A week in radio

Chris Moyles was right on Wednesday when he claimed that the schedule changes announced at Radio 1 this week are not about him. They're not: at least for now. Instead, new controller Ben Cooper has focused on drivetime, moving current afternoon host Greg James to that slot from April 2 and shunting Scott Mills, who has hosted drivetime for eight years, to afternoons. It's one of a number of changes aimed at lowering the station's average listener age from a frankly ludicrous 34. Cooper is also bringing in Gemma Cairney from sister station 1Xtra to weekend mornings, T4 presenter Jameela Jamil to the Sunday request show, and Danny Howard, who was discovered through a Radio 1 talent search and will have a three-hour dance music slot each week. These are precisely the places a Radio 1 controller should be looking for new presenters. Greg James could do little to hide his glee. "It's been a funny couple of days," he told listeners on Wednesday. "This is an odd job because your career's lived through everybody. Your promotions are scrutinised." What he meant, but didn't say, is that he is now widely tipped as favourite to succeed Moyles at breakfast. And he's perfect for Radio 1 daytime. He articulates a younger listener's worldview, while his humour is distinctly silly. On Leap Day, he identified with male listeners ("There'll be lots of blokes swerving tonight. Just stay out. Get a cheap hotel.") and everyone who feels their parents are musically out of touch: "It's a classic parent blunder," he said of a father confusing Chase and Status with Jason Statham. He embellished an item about French songs you learn at school with his own very childish ditty ("Je voudrais une baguette/J'adore le pamplemousse/Du pain! Du vin!). It made me feel ancient – I kept correcting his pronunciation of the silent "s" at the end of legumes – but would have chuckled when younger. Or, as one listener put, it, I might well have been "LOL- ng my AO".