BBC TV Proms: Why, why, why...?

[Lordgeous]

Exasperated again tonight with the TV presenters. WHY O WHY do they have to leap in within seconds of a piece ending, not even allowing us a smattering of audience applause to savour? This appears to be a new phenomenum. Didn't they used to wait before blundering in immediately over the applause? I appreciate this is no doubt as directed by the producer but to me the audience reaction is part of the whole concert experience. The camerawork too has been disappointing this year - do we need close-up shots of members of the audience, for example? I'm a strong admirer of the BBC (and an ex-employee) but is it slowly turning into the visual equivalent of Classic FM?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The presenters appear to believe that their jabbering is more important than the music.
They insult the viewers by telling what they can see for themselves on the screen.

Step back to 1997. The funeral of Princess Diana was broadcast simultaneously on BBC, ITV and Channel 5. The BBC and ITV commentary was gentle, discrete and respectful. The pictures were allowed to speak for themselves. Channel 5, however, was a wall of constant inane jabbering; it was dreadful. The BBC has a long record of copying the others in a race to the bottom …

[Bella Kemp]

I sort of agree, but am not such a fan of the proms' audience reaction - witness the shout of 'Bravo!' before the final vibrations of the last chord of Brahms' 3 had died out, this week: shattering the moment. Perhaps we just have to accept the drawbacks in live performances.

[oddoneout]

Exasperated again tonight with the TV presenters. WHY O WHY do they have to leap in within seconds of a piece ending, not even allowing us a smattering of audience applause to savour? This appears to be a new phenomenum. Didn't they used to wait before blundering in immediately over the applause? I appreciate this is no doubt as directed by the producer but to me the audience reaction is part of the whole concert experience. The camerawork too has been disappointing this year - do we need close-up shots of members of the audience, for example? I'm a strong admirer of the BBC (and an ex-employee) but is it slowly turning into the visual equivalent of Classic FM?

It's been happening for some years now across the board - evening, lunchtime concerts etc. At the end of performances I suspect it's the result of pressure to "return to [Broadcasting House or wherever] for the rest of..." but it is very annoying, not least because of the straining to be heard over the audience "noise".
The happy days of the R3 silence are long gone alas.

[kernelbogey]

The happy days of the R3 silence are long gone alas.

Is the convention that silence is anathema on radio a new one?

[Dave2002]

Is the convention that silence is anathema on radio a new one?

Has to be for days and for more than a few minutes - apparently.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/radio-silence-puts-subs-on-nuclear-1157478

I wonder if the rules have changed due to the current incumbent.

[BBMmk2]

I like what BBC R3 dies, better.

[LMcD]

Is the convention that silence is anathema on radio a new one?

I don't know whether it's still the case, but I believe broadcasters were told that 'dead air' was the worst crime in the broadcaster's rule book.
I wonder whether the idiots who shout 'bravo' a nanosecond after the conclusion of a work are the same people who seem determined to get in one final shout of encouragement a second before a tennis player delivers a service.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I don't know whether it's still the case, but I believe broadcasters were told that 'dead air' was the worst crime in the broadcaster's rule book.
I wonder whether the idiots who shout 'bravo' a nanosecond after the conclusion of a work are the same people who seem determined to get in one final shout of encouragement a second before a tennis player delivers a service.

For what it’s worth in the past extended periods of silence on Radio 3 / Third programme were permitted . I think up to 30 secs was permitted . There even used to be pauses between programmes of that length. I can even remember a time when there used to be a fade to black between TV programmes - usually to allow switching between studios. The reason Radio 3 was allowed those long pauses is partly because some of them were out of its control . A conductor might have a long pause between movements (I think there’s a scheduled one in one of the Mahler symphonies) or there might be a long instrument tuning break with the level meter barely moving. Some of the automated transmitters were programmed to switch off when they received no signal and I think R3 was given a dispensation from this technical requirement . The contrast was with Radio 1 where no dead air - not even a second - was permitted. Most engineers and studio managers could tell which of the four stations was which just by looking at a level meter or peak programme meter (PPM) . If the levels were kicking around PPM 1 it had to be R3.

[oddoneout]

For what it’s worth in the past extended periods of silence on Radio 3 / Third programme were permitted . I think up to 30 secs was permitted . There even used to be pauses between programmes of that length. I can even remember a time when there used to be a fade to black between TV programmes - usually to allow switching between studios. The reason Radio 3 was allowed those long pauses is partly because some of them were out of its control . A conductor might have a long pause between movements (I think there’s a scheduled one in one of the Mahler symphonies) or there might be a long instrument tuning break with the level meter barely moving. Some of the automated transmitters were programmed to switch off when they received no signal and I think R3 was given a dispensation from this technical requirement . The contrast was with Radio 1 where no dead air - not even a second - was permitted. Most engineers and studio managers could tell which of the four stations was which just by looking at a level meter or peak programme meter (PPM) . If the levels were kicking around PPM 1 it had to be R3.

In the same way that if you turned the radio on and were met with silence it meant(all other things being equal) that you were tuned in to R3

[Ein Heldenleben]

In the same way that if you turned the radio on and were met with silence it meant(all other things being equal) that you were tuned in to R3

Or the local FM relay had conked out again….

[oddoneout]

Or the local FM relay had conked out again….

Indeed. Hence my caveat.

[Petrushka]

I'm far more irritated by the wholly unnecessary recapitulation of the final few bars as the credits roll. It's a dash for the mute button before it creeps in.

[LHC]

I'm far more irritated by the wholly unnecessary recapitulation of the final few bars as the credits roll. It's a dash for the mute button before it creeps in.

Yes that seems to be this year's thing, and its already really annoying, not least because it meant we had to suffer the idiot's intrusive 'bravo' after Brahms 3 twice!

[ARBurton]

This is a hill I`ve been dying on for many years, with many R3 presenters of whom Tom Service is undoubtedly ahead of the pack. His/their colleagues on German or French radio don`t behave in this asinine manner.