The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[french frank]

This is what they said about Classic FM:

Classic FM
Nomination [UK Station of the Year] - Again, it didn't win.

What the Judges Said:

"Listening to this entry was like being at a year long birthday party for fans of a good tune. With a guest list including Myleene Klass, John Suchet, Katherine Jenkins and John Williams. and in venues like the Cardiff Millennium Centre, The Sage in Gateshead and Buckingham Palace, there was much cause for celebration. Consistently entertaining and easy on the ear, this is a station enjoying rude health and given the ambition to further develop the Classic FM brand, the future looks very bright indeed. Many Happy Returns!"

I saw SK had won silver - I haven't checked through the whole list to see whether R3 won anything else.

[teamsaint]

Its the listeners that deserve medals.

[french frank]

yes, there obviously aren't enough award categories - it should be more like the TV Soap awards where there are so many categories everyone becomes a winner

I suggest Best Classical Music Breakfast Programme with a Cornish presenter award
Best Classical Music Breakfast Programme with a female presenter [double-barrelled surnames only]
etc.

Without (obviously - being traditionalist ) rooting for Breakfast to win, I would say that this is the industry's luvvies having a love-in. That's why every single nominee gets such a good write-up. It's quite instructive to see the judges' summings up, because it shows what Radio 3 is aiming for:

"Christian O'Connell [Silver award] sounds like he really wants to spend time with his breakfast audience. His engagement is helped by a carefully crafted show which may sound ad-lib, but is obviously the work of a talented team. Neat, original features plus humour, charm & enthusiasm are the mark of the Absolute Breakfast Show - as a result it reaches beyond its target audience. Great use is made of the station's website, with excellent video productions adding value to the radio broadcasts. And, as important as anything, the show's music offers an excellent alternative to standard breakfast contemporary music."

"This entry shows Chris Evans [Bronze award] as the consummate broadcaster. Fully at ease on air, fully in tune with his audience and fully aware of, and able to harness the power of morning radio to inspire listeners to relish the prospect of another day. The format - apparently effortlessly - moves from one well thought through and executed feature to another with Chris demonstrating as he goes a remarkable ability to think on his feet as he talks to his audience. He also shows a real love for the music played."

[Bax-of-Delights]

Well, here it is:

What the Judges Said

"This is a joy to listen to. Radio 3 has made considerable changes to its breakfast show turning it into an accessible, warm, and stimulating start the day, in the teeth of opposition from some traditionalists.

Well, S M-P has obviously taken this to heart as she has just played a grotesquely excruciating "Folk Mass" gobbet suggested by a listener. Expect new lows in the months to come...

[Northender]

... her knowledge and enthusiasm to bare ......

Is this in preparation for a revamped BBC1 Breakfast show?

[french frank]

Is this in preparation for a revamped BBC1 Breakfast show?

(Should point out that the mistake was not Anna's! - 'Swot they said.)

Also it was for progs she presents on R4 as well as R3.

[Sir Velo]

I wonder how long it will be before a certain forum member and spokesperson for the BBC comes onto these pages to berate all us old dinosaurs for not celebrating the new-look Radio 3? No doubt the heartwarming words from the judges will be taken as ex cathedra pontifications of the quality of the "show" (sic). No matter that its presenters don't know how to pronounce the names of the composers played, or that its target audience now comprises 5 year old infants and the family pet spaniel, the Sony Awards have spoken. :splutter:

[Flosshilde]

yes, there obviously aren't enough award categories - it should be more like the TV Soap awards where there are so many categories everyone becomes a winner

I suggest Best Classical Music Breakfast Programme with a Cornish presenter award
Best Classical Music Breakfast Programme with a female presenter [double-barrelled surnames only]
etc.

Best Tweet of the Year?

[Frances_iom]

the Wikipedia entry on the caucas race - the Dodo proposes that everyone run a Caucus race — where the participants run in patterns of any shape, starting and leaving off whenever they like, so that everyone wins [a comfit] - would appear to fit the Sony awards

[doversoul1]

Originally Posted by french frank
[Another interesting linguistic point: the amount of disapproval and scorn that can now be implied by the word 'traditionalist' as a general term of abuse, and regardless of whether the users understand the issues they're talking about!]

I suppose the trend mongers have found that the term ‘elitists’ doesn’t cover quite enough listeners who whinge about the current state of R3. If it is, is it a good thing…?

[french frank]

I suppose the trend mongers have found that the term ‘elitists’ doesn’t cover quite enough listeners who whinge about the current state of R3. If it is, is it a good thing…?

I think the distinction is that 'traditionalists' are those who don't ever want anything to change. But in both cases you can fling a single word at critics without bothering even to understand, or know - still less answer - the precise criciticisms. I suspect that in some cases certain groups are cautious about using 'elitist' because they're not sure what it implies. "They don't want anything to change" is an easier concept (fuddy-duddies, hidebound, dyed in the wool, living in the past) than trying to understand what 'elitism' is. 'Purist' is another lazy term.

[cloughie]

I suggest a re-invention of R3 to make it more accessible to old fogeys, traditionalists and those who like to hear full works.

[french frank]

I see there has been an R3 Facebook response to a ... comment ... about the weekend presenter:

"BBC Radio 3: Morning John, Clemency was poorly at the weekend. Hence the last-minute replacement. I'm sure Simon will be thrilled you took the time to welcome him to the station. Steve B"

But - Simon Hoban was actually announced in advance as the Breakfast presenter some weeks ago, but was replaced (by Ian Skelly?), so he'd clearly already been fingered for the job before this weekend. I noted it on 6 April. That was for the weekend after we had Tom ('toast') McKinney.

That said, broadcasting from Salford must create difficulties if a last-minute replacement is needed. Perhaps they should start training some suitably knowledgeble local people to sit in?

[Sir Velo]

That was for the weekend after we had Tom ('toast') McKinney.

Is he "toast" because he spoke with his mouth full of said breakfast victual, or in the sense of being finished in his choice of career?

[amateur51]

Is he "toast" because he spoke with his mouth full of said breakfast victual, or in the sense of being finished in his choice of career?

Or perhaps he's familiar but known to be rather crummy?