The axeman cometh?

It's all change at Radio 2 with the appointment of a new controller Bob Shennan. But what future will this fabulous station have in his hands?

Arriving back at the BBC after he jumped ship for the ill-fated Channel 4 venture into radio (which has now been shelved by the station as part of the reaction to its financial crisis), Bob Shennan has a background in sport and news, but little previous experience of music radio. According to the Guardian, insiders have questioned his lack of music background, although he was appointed by two executives who themselves have no prior radio experience – the director of audio and music Tim Davie, and the creative director Alan Yentob.

Big decisions need to be made at Radio 2, not least who will replace Terry Wogan as he retires from the breakfast show. All the big bets are on - gawd help us - Chris Evans to take over, despite Our Tel's obvious contempt for the ginger one. And bearing in mind the "populist" stance of the man who wielded the axe at Radio Five Live on some of its more traditional and long-running shows, bringing in "big name" presenters to boost the ratings instead, there could be some more nasty surprises in store for the UK's most popular radio station.



Shennan's rise to success in the BBC was remarkable, from sports journalist to controller of Radio Five Live in ten years, and while at the helm there he raised their audience to over seven million listeners. But he had his critics. One of the people who launched Five Live Tim Luckhurst stated that the station had lurched downmarket under the control of Shennan, and had declined "from news pioneer to a bounteously funded competitor for commercial chat radio."

So what exactly will this man do now he has his hands on Radio 2? I dread to think what will be the fate of some of my favourite shows - Malcolm Laycock, Desmond Carrington, Russell Davies and David Jacobs - let alone respected daytime broadcasters like Ken Bruce.

'Cos they're old, see? And that Wossy, well he's a laugh, innee?

Sigh...