1. Bam Bam Breakfast on Kiss 100 FM
Hosted by Bam Bam (above) and sidekick Streetboy, this is definitely one
for those who want a lively start to the day. Providing an edgier sound
and tone than the likes of Radio One and Capital, Bam Bam and
Streetboy's comments can get pretty savage. A real standout show for
advertisers wanting to target a cool, young audience in the morning.
Critically acclaimed with awards at the Sony's.
2. Daryl Denham in the Morning on 100.7 Heart FM
Denham's show on 100.7 Heart FM in Birmingham is one of the top
breakfast shows in the country. Consistently picking up awards, Denham's
mix of spoof songs and fantasy phone calls makes for an hilarious start
to the day. Denham even took Brum' to New York when he picked up gongs
at this year's New York Festival Radio Programming and Promotion Awards.
Perhaps he is destined for national network things but, for the time
being, Denham is to Birmingham what Chris Evans was to Manchester all
those years ago.
3. Brandon Block and Alex P on Kiss 100 FM
Another brilliant Kiss show, this was the sound of the summer with Block
and Alex P broadcasting live from Ibiza on Saturday afternoons. Great
music to get the audience revved up for a Saturday night and its
commercial appeal is evident in sponsorship deals with both Budweiser
and Tunes. Kiss deserves congratualting for its great weekend schedule,
something that has helped it bring its total listernship up to 2.2
million, achieving its best ever reach. Its share of listening hours
rose by 32 per cent among 15- to 24-year-olds and this kind of
distinctive show helped.
4. Nick Bailey's Easier Breakfast on Classic FM
For those who like to start the day with a bit of quality, and judging
by Bailey's audience figures (he attracts more than 700,000 listeners,
up 14 per cent year on year) there are plenty of those who do. Bailey
gets the tone of the show just right and his playlist of popular
classics is pulling in plenty of ABC1 adults. Together with the weekday
breakfast host Henry Kelly, Bailey has helped Classic grow its audience
to a record 6.4 million. Classic keeps saying that "it's cool to be
classical" and even though they're wrong it pulls sin loads of listeners
- at last count it added 400,000.
5. Hawksbee and Jacobs on talkSPORT
Still the best thing on talkSPORT, Paul Hawksbee and Andy Jacobs now
rule the drivetime roost with their satirical and vitriolic look at the
sports world. Promoted from their evening, and previously weekend, slot
of last year, they can brighten any boring journey up the M4 to watch
bad First Division football. The banter between the two is the best
thing about the show but they also attract some cynical guests to add to
the fun. Five Live might have better live sport but with these two
around talkSPORT fills the gaps with some class.
6. Steve Penk on Virgin Radio
Alright, so Penk has added listeners mainly because he's on-air for
longer than the Ginger Whinger but his show always creates talking
points. You either love or loathe his aggressive style but, whatever the
case, at least it stands out and provides Virgin with a point of
difference in the breakfast stakes. Penk gained 300,000 listeners to
take his audience to two million following Evans' decision to devote his
life to childish pursuits and he has started to win both advertisers and
the public round. Next year will be make or break but the signs are
good.
7. Eddy Temple-Morris and James Hyman on Xfm
Easily one of the best music shows around at the moment, "The Remix" is
billed as "where rock meets dance". The Sunday afternoon session mixes
alternative tunes with dance numbers and contains a "superchunk" of
remix material from a featured artist. The proof of The Remix's success
comes with the launch of an album next spring featuring some of the best
superchunks of the last year. This is essential lstening for those who
love a guitar/dance fusion.
8. Jonathan Ross on Radio 2
OK, so it's not a commercial show but Ross' Radio 2 programme is so
damned good that it has to be in the list. Every radio buyer mentions it
as a classic show with most torn between wishing it was commercial so
that they could buy around it or hoping that Ross stays where he is
because they can just switch off and enjoy it. Ross is brighter than the
average DJ and provides the perfect weekend sound by introducing some
new tunes to Radio 2 listeners. This show is one of the main reasons why
the station is now the most listened to in the UK.
9. Capital Takeover on Capital 95.8 FM
Neat variant on the "Desert Island Disc" idea which sees a showbiz
personality come into the studio and play their own choice of tracks.
Can be excruciating (Geri Halliwell's medley of Lionel Ritchie, Elton
John and the Backstreet Boys proved particularly hellish) but stars
including Frank Skinner, the now defunct 5ive and Louise guaranteed
large audiences. Capital's own millionaire Chris Tarrant, who had
another good year with his own show, celebrated by playing Phil
Collins.
10. Radio Stars on Galaxy 102.2
Birmingham's Galaxy station launched a competition that was a shameless
rip-off of Popstars and eventually led to Heather B beating off
thousands of other contenders to win her own radio slot. The contest
became compulsive listening on Galaxy's breakfast show and helped build
the station's share of listening. With competition from the likes of
Heart, Galaxy really needed to get its early morning act together and
this show led the way.
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