'News: "BBC GMR" Manchester Axes "Meltdown" Local Music Radio Show' by Grant Goddard
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News story about the decision by UK local radio station 'BBC GMR' in the Manchester market to axe its 'Meltdown' local music programme, written by Grant Goddard in April 1992 for Broadcast magazine.
![News: 'BBC GMR' Manchester Axes 'Meltdown' Local Music Radio Show page 2
©1992 Grant Goddard
'BBC GMR' has dropped its weekly 'Meltdown' music programme which had
provided an important showcase for up-and-coming artists in Manchester.
Station management attribute the show's closure to budget cutbacks and have
subsequently replaced its Tuesday night timeslot with a relay of 'BBC Radio
Two'.
During its five-year existence, Meltdown gave early exposure to local acts,
such as 808 State, The Inspiral Carpets and The Charlatans, who have gone
on to achieve international success.
"There is a hell of a lot of music emerging from this city," said co-presenter
Alison Martin, "and very few radio programmes that cover it."
GMR Programme Editor Paul Baldwin blamed budgetary restrictions for the
station's reluctant closure of Meltdown and a weekend rock'n'roll show.
"It wasn't because it was a crap programme," he said. "I liked the way Alison
presented it, I liked the music, and I believe we should be fulfilling that part of
our brief."
Meltdown's loss follows a similar threat made to Steve Barker's long running
'BBC Radio Lancashire' music show 'On The Wire', though public pressure
resulted in its last-minute reprieve.
Meltdown had played the earliest recordings of The Inspiral Carpets four years
ago, long before the band could command national media attention.
"It was important at the start of the group's rise to mega-dom," recalled their
manager Anthony Boggiano. "Meltdown was very important as far as
Manchester music lovers were concerned."
GMR suggested to Martin and co-presenter Henry Stafford that they present a
proposal to launch a new show in the autumn, but Baldwin admits that "there is
a long way to go" before a show similar to Meltdown could be reintroduced.
"The money we save is essentially for funding daytime programming, though
there are some ethnic programmes and specialist shows in early evening," he
explained. "But, beyond that, we don't have the money to fund programmes up
to midnight."
[First published in 'Broadcast' magazine as 'Swan-Song For Music Show At GMR', 14 April 1992]
Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of
experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy
roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at
http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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'News: "BBC GMR" Manchester Axes "Meltdown" Local Music Radio Show' by Grant Goddard
- 1. NEWS: 'BBC GMR' MANCHESTER AXES 'MELTDOWN' LOCAL MUSIC RADIO SHOW by GRANT GODDARD www.grantgoddard.co.uk April 1992
- 2. News: 'BBC GMR' Manchester Axes 'Meltdown' Local Music Radio Show page 2 ©1992 Grant Goddard 'BBC GMR' has dropped its weekly 'Meltdown' music programme which had provided an important showcase for up-and-coming artists in Manchester. Station management attribute the show's closure to budget cutbacks and have subsequently replaced its Tuesday night timeslot with a relay of 'BBC Radio Two'. During its five-year existence, Meltdown gave early exposure to local acts, such as 808 State, The Inspiral Carpets and The Charlatans, who have gone on to achieve international success. "There is a hell of a lot of music emerging from this city," said co-presenter Alison Martin, "and very few radio programmes that cover it." GMR Programme Editor Paul Baldwin blamed budgetary restrictions for the station's reluctant closure of Meltdown and a weekend rock'n'roll show. "It wasn't because it was a crap programme," he said. "I liked the way Alison presented it, I liked the music, and I believe we should be fulfilling that part of our brief." Meltdown's loss follows a similar threat made to Steve Barker's long running 'BBC Radio Lancashire' music show 'On The Wire', though public pressure resulted in its last-minute reprieve. Meltdown had played the earliest recordings of The Inspiral Carpets four years ago, long before the band could command national media attention. "It was important at the start of the group's rise to mega-dom," recalled their manager Anthony Boggiano. "Meltdown was very important as far as Manchester music lovers were concerned." GMR suggested to Martin and co-presenter Henry Stafford that they present a proposal to launch a new show in the autumn, but Baldwin admits that "there is a long way to go" before a show similar to Meltdown could be reintroduced. "The money we save is essentially for funding daytime programming, though there are some ethnic programmes and specialist shows in early evening," he explained. "But, beyond that, we don't have the money to fund programmes up to midnight." [First published in 'Broadcast' magazine as 'Swan-Song For Music Show At GMR', 14 April 1992] Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk