I listened to the last Chris Moyles Show on
Friday. It was, as you would expect, a suitable send off for a broadcaster whose
impact on Radio 1 is undeniable.
He arrived as ‘The Saviour of Radio 1’ and
it’s fair to say that he was true to his word.
He took the team / zoo format that Evans
had used a decade earlier, gave it his own style, and ran with it, growing the
ratings and audience loyalty along the way.
I remember doing a session with Andy
Parfitt at a conference just after he left Radio 1, and I asked him how good a
broadcaster he thought Moyles was upon reflection. He said plainly “He’s the
best.” And you can see why he would say that.
He was able to create great radio moments
out of seemingly nothing; bring mega-stars right down to earth with engaging
interviews; understand that doing a breakfast show is all about ‘the show’;
posses the right balance of ego and fragility, but with the talent to back it
up; and draw listeners in day after day with a classic approach to the ‘soap
opera’ of team radio.
The best talent always has its haters, and
for some Moyles was just not their thing. But the fans loved it. Really loved
it. You could hear their devotion when they spoke to him on-air, or you could read
it on the messages on Facebook.
Everyone had an opinion when you mentioned
his name in the pub. And you can ask for no more than that. People knew him and
had an opinion of him.
Yes – the critics in the industry would always
point to his age (38) and how he connected more with listeners in their 30’s
and 40’s than in the core Radio 1 demo. And there’s no doubt that at times it
was an obvious problem for the network, particularly when he’d rather play T’Pau
than Skrillex.
But to do what he did for 8 years and 8
months takes enormous talent and commitment. And for that we should applaud
him.
I hope he gets back on the radio soon. I
know several stations that want him. UK radio is a better place with Chris Moyles
on it.
And if you missed his 'Goodbye Song', here is
it is, in a typical understated Moyles fashion...
Posts
1 comment:
Easily the best review I've read of his last /era, most just bash as they have to as thats the opinion critics are meant to have
Post a Comment