大象传媒 Radio 2 and 大象传媒 Radio 6 Music to make schedule changes in response to the Coronavirus crisis

Published: 1 April 2020

A simplified schedule will be implemented which will see the length of a number of daytime and evening shows increase, with the priority being live shows.

The new Radio 2 schedule will come into effect from Saturday 4 April, with the 6 Music weekday changes from Monday 6 April, and will remain under review for the foreseeable future.

The schedules are available at bbc.co.uk/radio2 and bbc.co.uk/6music and all shows will continue to be available via 大象传媒 Sounds.

Radio 2

Across weekdays from Monday 6 April, Sara Cox’s show will be extended by an hour (5-8pm). From Monday to Thursday, Jo Whiley and Trevor Nelson will each broadcast for four days - alternating each week - with an extended evening show (8-11pm), starting with Jo Whiley next week.

The four specialist music shows - The Blues Show With Cerys Matthews (Monday), The Jazz Show With Jamie Cullum (Tuesday), The Folk Show With Mark Radcliffe (broadcast from 大象传媒 MediaCity in Salford each Wednesday), and The Country Show With Bob Harris (Thursday) - will move to a later slot (11pm-midnight).

On Friday 10 April (Good Friday), At the Foot Of The Cross will be broadcast as planned (7-9pm), to be followed by Sounds Of The 80s With Gary Davies (9-11pm) and Sounds Of The 90s With Fearne Cotton (11pm-1am).

On Friday nights from 17 April, Tony Blackburn’s Golden Hour will move to the later time of 8-9pm, following Sara Cox’s three hour All Request Friday (5-8pm).

On Saturday nights between 8-10pm, a series of documentaries and specials - some new and some archive treasures - will air, featuring much-loved musicians and entertainers including Levi Roots, Jools Holland and Ricky Ross. Between 10pm-midnight, listeners can relive classic Craig Charles’ House Party Mixtape shows featuring the best in funk and soul.

Sunday nights will become a relaxing haven for music lovers. There will be further music documentaries and specials to share with our audience, featuring some of the world’s most popular artists such as The Carpenters, Kylie Minogue and Celine Dion (5-7pm).

Friday Night Is Music Night becomes Sunday Night Is Music Night (7-9pm), featuring some of the most popular performances from recent years (including Beverley Knight’s 25th Anniversary concert and Burt Bacharach performing with Joss Stone), followed by another chance to hear the brilliant, long-running popular series, The People’s Songs presented by Stuart Maconie (9-10pm).

Helen Thomas, Head of Content Commissioning, Radio 2 says: “I’d like to thank all the Radio 2 presenters and productions teams who are working extremely hard to ensure our output continues as we go through these unprecedented times together with our audience. We are now modifying our schedule as we need to prioritise our teams’ health in the coming weeks whilst continuing to broadcast.”

大象传媒 Radio 2 schedule

Monday-Thursday

5-8pm	Sara Cox
8-11pm	Week one: Jo Whiley Week two: Trevor Nelson
11pm-midnight	Specialist music shows

Friday

5-8pm	Sara Cox
8-9pm	Tony Blackburn’s Golden Hour
9-11pm	Sounds Of The 80s With Gary Davies
11pm-1am	Sounds Of The 90s With Fearne Cotton

Saturday

8-10pm

Documentaries and specials*

Sunday

5-7pm	Documentaries and specials*
7-9pm	Sunday Night Is Music Night
9-10pm	The People’s Songs

* new and archive

Good Friday on Radio 2 (Friday 10 April)

In Anneka’s 80s TV Hunt (2-5pm), Anneka Rice celebrates the tv and music of that decade. In this special, she’ll be reliving her 80s TV highlights on Treasure Hunt, Wish You Were Here, TV-AM, Challenge Anneka, Sporting Challenge and more. Playing 80s hits from the likes of Phil Collins, Whitney Houston and Madonna (who came second to Anneka in a Most Influential Woman of the 80s poll), she will also be talking to critics and guests about key television genres of the decade. And based on listeners’ feedback she will also be announcing the winner of her own honorary ‘Annie’ award in each category. Will Lovejoy beat Moonlighting, is Cheers funnier than The Young Ones and did Edge Of Darkness or Inspector Morse have better police work?

In At the Foot Of The Cross (7-9pm), Dan Walker brings an assortment of spiritual and traditional music on Good Friday. Recorded at Maida Vale Studios, it also features a dramatic retelling of the crucifixion by author Frank Cottrell-Boyce.

大象传媒 Radio 6 Music

Each weekday from Monday 6 April, Chris Hawkins will continue to present his early breakfast show from 大象传媒 MediaCity in Salford, broadcasting from a later time (6-8.30am). Lauren Laverne will broadcast an extended show (8.30am-midday). Mary Anne Hobbs and Shaun Keaveny will share the afternoon slot each week, with each presenter taking turns to broadcast (12-4pm), kicking off with Shaun on Monday 6 April. From Monday to Thursday, Craig Charles will take over at teatime (4-7pm) from 大象传媒 MediaCity in Salford; with Craig Charles’ Weekend Workout every Friday (4-7pm) to get listeners into the weekend groove. Marc Riley and Gideon Coe continue to entertain audiences Monday through Thursday (7pm-midnight). And on Fridays there will be another chance to hear Cillian Murphy sharing his passion for music by taking listeners through his record collection (7-9pm), with Tom Ravenscroft in his regular slot (9pm-midnight).

Paul Rodgers, Head of Content Commissioning, 大象传媒 6 Music says: “I’m proud of how the 6 Music production teams in London and Salford have pulled together in recent times like never before. We are making these changes to simplify the schedule to maintain and safeguard the resilience of the station’s presenters and productions teams at this time, and I encourage listeners to continue to be an active part of the 6 Music community.”

These changes are in addition to the previously announced weekend 6 Music schedule changes.

大象传媒 Radio 6 Music schedule

Monday-Thursday

6-8.30am	Chris Hawkins
8.30am-midday	Lauren Laverne
Midday-4pm	Week one: Shaun Keaveney Week two: Mary Anne Hobbs
4-7pm	Craig Charles
7-9pm	Marc Riley
9pm-midnight	Gideon Coe