Xfm's daytime changes an 'opportunity'

GCap group operations director Steve Orchard has defended his company's decision to replace its daytime DJs with music playlists chosen by listeners.

Speaking at the Cambridge Radio Festival this afternoon, he said the changes were an "opportunity to use technology differently," adding that the station should not be criticised for taking risks and doing something different.

The changes to the Xfm schedule were brought in at the end of May, and involve listeners to Xfm's three stations in London, Scotland and Manchester putting together their own playlists from the station's full music library, as well as recording messages for broadcast.

Orchard said: "We realised over time that more and more stations were playing music on our core playlist. We weren't distinctive. The Xfm audience know more about the music than the DJs do."

"For the 19 year old, the daytime DJ is not as important as important as the daytime DJ thinks he is," he added.

Though he believed the station was better now than when it had presenters in daytime, Orchard added that if it doesn't work, he would consider changing it back to the old model.