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Technology Chris Evans BBC Radio

Former Radio 1 star Gary Davies talks to The Drum about the station's life after Chris Moyles

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By Jennifer Faull | Deputy Editor

July 11, 2012 | 4 min read

The BBC today announced that Chris Moyles would be leaving the Radio 1 Breakfast Show in September in favour of younger DJ Nick Grimshaw.

'Twas ever thus. Gary Davies left Radio 1 in 1993 after more than a decade as a DJ at the station, and is now running his own music-based branded content agency Upfront. The Drum caught up with Davies about what Moyles' exit means for the future of a station which is once again looking to find a younger audience.

Chris Moyles has had an impressive eight year reign on the Radio 1 breakfast slot, attracting over seven million listeners to the show each day. So one might argue that Moyles was still very much at the top of his game in a job that has not traditionally lasted more that a couple of years for other DJs.

"I think that he's had an amazing run on the Breakfast Show," former Radio 1 DJ Gary Davies told The Drum. "It's the longest serving breakfast show on Radio 1, which is a real achievement. But the thing about Radio 1 is that it's a youth market station and I think everybody who works there knows that you're not going to be there forever. There are exceptions, I suppose, with Pete Tong and John Peel, but as a mainstream jockey you pretty much know that the closer you get to 40 your time is going to be limited."

And therein lies the problem. At 38, the age gap between Moyles and his intended audience of 18-30-year-olds was becoming ever greater. In a report published last November, the BBC Trust found that the station needed to work harder to attract more under 30s, with the average listener of Moyles' show being 33.

Davies, who presented Radio 1 lunchtime show 'The Bit In The Middle' during the 1980s, was part of a similar replacement of old presenters with new, younger ones upon the arrival of axe-wielding station controller Matthew Bannister in 1993. As such the resignation of 38-year-old Moyles comes as no surprise to him.

"I think Radio 1 has always done that throughout the years," Davies said. "It’s an interesting dilemma that they have because obviously they don't want to lose the audience but they have to stay within the remits of the station youth wise. It's not like Radio 2 where you can potentially be a DJ until the day you die. On Radio 1 as you get to 40, you’re getting a bit old for your audience regardless of how good your figures are. In a commercial radio world everything is about audience figures whereas with the BBC and Radio 1 it's about, yes getting good audience figures, but also meeting your target demographic as well."

New breakfast host Nick Grimshaw, 27, already presents a late night show on Radio 1 as well as Channel 4's youth slot, T4. But will the new addition to breakfast radio bring in the key target demographic as well as maintain the audience figures?

Davies said: "When someone's been there for a very long time and gathered a very loyal following there will initially be an effect on listening figures. But obviously the idea is that Nick will win them over as soon as he can and try and build on what Chris has achieved over the last eight years. But my guess is probably, initially, there will be a small dip.

"[Grimshaw] is a really good jockey. He's funny, he's chatty, he's got an excellent knowledge of music. It will be interesting to see him in a situation where he is playing more commercial music that he is doing at night time. But time will tell. Who knows."

Technology Chris Evans BBC Radio

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