The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[mangerton]

Ff, this so sad. "Yes Prime Minister" dealt with this about 30 years ago, and the point was made there that only disreputable organisations behavedin that way.

As far as the scale of 1-10 thing is concerned, these answers are all converted to yes/no as appropriate.The scale is ignored.

[Lateralthinking1]

How lucky to be asked for your opinion on the BBC by people coming to your door. Wish it happened here. I enjoyed the Sibelius and then Nielsen's Helios this morning; also Rutter. C B-H is the nicest breakfast presenter and should be given Mon to Fri.

(It's getting even better - The Melancholy from Cantus Arcticus – Concerto for Birds and Orchestra was excellent - I think KB must have been inspired by that for "Sunset" on Aerial; Maria too; and Grieg, Vaughan Williams, Albeniz and Saint-Saens coming up).

[kernelbogey]

[...] Did I not tune in today to the third movement of Rachmaninov Sym 2, where were the other 3 movements?

I think this battle is lost: R3 has decided that bleeding chunks are ok on Breakfast and In Tune in order to facilitate broadcasts of items of shorter length. If the purpose of this is to attract 'new listeners' then the presenters owe it to them to tell them they've just heard part of the work and not its whole. My earlier post was to point out that this is a matter of broadcasting standards now in danger of slipping. And I see these Boards as a place where R3 can be held to public account, in a respectful manner, since the BBC (as indicated in the most recent posts here) will not do so.

[salymap]

On a par with 'Have you stopped beating your wife: Yes or No?' You can't do more ff. best wishes ...

[Bax-of-Delights]

If you want another supercilious, sneering, sniping comment, but you don't want anymore try suggesting that more of the 168 hours is spent playing full works. Did I not tune in today to the third movement of Rachmaninov Sym 2, where were the other 3 movements?

The other 3 movements (plus the one) of Rachmaninov 2 had been played on Rob Cowan's "Essential Classics" less than 24 hours before.

Greig's Holberg and VW's Lark Ascending once more this morning does not bode well for the coming year.

[french frank]

This could be my last rant of 2011!
2012? Watch this space.

We have been warned! My New Year's Resolution is Not To Give Up This Year.

Lat - the BBC does commission this 'research' regularly. This was called 'Brand and Reputation Tracker 2011' (an earlier report is here) and the letter they gave me said 'Your street has been chosen this week, to provide feedback to broadcasting companies that provide television and radio services in your area.' I was also asked about what other television channels/radio stations I tuned into, plus 'brand recognition' questions (I was good at that even though I didn't watch or view them ). Also newspapers - as comparison/potential competition for BBC news. Other broadcasters can buy the information off the BBC if they want to, though I'd probably say it wasn't worth much.

The interesting feature is that commercial companies - of all sorts - carry out this kind of market research, but the fundamental difference is that the BBC has something to prove: that it is accountable, it listens, it assures itself that it is providing good value for money and that it is satisfying all audiences with high quality content - or MPs will be after their blood. And that's what the research confirms. For commercial firms, it isn't worth carrying out research at all if it doesn't reveal what the public really thinks about its product.

PS I was also asked who I would vote for in general election. I owned up and the interviewer said he would vote Lib Dem too because he had a very good MP.

[mercia]

don't great works of art bare repetition?

it doesn't bother me to look at a painting more than once
or read a book more than once

[Norfolk Born]

Re. polls:

Years ago, I worked for a very large company, the initials of which reportedly inspired that of the recalcitrant computer in 2001 (don't say anything - just think) Periodically, small easily identified groups would be asked to answer a questionnaire which included the following:
Do you you think that, generally speaking, your line management is doing:
(a) an excellent job
(b) a very good job
(c) a poor job.
Very few people had the temerity to tick box (c) even if that view most closely approximated to their own.

Re. 'Breakfast' now being a pantomime:

It might be worth tuning in just in case the two halves of the horse start to fight

[Lateralthinking1]

My New Year's Resolution is Not To Give Up This Year.

- Good.

PS I was also asked who I would vote for in general election. I owned up and the interviewer said he would vote Lib Dem too because he had a very good MP.

- He must have travelled all the way from Cambridge then.

Thank you for this information. 'Brand and Reputation Tracker 2011' is a horrid title for a BBC survey but I suppose it pleases Jeremy Hunt. How awful to think that he is in charge of the policy. I don't think R3 looks too bad on it. I am always sad though when I see the figures for BBC4.

One of the problems for quality broadcasting is that it can fall between hurdles. Certain questions receive negative answers both from people who don't care about it and people who feel that the quality has slipped. I would like to see the public being asked why their viewing and listening habits are so bland.

Finally, BBC Radio London has a right to feel seriously aggrieved at being placed in the 50 plus category. While that might be right for the rest of local radio, it is categorically not the case for BBCRL which is attractive to all ages.

[cloughie]

We have been warned! My New Year's Resolution is Not To Give Up This Year.

Lat - the BBC does commission this 'research' regularly. This was called 'Brand and Reputation Tracker 2011' (an earlier report is here) and the letter they gave me said 'Your street has been chosen this week, to provide feedback to broadcasting companies that provide television and radio services in your area.' I was also asked about what other television channels/radio stations I tuned into, plus 'brand recognition' questions (I was good at that even though I didn't watch or view them ). Also newspapers - as comparison/potential competition for BBC news. Other broadcasters can buy the information off the BBC if they want to, though I'd probably say it wasn't worth much.

The interesting feature is that commercial companies - of all sorts - carry out this kind of market research, but the fundamental difference is that the BBC has something to prove: that it is accountable, it listens, it assures itself that it is providing good value for money and that it is satisfying all audiences with high quality content - or MPs will be after their blood. And that's what the research confirms. For commercial firms, it isn't worth carrying out research at all if it doesn't reveal what the public really thinks about its product.

PS I was also asked who I would vote for in general election. I owned up and the interviewer said he would vote Lib Dem too because he had a very good MP.

It Listens, but does it hear, and does it change in a positive way?

[Bax-of-Delights]

don't great works of art bare repetition?

it doesn't bother me to look at a painting more than once
or read a book more than once

I don't think one can make direct comparisons between music and painting but having finished a book one day I wouldn't want to turn to the first page and read it all over again the next. A space of a few years would normally suffice.
The Rachmaninov 2 is a substantial work - and seems to be someone's favourite in the BBC to judge by its frequent reappearance- and it seems perverse to play the whole work one day and then slice a bleeding chunk out of it for transmission 20 hours later. It is fast becoming a piece I never want to hear again through this over-exposure. Beethoven's Pastoral is already there.

[Don Petter]

I happened to hear a little of Breakfast today. CBH played the second movement of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto without any reference to having broadcast just one movement. Perhaps a slip - but we're also a little further down a slippery slope.

Unfortunately, we 've been at this level for quite a while, now (not that it can't and won't get lower, I'm afraid ). I see from the archives that I made just the same complaint, of a work being introduced as an entity, but hearing only one movement, in February 2002!

[mercia]

I made just the same complaint, of a work being introduced as an entity, but hearing only one movement, in February 2002!

time to concede and just enjoy

[cloughie]

time to concede and just enjoy

No no no no no no no. SS3 got the BC treatment this morning. If we give in the suits have won, and the Clemency fans should note that Breakfast under her tenure BCs appear to be on the increase.

[mercia]

well if we'd had the whole of SS3 we wouldn't have had time for the ER, RRB or FB