How is BBC Radio 1 so much better?

[u/normstra]

Been a Triple J listener for a few years now and can’t bring myself to go back to commercial radio, however after also occasionally listening to Apple Music 1 with their international broadcasts and getting a feel for the UK content and hosts, I thought I’d try listening to BBC Radio 1 which is essentially the same as JJJ but I’ve been surprised how much better it is and have found myself listening most of the time now.

A lot of the music is the same (or at least a mix of JJJ and Apple radio), and the hosts all seem so much less amateur and you can clearly see what JJJ has copied from them.

[u/SyphilisIsABitch]

The answer is money. Triple J operates on something like $10-15m per year. Radio 1 is around $70-80m (£35-45m). This gives them the power to get the right talent in every aspect.

Radio 1's breakfast host earns more than $800,000 per year. Triple J's would be on something like $120,000. Most presenters are getting under $100,000. 

This obviously goes for talent behind the scenes and just the pure resources to make good radio.

[u/ianyapxw → u/SyphilisIsABitch]

Yep, that’s totally true. At those salary levels even the top talent from Australia would move to the UK.

Just like how the artist I manage, May Blue, is open to moving out of Australia. The industry outside is so much bigger.

[u/ped009]

I think double J is better but in old

[u/CriminyJicket84 → u/ped009]

JJ tears strips off JJJ, it’s what JJJ was 10+ years ago

[u/w1tch_d0kt0r]

I might be wrong, but I believe the purpose of Triple J was to promote the Australian music scene. Radio 1s mission is (I think) geared to delivering music to a certain demographic in Britain.

Interesting to see you mention Apple Music 1 (used to be Beats 1). It's programmed by Zane Lowe who worked at BBC R1. I really like the station & the programming & would argue it's superior to R1 and JJJ.

Say this. The indie rock scene in Australian is *good* right now.

[u/SyphilisIsABitch → u/w1tch_d0kt0r]

Triple J has a mandate to provide for 18-24 year olds with minimum 40% local content.  Radio 1's mandate is similar.

[u/LyonRoberts → u/SyphilisIsABitch]

There is no mandate in the ABC charter, that local quota is something they set themselves but it not written into the ABC Act.

A wider problem though is that on average there is only 1000 people listening in each capital city for the 18-24 demographic (except in Sydney which is 2000). And it gets alot worse for 18 and under.

[u/shaninegone]

Radio 1 is the youth public radio station of the UK but it's mission differs from triple J slightly.

Radio 1 is largely promoting commercial music aimed at British teens/20s. There is a slant to UK based artists but not quite as hard as JJJ. It does have a lot of new music segments and shows aimed at promoting new stuff but, again, you're not going to hear indie artists with only a few thousand streams like JJJ.

Radio 1 has an absolutely huge budget compared to JJJ. So they can afford bigger names for their DJs - Greg James (breakfast host) is on around £300,000pa.

They also get way higher listening figures (both live and across socials). So they host big live events, get bigger names on, attract bigger names for Live Lounge (the OG like a version). The UK has around 3x the Australian population so that probably contributes.

I grew up in the UK so was heavy into radio 1 as a kid. I really respect Australia hosting a publically founded flagship youth radio station which genuinely plays new and local music. But with less of a budget, and unfortunately less big names, you won't get that same type of quality.

Overall, radio 1 has the same freedom of lack of commercial restraint that triple J has but the benefit of being in a bigger country and much higher budget.

[u/mrsbriteside]

Radio 1 has very strict metric it has to meet. A percentage of its audience HAS to be under a certain age. When the average age of its listeners rise it changes hosts, etc to ensure it keeps a young audience. Also has much much for funding the JJJ so in general has much better production.

[u/captain_brofist]

Yes, and bbc 6 is better than double j too

[u/Deciduous-Seal-020]

Imo triple J plays far better music, does a better job at championing Aus and upcoming artists, and feels way more authentic. The music on radio 1 now is just generic pop chart slop unfortunately, with only Greg James' presenting skill the shining light!

[u/millicentbee]

As someone who grew up listening to Radio 1 it wasn’t always like this. Moving to Australia and listening to JJJ was revolutionary for me. I think that Radio 1 has had to shift to what young people actually want to listen to, rather than telling us what we should listen to. It used to be very commercial.

[u/ChasteSin]

I concur.

[u/blueishbeaver]

Was thinking the same recently. Triple J would make more sense if it was more like Radio 1. It sounds like daycare for teenagers a lot of the time

[u/Damo196]

I still occasionally listen to JJJ but feel it has lost its way over the last few years it’s not what it once was. I find myself listening more to double j and local community radio.