Tom Clarke 'slams Radio 1 playlists'

Rex Features

The Enemy's Tom Clarke has criticised Radio 1's decision to overhaul its music playlists in an attempt to attract a younger audience.

The new criteria - which places a greater emphasis on commercial acts - was introduced earlier this year after it emerged that the radio station's average listener was aged 33.

Clarke told The Mirror: "I think 2009 has been an awful year for music because in England, Radio 1 for some reason have stopped playing anything with a guitar in it.

"What's happened, their balls seem to have retracted into their lower abdomen, and they’re playing what can only be described as s**t. But there's always Kerrang and XFM, isn't there?"

The singer went on to describe the BBC station's current output as "diabolical" and "a shame" for new bands.

"In trying to alienate all the older listeners by playing s**t, then yes, they're going about in completely the right way," he said. "They’re just presuming that younger listeners want to listen to s**t. I don’t understand it."