Someone has told me that Radio Two has won the 'Station Of The Year' Award, can that be true

A.� It is right, BBC Radio Two has scooped the Sony Music 'Radio Station Of The Year' Award for the second time in three years. Radio Two is no longer the domain of the more 'mature' carpet-and slippers listeners; it's increased its listening figures from 8.5 million to an impressive 10.7 million in just five years.�

�< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Q.� But surely music radio is aimed at young people, so Radio One is the favourite station of choice

A.� Not any more. If you check out the age of the radio listening audience, you'll find that two million people aged 25 to 44 listen to Radio Two, because it's playing the music they grew up with, as well as an eclectic mix of new material that appeals to listeners who may no longer be in their first flush of youth, but still enjoy their music, and want to hear a mix of new and old.

�

It's that willingness to treat music's history with a degree of depth and intelligence that has increased the listening figures, and made Radio Two a seriously credible radio station.

�

Q.� So it's 'oldies' re-living their youth then

A.� Not entirely. Evening programmes have included a 'Vinyl Classics' series presented by ex-Jam and current 'Mod-father' Paul Weller, and ABC's Martin Fry is hosting a New Romantics retrospective. Cockney Rebel's Steve Harley is analysing the music of the 1970's, and in common with the others, he brings a 'I know cos I was there' fund of anecdotes and knowledge that couldn't be provided by a self-confessed 'young person's' station like Radio One.

�

Q.� It sounds more like playing to the audience's interests.

A.� Of course, and any radio station will tell you that this is what they all strive to do.�Radio Two is just succeeding more than anyone else, hence the increase in listeners, credibility, and of course, Awards.

Q.� What other types of material are they putting out

A.� The strength of Radio Two is the diversity of it's content, and the people it brings in to present that content. You can tune into the familiar and nostalgic whimsy of Terry Wogan, who has added an impressive 500,000 listeners to his Breakfast Show, and hear Jimmy Young who's cosy image belies a cutting-edge interview style that can worry the most seasoned politicians.

�

Carry on into the afternoon with Steve Wright who has seamlessly shifted across to Radio Two from his former home at Radio One, via a brief stint at Talk Radio, bringing his own brand of humour and comment, and listeners with him. The all-important 'drive-time' slot is in the ever-safe hands of veteran Johnny Walker�- still using his name-check jingle from his Radio Caroline pirate days. It's that mix of the familiar and safe, with the new and innovative that has made Radio so successful, and broadened the appeal of radio in general, and the station in particular.

�

Q.� I like my radio to be groundbreaking and play some new music, not just the nostalgic stuff.

A.� You wouldn't be disappointed then. Take Atomic Kitten, who's single was largely ignored by Radio One, but still secured a number one slot thanks to the airplay it received on Radio Two. Speak to the people at Hot Records, a little cottage industry selling a couple of copies a day of an artist called Eva Cassidy, a singer who died of cancer some years ago. Enter Terry Wogan and his personal adoration of her version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and suddenly one or two copies became 20,000 copies a day, and a number one album. That demonstrates the influence that radio can have on its listeners.

�

Q.� Why is radio so powerful

A.� It's the thread of memory that carries through people's minds�- radio provides a soundtrack to people's lives, and it's that continuity that Radio Two has analysed and encouraged. Gillian Reynolds from The Daily Telegraph sent a questionnaire to a number of famous people asking about their radio habits, including how many radios they own. Mick Jagger owns 20 radios, Stephen Fry even more, John Peel has eight. Hardly any house is without a radio of some sort, and the expanding list of internet stations ensures that the medium is going to grow even further�- with an accompanying diversity in style and content.

�

Q.� So there's a market for radio even after the Internet has swept the world

A. The Internet has made vast changes in culture, but it's replaced very few of them. A radio station such as Radio Two will provide a unique style that is all its own. Cutting edge comedian Mark Lamarr won a Sony Prize for his Beginner's Guide To Reggae, which followed on from his incisive introduction to the roots of rock and roll, largely garnered from his own massive collection. Veteran rock broadcaster Bob Harris, owner of one of the largest private record collections in the country is using his breadth of knowledge to explore modern and classic country music, and TV broadcaster Jonathan Ross continues to push the borders of acceptable broadcasting even further out�- tame his Saturday morning show is not!

�

Q.� What about the next generation

A.� A recent survey of just over 500 11�- 15 year olds confirmed that 43% watch breakfast TV, but the same number listen to the radio. Asked what they had done over the last twenty-four hours, 95% had watched TV, but a massive 83% had listened to the radio�- the future of radio is certainly safe.

�

If you have any questions about music, click here.

�

����������������������������������������������������������������������By:� Andy Hughes.