After the recent departure of Programme Director Mark Walker from Smooth FM in London, owners GMG Radio have announced his replacement. From Tuesday, former Head of Presentation at Primetime Radio Gavin McCoy will join as Programme Controller.
GMG Radio boss John Myers is having a change of on-air talent too. It has been reported that breakfast presenter David Prever and mid-morning host Kevin Greening are just two jocks who are not having their contracts renewed. New blood who can relate to the new target audience of over 50 year-olds will fill the schedule instead. As a former presenter on Primetime Radio, Gavin McCoy may even end up on-air himself.
Speaking of his new role at Smooth Radio, Gavin says: “This is a fantastic opportunity to be joining GMG Radio. I can’t wait to launch the new format to a very under-served adult audience in the world’s most exciting city. We’re hoping that the combination of great music, intelligent speech, and lots of entertainment, Smooth Radio will break new ground in the capital.”
John Simons, GMG Radio’s Group Programme Director said: “Gavin knows this market inside out and back to front so he is the perfect man to drive the station forward. He has the background of a presenter and the skills in management too, a great combination".
You may remember Gavin's voice as Sid the Manager and Gervaise the Hairdresser and other memorable characters on Steve Wright’s Radio 1 show.
102.2 Smooth FM will switch to the Saga-Style programming on March 26th. At the same time, 100.4 Smooth FM in the northwest will also see an on-air re-brand to Smooth Radio, despite record audience figures.
In today's Broadcast magazine, John Myers talks about the new format for Smooth FM in London: "You have people whingeing saying we are going to take on Magic, but it's bollocks. We would lose if we tried to take on Magic. Our job is to position ourselves slightly older than that."
SAGA Radio presenters in the East Midlands, West Midlands and Glasgow are already introducing 'Smooth' into their vocabulary, identifying as "SAGA, Smooth Radio for [insert location here]".
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