Listeners divided over Evans' debut

Shropshire Terry Wogan fans are divided on the merits of new Radio 2 breakfast DJ Chris Evans as he continues his fight to hold on to millions of loyal "Togs".

BBC officials were reported as being nervous as Evans took over from Sir Terry yesterday, fearing that many Togs — Terry's Old Guys or Gals — would jump ship and tune in to another station.

Tog Kim March, from Church Stretton, has been waking up to Wogan for years and regularly tunes in during early morning fitness sessions on his cross-trainer.

Mr March said he was not convinced by Evans' debut, but would be giving him time to find his feet.

He said: "I managed to stay on the cross-trainer this morning for a 40-minute work out with Chris Evans.

"First of all, there is no natural successor to Terry Wogan so we all have to accept the fact that we're starting a new journey.

"On the basis of a very limited sample, I did not chuckle once in that 40 minutes — banal and mediocre, I thought.

"However, to be fair I'm going to listen a few more times before making a final decision, if only to enjoy listening to the dulcet tones of the lovely Moira Stewart.

"The only other good thing was that in my angst to get to end of the workout and switch Chris Evans off I appear to have upped my work rate by 10 per cent! Every silver cloud. . . "

Pete Wagstaff, managing director of MNA Radio which includes Telford FM and Severn FM said he believed it would be a few years before Evans' success or failure could be properly judged.

He said: "Oddly enough I thought he sounded rather nervous, despite all his years on air and telling us he won't be.

"But he was less brash than I thought he would be, but still a bit "full on" for Radio 2.

"He will scare off long-term listeners, some may drift back if they don't like what else is out there but there's plenty of great breakfast radio to go around."

Mr Wagstaff added: "The music was somewhat different from the normal stuff you would expect with Terry Wogan and Radio 2 at that time of day.

"The music mix was very wide. Do folks who like Matt Monro really like AC/DC?

"I think with this guy you really do love him or hate him and first thing in the morning listener tolerance level is low.

"Will he do the numbers? Tough question on day one — it will take a good two years before we know."

Lawley listener, Steve Tyrer, a young Tog at 34, said he was spared the Evans experience due to the weather.

He said today: "I only got to listen to the first 10 minutes of the breakfast show before we discovered a burst water pipe in our garage, but what I can say is thank heavens for a burst pipe — it saved me listening to the rest of the show.

"I think I will continue to listen to local radio."

By Ben Bentley