Radio 3 schedule changes (‘edging away from speech')

[Ein Heldenleben]

As regards gender equality, or indeed equality in general, we would be wise not to confuse talk about equality, or programmes devoted to a specific group of people, with actual equality.

Absolutely . But those programmes do give the middle classes something to occupy themselves and wind each other up about rather than tackling the fundamental and very tricky problems causing that inequality like ,amongst other things : poor housing, regional economic differences , lack of decent childcare and preschool provision , poor parenting , crime and the outright exploitation of the poorly paid by monopoly business. I am sure another Sunday Feature on US identity issues really cheers them up in Rochdale.

[Hitch]

The Guardian Letters page:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/mar/04/dont-touch-that-dial-we-like-radio-3-just-the-way-it-is

[french frank]

Not a schedule change as such - just next Sunday's offering (remember The Beethoven Experience?):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/search?medium=radio-and-sounds&network=bbc-radio-3&week=11&year=2024&day=sunday

[Ein Heldenleben]

Not a schedule change as such - just next Sunday's offering (remember The Beethoven Experience?):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/pr...024&day=sunday

Don’t get me going FF . The idea of devoting an entire day to film music is a prime example of what’s wrong with the channel. Ok there’s Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Britten , RVW - fine . And lesser talents like Korngold who wasted it on film when his classical work is so much more interesting . But Most film music is second rate - cliche strewn , always going for the cheap Emotional effect . It’s like a Russell group university doing a course on the verse in Hallmark greetings cards. Mind you I suspect that’s happening as well. But they’ll be doing it in a post modernist ironic way. Radio 3 really mean it .
So we are being told the music of John Williams , Debbie Wiseman , Morricone, Rota et Al is of great cultural significance. It isn’t really… It’s pretty good music but so was that of the now unjustly neglected seventies pop rock band Pilot with catchy classics like January and It’s Magic.
Why not a whole day on Renaissance Polyphony, the Second Viennese school ? Or Boulez ? Or British female composers like Lutyens and Maconchy?

[antongould]

Sorry, I meant the Early Music Show "Podcasts" were chopped, often down to ~20mins.
I hope we haven't lost dear Lucie Skeaping - star of EMS, Music Restored...

Ian Skelly said on Twitter :

I don’t know if this has been raised elsewhere but how does the Sainted Petroc bouncing between London and Truro escape the Salford or Spare Part treatment …. ???? Asking for a friend obviously …..

[french frank]

Don’t get me going FF .

I wondered whether anyone had noticed yet! I do agree with you but I'll repeat what I said about Karl Jenkins: why choose contemporary 'popular' (define it how you will) music which is not really part of R3's remit when there is a wealth of lesser-known, seldom heard music of the 'classical' (ditto dihyw) era(s)?

My theory is that the station strategy is to get R3 noticed. Just as once 6 Music was noticed, because it was being closed down, the masses descended.

[french frank]

My theory is that the station strategy is to get R3 noticed. Just as once 6 Music was noticed, because it was being closed down, the masses descended.

Meant to add to this: As long as all the irritated listeners still tune in regularly to one or two of their favourite programmes the RAJAR reach figure won't go down; and if the new arrivals listening to film music then discover the regular Breakfast programme isn't as starchy and intimidating as they'd been led to believe the reach may indeed go up. Loved the film music: more please.

[AuntDaisy]

Meant to add to this: As long as all the irritated listeners still tune in regularly to one or two of their favourite programmes the RAJAR reach figure won't go down; and if the new arrivals listening to film music then discover the regular Breakfast programme isn't as starchy and intimidating as they'd been led to believe the reach may indeed go up. Loved the film music: more please.

... and this Sunday's Early Music Show is on period film music!
Let "Tous les Matin du Monde" abound.

[smittims]

I was interested to see those Guardian readers' letters. They confirm my view that these changes have nothing to do with pleasing listeners and everything to do with pleasing bosses, who probably never listen to R3 and may not even know what 'classical music' is. I'm not even sure Sam Jackson does. Did Comrade Zhdanov?.

[Serial_Apologist]

... and this Sunday's Early Music Show is on period film music!
Let "Tous les Matin du Monde" abound.

Is the theme tune to The Flintstones to be included in that?

[kernelbogey]

Having just skim-read this thread I'm going to have to cheer myself up by listening again to the last Tearjerker ('Aurora celebrates the power of music that connects and brings us together.').

[Ein Heldenleben]

I wondered whether anyone had noticed yet! I do agree with you but I'll repeat what I said about Karl Jenkins: why choose contemporary 'popular' (define it how you will) music which is not really part of R3's remit when there is a wealth of lesser-known, seldom heard music of the 'classical' (ditto dihyw) era(s)?

My theory is that the station strategy is to get R3 noticed. Just as once 6 Music was noticed, because it was being closed down, the masses descended.

Yes I had noticed . Incredible as it may seem the presenters are in the habit of mentioning it fifty times a day and trailing it off tape .I had hoped the forum might be a refuge from that.

[oddoneout]

Don’t get me going FF . The idea of devoting an entire day to film music is a prime example of what’s wrong with the channel. Ok there’s Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Britten , RVW - fine . And lesser talents like Korngold who wasted it on film when his classical work is so much more interesting . But Most film music is second rate - cliche strewn , always going for the cheap Emotional effect . It’s like a Russell group university doing a course on the verse in Hallmark greetings cards. Mind you I suspect that’s happening as well. But they’ll be doing it in a post modernist ironic way. Radio 3 really mean it .
So we are being told the music of John Williams , Debbie Wiseman , Morricone, Rota et Al is of great cultural significance. It isn’t really… It’s pretty good music but so was that of the now unjustly neglected seventies pop rock band Pilot with catchy classics like January and It’s Magic.
Why not a whole day on Renaissance Polyphony, the Second Viennese school ? Or Boulez ? Or British female composers like Lutyens and Maconchy?

My concerns about this being on R3 aren't so much to do with "wrong sort of music" as "what is the purpose of it being on R3?" Is it to attract a new audience( classical music isn't scary, you've already heard it without realising); to please newer listeners who find the recent trend to chat'n'bits to their liking and so will (it is assumed) also be happy with a day of film music; does the fact that "real" composers wrote film music represent a nod to the established(aka awkward and demanding) R3 listeners.
It won't attract new listeners as they won't know it's there - why would they, R3 isn't on their radar.
The "new " listeners might find parts of it to their liking, but will they take to a whole day's schedule being taken up with it.
Established listeners might risk the film version of regular programmes? If I remember I'll tune in to the EMS, but as I'll not have had the radio on as would otherwise be the case on a Sunday I'll quite probably miss it.
Whatever the purpose I do think that it is just too long a chunk of time to allocate. I also wondered about whether it wouldn't be better to use the existing Sound of Cinema slot(possibly with some temporary extensions) to cover such material.
Re: your suggestions, for alternative subjects for the whole day treatment, SJ was asked about a Boulez immersion day, I believe the response was "why not"(with convolutions) rather than a straight "No".

[french frank]

It won't attract new listeners as they won't know it's there - why would they, R3 isn't on their radar.

Oh, but they will according to my theory of their strategy(see above or below depending on what view you've chosen). Attract attention and get the media talking about it. Probably with the comment that: "This will set the whingeing old guard off, haha!"

[oddoneout]

Oh, but they will according to my theory of their strategy(see above or below depending on what view you've chosen). Attract attention and get the media talking about it. Probably with the comment that: "This will set the whingeing old guard off, haha!"

Does it, and if so in sufficient quantity and the right(audience attracting) media to have any effect?
I'm inclined to agree with your 'kicking an ant nest just for the sake of it' observation.