admirer of bobs expertise and I just think he was always that he suffered a bit from being seen as the cheesy game show hosted the slight insincerity.

I never saw that but some people accuse him of it and I so not him.

So not a generational thing is that was only Avenue Infant family Fortunes in all of those can't because I didn't know him as a comedian and then went out so we can.

I just have some old irrelevant medium then he played the York Picturehouse and

Simon festival who's on for about 7 hours, but it was 7 hours of almost painful after from start to finish giving you the how to do they could do it and so people like Bob Monkhouse and Ken Dodd they were vastly experienced and good good.

Keep you in the palm of their hands, but I was on it and he said he not comedian doing some research for this and you after I've got you on record as saying you think there's a radio showbiz for shy people want me to say that because I was younger.

I didn't want to go on the stage.

I want to go on the radio now had a performance Gina proponents, but I certainly don't want to go upstairs.

Cos I can't do anything no Talent can't sing can't dance but I just want radio sounds like good fun and I went on to another if you want a lot of Brave radio people and they have not seen the most outrageously egotistical things but blush.

At the same time so if that that's the kind of person that goes into radio the they want people to notice them but not that much just a little bit.

They don't want people stopping them in the street, but take them over just want somebody to be aware of them up earlier.

I was much better standing up in front of people and we have always quite enjoyed actually doing concerts on stage and whipping up an audience into something but I don't like being the centre of attention.

I like being the person who is bringing you another right somebody else.

I don't like being the main actor cos I feel it's too much responsibility, but you know we'd 8.8 million listeners, as it has you've said that is quite a lot of responsibility for their music is the main act the musical in presenting the music so it's not like Gillian for me that union for the whole program whole package must of witches music but given the intimacy of Radeon like you said a decade you've been doing it people there must be hundreds of thousands.

If not millions of people feel that they know you do you get reckon?

Raised in the the chip shop on a presumably because your voices are recognised by many of you rang me about anything if I was working in a call centre at Stacey's mate.

Are you Ken Bruce off of radio to do get a bit of that? Yes, I do get your electron.

What I don't get is a little bit of facial recognition as well, but not not that much because I'm not a television face and I hope you enjoy it stops me to say no way I can help with just saying this do that all day long as I don't get as much of it as somebody who's on television everyday get so it's not an irritating me is actually it is lovely anything else lovely actually love meeting people who enjoy the show and I always say it, but it's lovely to hear it is lovely to hear so we have no problem with that one, so I don't get so much recognition that I can't walk the streets without being disturbed and I mean I live in.

Where people my village just think I'm Kenyans Harry's old house or are you going to walk around their local time and everything they see me everyday or every other day in the shop.

So it's no big deal.

She is ok you mentioned that you know you started out in radio on it's always what you want to do you grow up in Glasgow and you're sat in hospital radio.

Do you think that is still the best grounding for aspiring DJs will it is? I think it's still is there other ways now than when I was young because there was no commercial ready to you.

When I started.

There's only one two three and four when I wanted to get into to radio BBC local radio in England started about 1970s.

Thanks and 6970 but that was an England so wasn't it's got those.

We just had one two three and four for Scotland radio Clyde then began in 1973, but it wasn't the kind of I was so so BBC

Divide by that time that it wasn't the kind of thing I want to do great station there was and so I can I buy wanted to get into the BBC to do it properly and the only way you could get some experience was by working in hospital radio so I did that and it's a great it is still a great way to enjoy radio.

It was quite tough getting into hospital radio because they let you join the station, but didn't let you unless you could prove your worth so that the standards were met and you weren't like Simpsons man who's running in Glasgow that time and he didn't allow you on here unless.

He thought you were not just up to the job, but beyond that you won't go fully capable of doing it and he would come back as it don't do that either great ruler which I think is broken it everyday.

My life is the rule was you playing a record you are the took over the entire introduction or not at all.

So you don't talk over if this 16 second intro.

You don't talk for 8 seconds and then leave it.

Forward 16 seconds or nothing at all player called from the start that was rude break it as every other day, but it's a great Rollright so good at that.

We're offline.

Are you think so you better get a Groove on his about his get his anyone bath time is going to start singing we all know it and then maybe back time even hospital register listing these days.

I mean have not been in hospital, but I mean am imagine it was just on my apps.

No, no, it's still a thing it is still think as I'm involved in a couple of hospital radio stations and the overarching organisations for broadcasting organisation still very much a thing and I thought I was certainly a group of all said hospital radio.

I seem to get television and people won't listen to the radio, but it doesn't work like that hospital really of does still work and predicted for people who are in long-term people are in for longer than one day.

One night whatever it's very very important and I also have a somebody saying to me you will never you will never understand how important hospital radio is to you when you're in hospital also am just slightly diverging when I had a show in the world service for a few years and I met Terry Waite after he had been incarcerated and I he came up to me the point of coming out to speak to me instead.

They're used to listen to you when I was so you know change the radiator as it were and he said I used to think there's no place for music on the world service, but it said I used to listen to your program and in a few others like DLT sure there was so important to us so I think you know that was a work and radio on a daily basis of Our Lives can forget that actually that powerful intimacy that radio generates works in all sorts of situations that we we don't really know because you must get fans had a listen to your face on a 2030.

Zulu hook know what you doing this with my only see This podcast will be going 3 years and Alex said something 3 years ago and I bump into someone else so yeah, you did that nothing.

How did you know that about many others are you said that 3 years ago on a Picasso you think what you do remember to remember what you said because they use their clan member in do that again and I'll stick my research it again and that I was shocked to learn that you were an accountant at one point get his wilderness years where you long to other BBC how much use an accountant.

No neither could the accountancy profession is it was just because it's cool.

I had decided that.

I wanted to work and radio so I wasn't really interested in anything else, but I had to find some work when I left school and there's a wee who go to university and study well.

Not sure what you can study at university entrance qualifications, but I can't think of anything I wanted to do and I was so up to here with mak.

Take life that as I don't want to study in that sense anymore, so I went into a cancer and it was an apprenticeship you article 2 accountancy firm 5 years and you had to go to classes in the evening after you done the day's work and I was getting less for burglary.

You got less money paid £350 a year year in Lima burning Lantern 1969 £76 a week earlier.

Didn't pay tax on earning enough to be so I did that for 2 years, but I was it was really I was just looking for something to do and never bothered going to the class as needing so I kept feeling the exams and they eventually thought that perhaps the accountancy profession could manage without me.

These companies know I went off and some friends of mine when washing cars for living with a students and they were washing cars in their down time so I went off the date from month and then they said well the job going now to see any of that company within 3-4 years until a job came up at the BBC and I just wrote in for it in a bag wasn't a job at all.

I just heard on the Grapevine that somebody would leaving through hospital radio down this and that person actually didn't leave but I'd written centre.

I tape up to them and they give me a short-term contract advice.

Would you give someone listening to this? It's a solid starting on their career designing your slot at Radio 2 enviously think well, you know whenever he chooses to stand down.

I'd like quite like them the mid-morning slot is it easier to make a name for yourself now? It is given social media can start your own pug and all these things but in another sense it more difficult because because anyone can do it.

You can have drowned out by the night.

Yeah, I think there are an awful.

Lot of people around who would like to get work in the media.

I don't think people are eyes focused on one particular branch of the media as I was certainly because I think now people look at it all as at a much bigger a business where you can move from one part of the media to another and we're actually it was saying that in in radio Amanda Holden has just been started and Breakfast Show and commercial radio with no radio experience whatsoever.

It's a gamble, but it says Paul chantler great man radiotopia with intensive training should be great, but methinks well.

You know shouldn't you be doing the intensive training before you get the job, but the other parts has more people like that bring in a ready-made audience they bringing their own fan club as it were they bringing people who are interested in them.

So you can add that to your existing audience and if there's chemistry.

Then the double head with the Jamie will work so we hate people coming from all sorts of Mercy always having radio in Jimmy Young who's on Radio 2 for 30 odd years singer so he was trying out on radio and it worked so you trying out people and if they work they were if you don't you don't need to use them again for people who are dead.

Keen on radio.

Love radio.

It's more difficult to to get to the top jobs in radio, but I think there's still a lot of jobs around and radio that me and you can work in radio somewhere, but it may just not be the Tottenham but to be honest it when I was young.

I had no chance of getting to the top jobs the radio as I thought so I was going to be happy doing what I did to begin with staff announcer.

I could have done that.

I could still have been doing shipping forecast on Radio 4.

I've been perfect happy with that because I'm on the radio and getting that communication going but

The things worked out I got jobs.

I wasn't looking for and where I am and have been for a long time.

There's no magic bullet that gets you to the top jobs, but it is still I think open to Almost anybody if you go back to the right way, you need to make yourself as you say you need to make yourself seem yet, but people to know where you are somehow or other so we can still work if you know you can't we don't want you working radio then you can go and saying you're right about Amanda Holden because that is obviously commercial consideration that there who manages their thinking will she's bringing an audience on board because she's got a big Instagram following.

She's done you not out the Got Talent and on this kind of thing where you did it the more traditional way that you worked your way up.

You build your audience of a career but now it's easy if you got to lean Instagram followers discipline suddenly.

Just be the new Breakfast Show presenter that maybe not suit people to come up through radio to think that but it is actually it a fact.

It's just just

Ratings are you can hate it but you can't fight it.

So you just have to go along with it.

Everyday would bring in some cases.

I'm in Ryan has started on Radio 2 and he's terrific on radio brings a real force of Personality to it and he breaks rules but now if you're doing so once a week, then you can break rules if it's a one-off show when it's got to be done in your style, so you doing a brilliant job people at Paul O'Grady do a brilliant job on radio will not being every every rule that comes down you must not do this.

You must not get your producer on here.

All these rules are broken makes a great list of commerciality.

You know because of the unique way the BBC's funny through the licence paid it ready to get to serve underserved audiences it when I mean I'm a pewter country music fan out but he's not feeling well at the moment.

Love this show if it comes back soon because it's 2 hours of the best country music.

I can't imagine it gets millions and millions of listeners, but I'm so if I was a commercial station manager wouldn't put th.

Because it's not going to butter many parsnips Drive the revenue book show tunes with Elaine Paige not many stations would have to show tunes but Radio 2 does because we exist to serve the widest possible range of music.

I need me don't nestling it show tunes and daytime Radio 2.

You don't get cat much country music and date and Radio 2, but these programs are in the schedule, so the we do represent these people and young artist young British musicians.

We try as much we can to get them on there as well, so that's that time job.

I see you that's Radio 2 this job.

Play music that not everyone I'd do if you Friday night is music night programmes big Orchestra BBC Concert Orchestra no you don't know commercial station is going to have an orchestra and stuff like that let alone for orchestras on staff, so that's something to BBC can do should do and not to keep doing but I mean the nature of how you listen to.

Yeah, I changed massively of the last couple years.

I make as for example with Bob show I've never listened to it while it was broadcast ever I was listen to on catch up by the iPlayer app.

I'd listen to something morning love songs is Steve Wright but I never listen to when it's on there because I suffer from medical laziness and I have someone to sleep in on the Sunday it's on at 9.

I'll be bothered if I leave at 9, just be here Wednesday was open secret everyone knows anyone ever mentioned.

We can't take live request but just won't work.

Why can't you because you did this to me, but you know I can click listen again in listen to it 11 so I can do that when it suits me one of the great things because it hasn't really damage like listening that ability is a great thing to be able to catch a program for my sins.

I do follow the Archers but again I never listen to it as it goes out in its scheduled time.

I will listen to on the train going home or

Go in the car as I've got that just 15 minutes.

Just plug in the phone and listen to it that way.

It's a great thing to have it.

So it's a wonderful resource, but it doesn't seem to damage listening figures live listening figures and people still want to hear radio as it happens.

I've been told that radio is about to die since I started in 1977 Alexander Stadium saying that ever since and it still still life in the Corpse it still there moving around and I think there's still plenty of life left people come up with different ways that we are still do the Sony Walkman came in sight it done.

That's done for radio people don't Nestle you want to hear their own choice in music all the time that they would like to hear something.

They're not expecting and they still want to hear somebody presenting it.

How long that will last have no idea but as I say it in the 70s.

I was being told radios dead in the 60s.

They've been saying as well because television was seen to be totally in control band radio.

Just got up now.

That's going out but so far it's still going I can't see anything that's going to knock off its perch.

I said the last year when he came in but one of the things that raised my eyebrow is an occasion.

I listen to six music.

I think it's a great station and then you've got the the DJs that play the music but Spotify have the official BBC 6 music playlist when he's literally the same songs did he just playing in the same order without any talking and you have a choice do I want a human being making some observations and chatting in in between the songs and some traffic and travel or do I just want to means that some people will choose that and find that it is a choice but there's still a need and want for a human being and some human interaction even though it's not Direct and immediately personal.

I feel personally I think it'll be a long time before people say I don't wanna hear anybody at all speaking to me while this music playing now got a few minutes left.

I think you're commentaries is brilliant, Graham Norton does a great job on telly, but I prefer to listen to it because your your 15% more hilarious.

I think at least love how you going to find responsibilities freedom to have three exactly 4 oz of airtime to say whatever you like.

I was nobody no meaning of your shoulder and to describe an event as it happens so high regard it as a great honour to be able to do it and it's greatly enjoyable because it's a massive event at still today people know rip the piss out of it.

But I think it is a great a great event if you've ever gone to Eurovision where it's happening the whole week around two weeks around it it said it's a massive cultural and other cultural event and the such warmth and Happiness around it that I think it's a great thing to The Witness and I don't think it will truly get your meeting until that actually attended 1 people take it seriously good.

I mean I respect I think is great fun and that you don't pretend to take it seriously cos that's part of the fun, but the reality is when we came last this year at you know doesn't really matter to me.

I'm not really vested in where we can people seem to get actually upset about ears ideal Terry Wogan actually got upset about it in his last couple of years doing it which is why I think he stopped doing it because he felt like what's the point is a conspiracy against.

Oh yeah, yeah.

Problem is it's not the people hate us.

They just don't care about us and the last part of Europe that takes part in Eurovision and beautiful be not beyond nobody real friends lots of countries in Europe have the next door neighbour has the best friend we don't really have any Ireland have voted for a smaller than anybody else, but even Island their patience has run out so they don't vote for a and sometimes with perform poorly because we've been crap other times you do feel a slight tinge of injustice wiedling, but we weren't bottom ranked.

No.

That's the way.

I look at it with a good singers and very good song Sometimes and we haven't done as well as we should that you just have to accept that but we have as you're absolutely right to say we've had some crap soft again.

That's part of the fun entertainment shouldn't be taken seriously really on any level.

Show for television at that is an event slightly beyond television and that's why I'm doing a radio commentary on it because it's more than what you see and television, but it's not serious muscular questions sent who's been your favourite interview guest over the years.

I mean that you don't worry when you were working back in the 70s at Radio Scotland you were interviewing Legends like Sean Connery and Billy Connolly and Peter Ustinov yeah.

Oh, yeah, I forgot this one of these lovely lovely people to meet but I'm a bit kind of a very kind of Glasgow West of Scotland thing not to be impressed by famous people where I know you think so I actually that hasn't bothered me the most fun.

I've had an interview as much enjoyment as being people like Barry Cryer talking to Barry Cryer is just you make me laugh a non.

Stop bullying and of course the greatest thrill of my entire broadcast life was too.

Meet in the flesh in the Basil Brush show Basil Brush and honestly I can buy happiness up.

How long are you going to go on for then? If you don't mind me asking but I don't know how can I go on and on like this is like she did yeah, but it got writing in the street the poll tax a 2 years 3 years.

I want to contact to the moment which ends in 2021 when we get close to the end of that I'll have a look and see what I think if I'm happy with what I'm doing if the BBC is happy with what I'm doing will carry on if not I have the BBC's not happy.

I might go and do it somewhere else if I'm fed up with it, then I might go and do nothing at all as well.

Have to do something cos I've got kids to feed would you ever understand by the studio?

With a baseball bat and can I take on all comers anyone has to take the mid-morning slots.

Don't feel like this go onto much longer, so I will know when to call it a day although Bob Jennings we've been talking about centimetres have known a lot of presenters not one of them as ever know does he know but would you ever room? Would you ever move into a different medium like would you ever settle either it like a like a podcast a speech podcast all an app or something like that.

I mean the some beautiful ways, you could do PopMaster foods.

Are we have been thinking about that but Master app and stuff like that and pay for that.

I'm good.

Thank you.

Just sign here.

We are thinking about that something is just developing it slightly away from Radio as well as reading.

All the rights management still want me to come I said a lawyers and HR 200 rands to think about it when we've got a lot of them place already, won PopMaster is actually a registered trademark and has been for a long time so we have the rights for Radio use and we have the rights for live shows and stuff like that so maybe the sun something there we can do wow last question again.

What has been the best day of your career so far this one talking to you for telling me you are an absolute legend.

Thank you again as an honour to be honest.

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