Parfitt: Introducing is new John Peel

Q What is BBC Introducing and what is its goal?

BBC Introducing supports unsigned, undiscovered and under the radar music. It is unique in that it is focussed on aspiring talent, be it bands or DJs. It’s about the grass roots of music-making, which has a long creative tradition in the UK.

Its purpose is to provide people with a simple, easy way to expose material to the BBC and producers of shows as well as to their peers. It gives them an easy route in. It’s a contemporary way of sending your tape to John Peel. It’s the web way of doing that.

Q How does it work and what role does the web play?

Our website (www.bbc.co.uk/music/introducing) allows people to upload their music to give themselves the chance of getting played out on BBC Radio or to perform on one of the BBC Introducing stages at festivals like Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds and Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

Once you submit your music, it gets sent to the producers and presenters of the closest local BBC Introducing radio show, as well as to a national DAB station such as 6Music, 1Xtra or Asian Network. If your track gets played, your chosen national BBC Introducing radio show gets to hear about you. Around30-40 stations have an Introducing show and literally thousands upon thousands of tracks have been uploaded.

Q How successful has it been for bands?

If you are in a band and are ready to make that next step, we provide a quality service. It does what it says on the can – introduces you to DJs and industry.

We’re looking to do a good job for these artists. One of the major upsides is that we have panel of people – including DJs such as Steve Lamacq, a head of music of Radio 1 and Radio 2 and some external people. They will make their selection and then the bands have the opportunity to play at the major festivals on the BBC Introducing stage. It has been going for three years at Glastonbury for example. It’s not the Pyramid Stage but it is a remarkable journey to go from uploading your demo to playing Glastonbury. The quality is at the high-end. Florence and the Machines and The Ting Tings are examples of those who have gone on to wider success. But this is not a competition. It is a way of getting exposure. Tracks can be syndicated by the bands themselves. And at T in the Park, Reading & Leeds, The Electric Proms – there is an Introducing presence. The website is an early listening choice for A&R people.

Q: Is this a key part of your bid to attract younger audiences which some claim the BBC is failing to do adequately?

I do not think that is an issue. The BBC Trust’s recent review showed that 95% of all 15-34-year-olds get some value from the BBC. The issue has moved on. There might have been a time when I became controller of Radio 1 when people might have said it was a bit grey or old. Now they say the BBC brings quality.

Q You recently replaced Jo Whiley, 44, and Edith Bowman, 35, with 27-year-old Fearne Cotton and Greg James, 23. How important is it to keep shaking up the line-up of DJ’s to keep connecting with your audience?

Your physical age is not directly connected to whether you connect with the audience. John Peel is the example. And there’s not one threat to Tim Westwood’s hip-hop crown. But Radio 1 needs a range of upcoming talent. Kissy Sell Out is a great example. Kutski is our new dance DJ and other strong talent includes Nick Grimshaw and Greg James. New talent comes in and is balanced by established talent. There is a conveyer belt system and people work hard to stay on it. Some stay on while others go off to other things, like Simon Mayo or Colin Murray.

It’s important to check with the audience how we are doing. At 29 do you suddenly switch off? No, you don’t. In recent years that automatic switch-off hasn’t been happening. Music and music tastes are part of this. There is a lot of technology that mean tastes last longer so it has become far less generational and far more attitudinal. You cannot stop someone listening to Radio 1 who is connected with what young people are connected with.

It’s about organic incremental change and Radio 1 is on song.

Q How do you plan to capitalise on new technology to keep on targeting younger listeners and what is DAB’s role in this?

The direction of travel is to find an on-ramp for people in their teens. Radio competes with the web and things like Spotify. With BBC Switch we will always reach down and provide bespoke content for young teens.

One of the key ways of connecting is through the web. It’s about atomising it – break it down and offer it differently. There’s lots we are doing on the web to make it more Web 2.0. The number one priority is for the under-20s.

The switchover date galvanizes everybody to really push and grow DAB. We know it is the central interim technology in the current technological landscape. We should not underestimate the challenge. It is slower to be taken up by younger people. It really is something we need to do and is a line in the sand to bring us all together.

• The BBC Introducing Stage can be seen at the Reading & Leeds Festival from 28-30 August. For more on Andy Parfitt, the Radio 1 shake-up and the station’s new schedule, see Broadcast magazine in September.