Drama to be eradicated from Radio 3

[Ein Heldenleben]

08.50? You were too late to catch Bobby Vinton singing Blue Velvet then, about 10 pieces earlier.

That was a tribute to the late David Lynch.

Strikes me that the Tippett symphony with the deep breathing* in it would have worked just as well and also have been worth hearing.
* ps a reference to one of the creepier characters in the film and not the unfortunate Mr Lynch’s emphysema . A disease which , largely unnecessarily, kills millions worldwide.

[LMcD]

At the risk of staying off-topic I want to respond to enquiries . Thanks for your interest. I've found it thought-provoking. Maybe we need another thread .

'Xmas': Well, 120 years ago Elgar, who was a Catholic, wrote 'Xtian' in his letters. I use it like that ,simply as an abbreviation which has become a word in common use , like 'BBC' , 'bus' , 'submariine', etc. Yes, I suppose it has acquired a connotation of cheapening the Feast of Christ's Nativity, its commercialisation,etc. but I didn't mean that. So I dont think you need be shocked, ff, even slightly.

The King: I've always liked the man personally, so I like to hear what he has to say. I'm just a few years younger and have lived through much the same world and have much the same thoughts, and a not too dissimilar view of the world. In short, I sympathise with him. Incidentaly, I do think he's somewhat misunderstood. I think he's the first British monarch to have gone to school, and to (voluntarily) pay the equivalent of tax.

I'm not very interested in this idea of 'uniting the nation'. I thought the request for Tv viewers to 'join in' the pledge of loyalty , or whatever it was called, at the Coronation, was a terrible mistake. And I think the frequent questions on Tv about 'what does it mean to be British?' are simply euphemisms for something I'd rather not mention.

I could go on, as they say, but I sense it would only evoke lengthy lectures about politics which I'm sorry to say would not interest me. I hope I'm not provocative; I'm only here for few more years and I don't have any influence in the world, so just ignore this if you don't like what I say. I learnt in the 'Elgin Marbles' discussion some time ago that my opinions on various subjects had better remain private if I want a quiet life (which I do) !

At the risk of sounding pedantic, isn't BBC an acronym rather than an abbreviation?
Regarding nationality, I consider myself British simply because I've got a British passport, which I need because, as I don't have a driving licence, it is sometimes my only other acceptable form of identification.

[smittims]

At the risk of staying off-topic I want to respond to enquiries . Thanks for your interest. I've found it thought-provoking. Maybe we need another thread .

'Xmas': Well, 120 years ago Elgar, who was a Catholic, wrote 'Xtian' in his letters. I use it like that ,simply as an abbreviation which has become a word in common use , like 'BBC' , 'bus' , 'submariine', etc. Yes, I suppose it has acquired a connotation of cheapening the Feast of Christ's Nativity, its commercialisation,etc. but I didn't mean that. So I dont think you need be shocked, ff, even slightly.

The King: I've always liked the man personally, so I like to hear what he has to say. I'm just a few years younger and have lived through much the same world and have much the same thoughts, and a not too dissimilar view of the world. In short, I sympathise with him. Incidentaly, I do think he's somewhat misunderstood. I think he's the first British monarch to have gone to school, and to (voluntarily) pay the equivalent of tax.

I'm not very interested in this idea of 'uniting the nation'. I thought the request for Tv viewers to 'join in' the pledge of loyalty , or whatever it was called, at the Coronation, was a terrible mistake. And I think the frequent questions on Tv about 'what does it mean to be British?' are simply euphemisms for something I'd rather not mention.

I could go on, as they say, but I sense it would only evoke lengthy lectures about politics which I'm sorry to say would not interest me. I hope I'm not provocative; I'm only here for few more years and I don't have any influence in the world, so just ignore this if you don't like what I say. I learnt in the 'Elgin Marbles' discussion some time ago that my opinions on various subjects had better remain private if I want a quiet life (which I do) !

[LMcD]

08.50? You were too late to catch Bobby Vinton singing Blue Velvet then, about 10 pieces earlier.

The Elmer Bernstein was clearly played in order to promote tonight's British Movie Music Extravaganza from Chichester. There was applause for Walton's Spitfire Prelude before the orchestra had a chance to start the Fugue.

[hmvman]

08.50? You were too late to catch Bobby Vinton singing Blue Velvet then, about 10 pieces earlier.

A fortuitous sleep-in, then...!

[french frank]

"The broadcaster cites financial pressures and claims, rightly, that listeners turn to Radio 3 for classical music...."

This sentence resonated again this morning when this listener turned to R3 at 08.50 to hear... The Magnificent Seven main theme.

08.50? You were too late to catch Bobby Vinton singing Blue Velvet then, about 10 pieces earlier.

[Hitch]

A point of interest re. Doctor Who, one of the BBC's most lucrative properties: the Beeb has a long-standing and ongoing licensing deal with Big Finish Productions that has resulted in many hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of full-cast audio dramas. All are available via download and CD, though production of the latter is fading away due to production and storage costs. Some of the audios are available for as little as £3, but the majority are considerably more expensive.

There is an audience for audio drama, albeit commercial and not the usual R3 fare; so much so that the BBC makes money from it. Perhaps R3 should think about "refreshing" its audio dramas instead of abolishing them.

[hmvman]

"The broadcaster cites financial pressures and claims, rightly, that listeners turn to Radio 3 for classical music...."

This sentence resonated again this morning when this listener turned to R3 at 08.50 to hear... The Magnificent Seven main theme.

[french frank]

This might help!

https://www.vox.com/2014/12/14/7374401/jesus-xmas-christmas

Yes, I knew the origin But it only "literally" [sic] means Christ when several of the letters have been removed for a 'popularized shorthand'. I don't feel as strongly about it as other people apparently do or how they feel about people not observing the ritual of watching the sovereign's Christmas day speech on their television sets or listening on their wirelesses.

That aside, I'm now engaged in drawing up the key bullet points for a letter to go to Messrs Jackson and Davie re the ending of regular full-length drama broadcasts which can no longer be afforded out of BBC's miserly £4bn budget.

[kernelbogey]

An interesting take on the funding of the BBC from the ever-trenchant Simon Jenkins in the Guardian - here proposing a subscription model for funding. (Not directly about Drama on 3 obviously, but we are hearing that it's all down to money.)

[Pulcinella]

I'm always rather shocked when Christmas is abbreviated to Xmas ...

This might help!

https://www.vox.com/2014/12/14/7374401/jesus-xmas-christmas

[french frank]

Yes, one of my sons spent Xmas dinner with his future in-laws and was shocked. 'What! You don't have the (then) Queen ? ' he berated them. They do it now.

I'm always rather shocked when Christmas is abbreviated to Xmas ...

[LMcD]

... why? (genuine question)

.

Possibly in the hope that any fierce anti-Royalists on the premises might storm out in disgust into the kitchen and start the washing-up?

[french frank]

I gave Xmas a miss this year, no tree, no turkey etc. but I always find five minutes for my King. I like to hear what he has to say.

I was commenting on the idea that BBC broadcasts can "Unite the Nation", and I would accept the view that there are certain one-off occasions which interest enough of the nation to qualify, given that I would challenge anyone to come up with an occasion which could 100% unite the nation (other than the Last Night of the Proms, Glastonbury or a Cup Final ). Royal occasions might come close given that the minority, whatever percentage, is free to sigh and ignore it completely. My point was not that royal occasions really do unite the nation but that a BBC self-congratulatory notion of uniting the nation is pure fantasy.

[Andrew Slater]

I'm glad Radio 4 is still broadcast on Long Wave,as I have a good LW radio use for Woman's Hour and The King on Xmas Day!

But don't hold your breath: it's likely to disappear later this year. I can't find the announcement at the moment, but I think the Droitwich transmitter and its counterparts are due to be taken out of service on 30th June 2025.