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

[french frank]

Nothing I've heard Katie Derham, Sarah Walker, Kate Molleson, Tom McKinney or Sean Rafferty say suggests to me that they know as much about classical music.

But in most of those cases, it's not a matter of how much they know (or in some cases don't know) as how much they're expected to impart to listeners. If it's on Breakfast, Sunday Morning, Essential Classics &c they're not EXPECTED to reveal their knowledge.

Personally, I wouldn't mind if scripts were written by experts, with presenters only expected to 'put on an act' and deliver the scripts in a natural manner. It's what's said that's important, not who said them or what they know.

[Ein Heldenleben]

In the early days of Radio 3 I always felt that programme presenters such as Alec Robertson, Antony Hopkins, Denis Matthews and Cormac Rigby were more expert than are many today . Nothing I've heard Katie Derham, Sarah Walker, Kate Molleson, Tom McKinney or Sean Rafferty say suggests to me that they know as much about classical music.

Well Tom McKinney once talked through how difficult the guitar part is In Derive 2 - he’s a professional guitarist. Sarah and Kate are both music graduates and the latter has done a whole string of docs which are just as “demanding” as anything Anthony Hopkins did (largely for Radio Four as it happens ). Sean is a professional broadcaster but given the number of times I’ve seen him at the opera if hasn't acquired expert knowledge by now he must have been sleeping through them.

[smittims]

Perahps we mean different things by 'expert'. I was only reflecting my experience of what I had heard.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Perahps we mean different things by 'expert'. I was only reflecting my experience of what I had heard.

Well if Kate isn’t an expert I’d love to know who does meet your criteria

https://www.culturesummit.com/people/kate-molleson/

I agree both DM and AH were experts as musicologists and performers, and indeed broadcasters,

Cormac was more in the style of the professional announcer that Radio 3 used to employ to present sequence programmes. At one stage he was Presentation Editor - a role that’s lapsed now. He would have been in charge of announcers like Patricia Hughes , Tom Crowe, and ensuring things like a consistent style of presentation and pronunciation for example. That style of professional presenter is out of favour now in favour of personalities and practitioners . He was definitely an expert in Ballet and ballet music. (Not to mention Roman Catholicism)

A similar replacement has happened in TV and Radio sport - journalists like Brian Johnson and John Arlottt have been replaced by ex players like Gower , Atherton and Hussain in cricket commentary for example.

[edashtav]

Perahps we mean different things by 'expert'. I was only reflecting my experience of what I had heard.

High expectations and artistic freedom are natural bedfellows. Earlier broadcasters were trusted and given their heads. Roger Fiske liked what he saw and heard of Anthony Hopkins and felt he could trust the musician. AH was allowed the freedom to shape and design his Talking About series. AH had ownership and produced a sound product that ran for nigh on 40 years.

Few Radio 3 presenters have the 'rights' to their programmes. Perhaps, Andrew MacGregor and Record Review carry on that tradition.

Anthony Hopkins was restricted in his musical sympathies. I once heard him conduct his chamber opera "Three's Company" [sic]. Gordon Jacob and Harold Darke, AH's teachers, might have happily 'owned' the score.

Some of today's presenters are more in tune with contemporary music than AH or Alec Robertson were with advanced music of their times.

One senses that hands-on 'management' bears down upon, restricts and yes , dumbs down, many Radio 3 staff. Using short words and avoiding all technicalities in favour of easy comprehension by the masses are recognised as virtues but stretching the audience, educating it, and challenging conventional attitudes, are insufficiently valued.

[Ein Heldenleben]

High expectations and artistic freedom are natural bedfellows. Earlier broadcasters were trusted and given their heads. Roger Fiske liked what he saw and heard of Anthony Hopkins and felt he could trust the musician. AH was allowed the freedom to shape and design his Talking About series. AH had ownership and produced a sound product that ran for nigh on 40 years.

Few Radio 3 presenters have the 'rights' to their programmes. Perhaps, Andrew MacGregor and Record Review carry on that tradition.

Anthony Hopkins was restricted in his musical sympathies. I once heard him conduct his chamber opera "Three's Company" [sic]. Gordon Jacob and Harold Darke, AH's teachers, might have happily 'owned' the score.

Some of today's presenters are more in tune with contemporary music than AH or Alec Robertson were with advanced music of their times.

One senses that hands-on 'management' bears down upon, restricts and yes , dumbs down, many Radio 3 staff. Using short words and avoiding all technicalities in favour of easy comprehension by the masses are recognised as virtues but stretching the audience, educating it, and challenging conventional attitudes, are insufficiently valued.

I think your last paragraph sums it up neatly . It’s not that R3 lacks experts it’s just that they feel constrained but what either they or their managers believe the listeners capable of understanding,

[french frank]

I think your last paragraph sums it up neatly . It’s not that R3 lacks experts it’s just that they feel constrained but what either they or their managers believe the listeners capable of understanding,

I'd amend that to: what the target audience is capable of understanding. They can't believe that there are no listeners capable of understanding (or listeners who don't want to listen to several hours on end of short pieces, many of them excerpts). Twenty years ago BBC managers were telling parliament at their annual meeting that they had 'redefined' R3's target audience; and it's been downhill ever since.

Amended: 25 years ago, not 20:

"As far as Radio 3 is concerned, we welcome the Select Committee's interest in the performance of the service. Radio 3 combines an unrivalled commitment to live classical music with a pace-setting contemporary editorial mix which unites jazz and world music with long-form drama and serious arts discussion and reporting. The network's target audience has been redefined and broadened and the schedule began to be recast to move towards this during 1999."

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmselect/cmcumeds/945/94505.htm

[Serial_Apologist]

Twenty years ago BBC managers were telling parliament at their annual meeting that they had 'redefined' R3's target audience

Oh what fun it is to be re-defined!

[smittims]

It reminds me of Brecht's story about a government who lost confidence in the people and determined to elect a new people which would better serve the interests of the government.

[Serial_Apologist]

It reminds me of Brecht's story about a government who lost confidence in the people and determined to elect a new people which would better serve the interests of the government.

Indeed!

[AuntDaisy]

... On the same page Lunchtime has a piece on Sam Jackson's plan. It starts off by referring to a cello concert where Steven Isserlis launched an off-script attack on the poor quality of Radio 3 presenters. "The audience applause suggested many agreed."

Steven Isserlis has commented on Twitter about the Private Eye "Lunchtime O'Boulez" piece.

Steven Isserlis @StevenIsserlis
56m
Haha - yes, someone else sent me that. Gulp - I had no idea that there was a Private Eye spy in the audience! I should be more careful... And I should add that SOME of the R3 presenters are wonderful! I was only complaining about a very few...

I'm not sure which concert this was (not the Beethoven, surely?)

[LMcD]

Ian Skelly is going to join the Essential Classics team, he informed listeners during this afternoon's 'concert'.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Ian Skelly is going to join the Essential Classics team, he informed listeners during this afternoon's 'concert'.

Ah you beat me to it - I thought the news merited it’s own thread plus champagne and fireworks . And so the wheel of fortune turns again this t8me full circle

[LMcD]

Ah you beat me to it - I thought the news merited it’s own thread plus champagne and fireworks . And so the wheel of fortune turns again this t8me full circle

I think the news will generate enough interest/comment/reaction to continue on this dedicated thread.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I think the news will generate enough interest/comment/reaction to continue on this dedicated thread.

There’s a weird symmetry to it all as not a few months ago (it seems like but probably over a year) he announced that he was moving to Afternoon Concert on Essential Classics.