Well, there was a shift in London's breakfast show wars yesterday
- no longer will it be a battle between Johnny and Jono, in the future the two main contenders will be Johnny and Jamie.
Having faced both disappointing RAJARs and sales figures last week,
Chrysalis' London music radio outlet Heart 106.2 yesterday announced a major schedule change. After six years they are parting company with Jono Coleman, and have recruited one Jamie Theakston to take over on the station's flagship breakfast show.
It's a dramatic move from a station which, this time last year, seemed to be unstoppable in its bid to overtake Capital FM as London's favourite music station. If nothing else their choice of new breakfast show host (sitting, as he does, in the same ball park as Johnny Vaughan) shows that Chrysalis still see Capital as their main rival, even though it is EMAP's Magic that has been stealing most of their listeners.
Describing their new appointment as the ìlatest weapon in the fight to become London's No 1 radio station", Heart's
MD Steve Parkinson said yesterday: "Jamie Theakston hails the beginning of an exciting next chapter for Heart 106.2, and this move presents a real opportunity for us to create a market-leading breakfast show and station. Jamie is an established personality who has been a part of many of our listeners' lives for a long time."
For his part Theakston told reporters: "I can't wait to get stuck in - it will great to be on Heart 106.2 and great to be back in radioî.
It is an interesting move by Heart - while Jono Coleman isn't everyone's cup of tea, it's doubtful he was really the station's weakest link. And one can only assume no one at Heart ever listened to any of Theakston's shows on Radio 1 which were generally dreadful - Jamie may have shined when paired off with Zoe Ball, but as a solo presenter he makes a good actor. It will be interesting to see how the Heart faithful take to his presenting style when his new show launches next month.