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NEWS ARCHIVE
Radio 1 Chart Show to Leave Legendary Sunday Slot
Many mobile DJs will remember the likes of Tony Blackburn and Mark Goodier hosting the Radio 1 Chart Show on a Sunday afternoon. Some may even remember back to 1967, which saw the origination of the chart countdown with Alan Freeman’s Pick of the Pops! Well, after almost 50 years, the BBC has announced that the legendary show will be moved from its Sunday spot to Friday afternoons from July.
Those Pro Mobile readers whose DJ career pre-dates the days of the internet will remember how listening to the Sunday countdown was essential to keeping up with trends and gauging the popularity of new releases. Many will also have fond memories of sitting down to tape the charts onto cassette. Up until 1987, the chart was announced on a Tuesday, while the Sunday show played this countdown in full. However, since 1987, when the BBC started to receive the week’s sales data in time, the official chart and the week’s number one has been announced on Sunday evenings.
The new move, announced by the BBC today (24/03/2015), comes after the global music industry decided to make Friday the sole release day for new albums and singles worldwide. Holding the countdown on Friday means that Radio 1 listeners will be up-to-date with new music, rather than two days behind. The new Chart Show will run for an hour less, taking place from 16:00 - 18:00 on the drive-time show hosted by Greg James (pictured below), allowing the final hour of Dance Anthems to remain.
On a wider scale, the change comes as part of Radio 1’s latest efforts to appeal to its younger target audience, whom the BBC feels has lost interest in the station. “If we don't adapt we will die,” advised Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper, speaking to BBC News on the matter. “Radio 1 is changing. Our audiences are changing and we have to change to keep up with those audience activities.”
Do you have any fond memories of the Radio 1 Chart Show? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter!
Those Pro Mobile readers whose DJ career pre-dates the days of the internet will remember how listening to the Sunday countdown was essential to keeping up with trends and gauging the popularity of new releases. Many will also have fond memories of sitting down to tape the charts onto cassette. Up until 1987, the chart was announced on a Tuesday, while the Sunday show played this countdown in full. However, since 1987, when the BBC started to receive the week’s sales data in time, the official chart and the week’s number one has been announced on Sunday evenings.
The new move, announced by the BBC today (24/03/2015), comes after the global music industry decided to make Friday the sole release day for new albums and singles worldwide. Holding the countdown on Friday means that Radio 1 listeners will be up-to-date with new music, rather than two days behind. The new Chart Show will run for an hour less, taking place from 16:00 - 18:00 on the drive-time show hosted by Greg James (pictured below), allowing the final hour of Dance Anthems to remain.
On a wider scale, the change comes as part of Radio 1’s latest efforts to appeal to its younger target audience, whom the BBC feels has lost interest in the station. “If we don't adapt we will die,” advised Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper, speaking to BBC News on the matter. “Radio 1 is changing. Our audiences are changing and we have to change to keep up with those audience activities.”
Do you have any fond memories of the Radio 1 Chart Show? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter!
