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Simon Mayo hired for new classical radio station from Bauer
By Chris Cooke | Published on Tuesday 22 January 2019
When Simon Mayo confirmed that he was departing Radio 2 last year he said he was far too busy with writing projects to be doing a daily radio show in 2019, which everyone interpreted as “I’m fucked off that the BBC fucked up my show, so I’m fucking off to do something else on another fucking radio station”. I don’t know why everyone interpreted Mayo’s statement in such a sweary fashion, but who are we to question the Great British public?
Anyway, we now know that the other fucking radio station Mayo is joining is a brand new one from Bauer Media called Scala Radio. It’s a new classical music station, based on the assumption that – with only two classically-focused radio channels currently available in the UK (BBC Radio 3 and Global’s Classic FM) – there’s definitely room on the digital dial for another.
But Scala Radio, Bauer would like you to note, will offer “classical music for modern life”, and will be just the kind of station equipped to capitalise on an anticipated “explosive growth in the genre”. It’s also going to “break the mould of classical music in the UK”. Which seems unnecessarily violent, but who are we to question Bauer Media’s marketing team and their waffley nonsense publicity blurb generator?
Mayo will be joined by his old mate Mark Kermode at the new station, who is on board to play some film scores – they will also continue to present their film show on BBC Radio 5 Live too, do not panic – while Goldie and William Orbit have also been hired, possibly to do the mould breaking bit. Other presenters include Angellica Bell, Charles Nove, Mark Forrest, Sam Hughes and Jamie Crick.
“There are hundreds of radio stations playing rock and pop, and only two classical music stations”, observes Mayo, who then shrieks in a scary fashion “until now!” His new employer is “different because we’re going all out to entertain, laugh with the listeners, and have a good time”, he adds. “Some of it will be familiar, some new and exciting, but all timeless, beautiful and all absolutely relevant to today”.
Which kind of reads like Mayo has employed the same waffley nonsense publicity blurb generator as Bauer’s marketeers, but who are we to question the Mayo? And, as he’s prone to say (in your head anyway), “fuck yeah, let’s just fucking do this”.
