[brynmawr 1]

In my opinion this station has gone VERY boring. There was a time when I used to love listening to Real because it was quite a upbeat station. The presenter's had a personality and the music was quite varied.

Now all the presenters seem to do is read presenter reads and tell us what songs we have just heard and what are still to come. It's so boring!

Also I know it's a commercial station but the amount of ads its playing is ridicolous. It goes something like two songs - long ad break. Another two songs - long ad break.

I'd be very suprised if their figures are not down next quarter.

This is not a attack on the station. I would love to see it go back to what it used to be. Not a formalatic, boring radio station. I guess even the presenters are get bored of saying and doing the same things day in, day out

[882657]

When it started in 2002? Real broadcast football matches and had business programmes as well as phone ins and nightly sports. Over the years these programmes have declined and it has just become another music station. the arguement for it cover all of Wales was to provide an alternative source of news particularly on Welsh politics. Its news coverage now is poor. The toothless watch dog Offcom has allowed this to happen. Shame on them.

[deepfroat]

Every station does this - promises a lot of extras and meaningful speech but drops it as soon as it gets the chance. Unfortunately it seems that the audience likes what it hears - Real Radio has now overtaken BBC Radio Wales to become the principality's biggest homegrown station in terms of reach.

[marclt]

Originally Posted by deepfroat

Every station does this - promises a lot of extras and meaningful speech but drops it as soon as it gets the chance. Unfortunately it seems that the audience likes what it hears - Real Radio has now overtaken BBC Radio Wales to become the principality's biggest homegrown station in terms of reach.

* Terms and conditions apply. It's not number 1 in the Swansea market!

[deepfroat]

Originally Posted by marclt

* Terms and conditions apply. It's not number 1 in the Swansea market!

Like, whatever - I'm talking about the stations with the largest number of listeners in Wales, not percentage reach or share in a particular city or region.

Radio 2 and Radio 1 are top, with Real Radio now overtaking Radio Wales as number three.

[Jamesp84]

Originally Posted by brynmawr 1

In my opinion this station has gone VERY boring. There was a time when I used to love listening to Real because it was quite a upbeat station. The presenter's had a personality and the music was quite varied.

Now all the presenters seem to do is read presenter reads and tell us what songs we have just heard and what are still to come. It's so boring!

Also I know it's a commercial station but the amount of ads its playing is ridicolous. It goes something like two songs - long ad break. Another two songs - long ad break.

I'd be very suprised if their figures are not down next quarter.

This is not a attack on the station. I would love to see it go back to what it used to be. Not a formalatic, boring radio station. I guess even the presenters are get bored of saying and doing the same things day in, day out

The North West station is the same. A dull, tired shadow of what it was when it was Century

[woodysdad]

The Scotish Real is beating the competition hands down!

[Sid Law]

But it is sh*te !

Everytime I venture south I give it a listen as I wan't to hear what I'm missing out on.

Not much IMO.

[realwales]

Originally Posted by 882657

When it started in 2002? Real broadcast football matches and had business programmes as well as phone ins and nightly sports. Over the years these programmes have declined and it has just become another music station. the arguement for it cover all of Wales was to provide an alternative source of news particularly on Welsh politics. Its news coverage now is poor. The toothless watch dog Offcom has allowed this to happen. Shame on them.

Real Radio South Wales started in October 2000. It originally mirrored what John Myers and John Simons had done when they were in charge at Century.

To start off with, it had a nightly phone-in with Adrian Allen, a Sunday lunchtime show "Fun on the Phones" which John Myers presented with Sarah Graham (he called himself John Morgan on air though), a dedicated business programme early on Sunday mornings, and a ten-minute long news programme at 10pm and 12pm.

In the 2000/01 and possibly the 2001/02 football season (my memory is failing me a bit here), they covered every Cardiff City and Swansea City game by splitting the frequencies.

Cardiff City commentaries originally came from the late Phil Suarez, who moved over directly from Capital Gold when they lost the rights. His co-commentator was ex-Bluebird Gary Bell. Swansea originally had, I think, ex-BBC Wales commentator from the 80s Richard Shepherd with Alan Curtis.

Suarez had some kind of falling out with Real Radio, possibly involving his successor, Grahame Lloyd (they certainly didn't like each other much). Lloyd and Shepherd both commentated on matches involving Cardiff and Swansea from then on.

Former Bluebirds Chairman Sam Hammam then fell out with Real Radio, and the Swansea contract fell at about the same time. They said they were trying to sort it out, but they haven't covered live football since.

Fans of both Cardiff and Swansea have had no choice but to listen to the tired, dated and unenthusiastic coverage from BBC Radio Wales ever since. The quality of coverage in Cardiff is worse now than at any time since 1982.

The Adrian Allen phone-in ended when they started networking Nick Abbot's show from Real Radio Yorkshire and Central Scotland. Allen left on bad terms and ended up taking legal action against them.

Abbot's show was eventually dropped in favour of more music, and the Sunday business programme and Fun on the Phones both ended.

I spent a period in the North West between 2002 and 2005. When I first arrived, I was really impressed with the job Capital were doing at Century FM (which was still pretty male-orientated back then). I liked the playlist, Simon James & Hill's afternoon show, Mark Forrest's Confessional, The Legends Football phone-in at weeknights, the lunchtime phone-in with Derek Hatton (sometimes Anna Raeburn or the late Tony Wilson) and Elton Welsby's Soccer Saturday on, erm, Saturdays.

From around the end of 2003, I noticed a change in emphasis- many of the above shows were dropped and it became more feminine. I more-or-less stopped listening at around that point. By the time I left in 2005, it was already similar-ish to Real Radio.

[DJPT]

I think Real Radio Yorkshire is sounding quite good at the moment - it isn't as good as it used to be though.

[brynmawr 1]

I really

[brynmawr 1]

I'm glad everyone seems to agree with me on this subject. I was half expecting a backlash because Real does have a strong following. (for some reason)

I really hope they pull their socks up and take it back to what it used to be like.

Also change the competitions. They are really old now and are completley over done. When their doing "Real RAdio Fugitive". Every single link the presenter does is about this competition and I mean every link.

They always overdue the competitions.

[wrexham103.4]

Real North West is sounding quite good atm, hope when Real gets to N wales it sounds good

[WIGGY~ON~AIR]

What annoys me about Real Radio Wales, They can't afford to keep the station Local in Evenings and Overnights.

They can't even afford Local News at Night-Time either.

Yet they can afford Competition Prizes Like.

Real Radio Renegade.
Risk It For A Biscuit.
Win A Dream Chrismas.
11 Mates To Go To Rugby Games.

I'd rather see a Cutback in Prizes, And Bring back local Presenters.

[x+y]

Originally Posted by WIGGY~ON~AIR

What annoys me about Real Radio Wales, They can't afford to keep the station Local in Evenings and Overnights.

They can't even afford Local News at Night-Time either.

Yet they can afford Competition Prizes Like.

Real Radio Renegade.
Risk It For A Biscuit.
Win A Dream Chrismas.
11 Mates To Go To Rugby Games.

I'd rather see a Cutback in Prizes, And Bring back local Presenters.

Most of these competitions are funded by the sponsers, I doubt Real themselves pay for much of the prizes. Plus It's these competitions that are keeping people listening.