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Topic History of: Ken Bruce to host new GHR station dedicated to 60s music
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By Rachel Muller-Heyndyk
Freelance news reporter
August 3, 2023
Veteran broadcaster Ken Bruce will host a new Greatest Hits Radio station entirely dedicated to music from the 1960s.
After more than three decades at the BBC, the former Radio 2 DJ moved over to the Bauer media station in April, where he plays songs from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.
Ken Bruce’s Secret 60s will be the first time that a station has ever been solely focused on music from the 1960s.
The new station promises to showcase the “most iconic songs and legendary singers” of the era, from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones, alongside some hidden gems. It is due to launch on Friday, but will only be available to Greatest Hits Radio premium subscribers.
Bruce, 72, said: “Don’t tell the bosses but I’ve been sneaking the odd 60s record into my show for a while now, so the fact that I’ve got a whole station to now play with is very exciting.
“You can expect the greatest hits, obviously, but also some buried treasure you haven’t heard in a while. I’m sure many people will agree it’s the soundtrack of our youth.”
The Scottish broadcaster’s first show on Greatest Hits Radio saw him kick off by playing Come Together by The Beatles, the opening track of the band’s Abbey Road album, which was released in 1969.
Inside the radio ratings war as Ken Bruce’s new show helps Greatest Hits Radio take on BBC Radio 2
The name of the new station was chosen by Chris Benson, a Greatest Hits Radio listener, who will appear on Bruce’s Golden Years feature on Friday.
Bruce presented his final Radio 2 show in February, after a row with BBC bosses resulted in his departure date being brought forward. He had said he was unhappy at having to play dance tracks in order to pull in younger audiences.
Ahead of his move to Greatest Hits Radio, Bruce said it would give him the chance to play “the stuff I like”.
Vernon Kay took over the reins for the prime Radio 2 slot in May. Bruce was one of the most popular hosts in the show’s history, racking up millions of listeners, who threatened to shun it altogether after his departure was announced.
A ratings battle is ongoing between Bauer and the BBC.
Bauer hopes to draw in more Radio 2 listeners by offering a £3.99 a month premium subscription service allowing ad-free access to its stations and the ability to skip songs via voice-activated devices like Amazon’s Alexa.
inews.co.uk/news/ken-bruce-host-new-grea...-2520839?ITO=newsnow |
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