I've yet to see any official information suggesting that anyone prefers the new style R3 to the old. I occasionally see letters, and hear comments, praising Radio 3 generally, e.g saying how it helped them get through COVID or some such problem, but none saying specifically 'It's bettter than it was before Roger Wright' (which was where the rot began for me). .
The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place
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Originally posted by smittims View PostI've yet to see any official information suggesting that anyone prefers the new style R3 to the old. I occasionally see letters, and hear comments, praising Radio 3 generally, e.g saying how it helped them get through COVID or some such problem, but none saying specifically 'It's bettter than it was before Roger Wright' (which was where the rot began for me). .
In any case, I would be suspicious of any announcement that said something along the lines of " 75% of R3 listeners are happy with the current format/output", since the right question put to the right group will produce the desired result.
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Originally posted by smittims View PostI've yet to see any official information suggesting that anyone prefers the new style R3 to the old. I occasionally see letters, and hear comments, praising Radio 3 generally, e.g saying how it helped them get through COVID or some such problem, but none saying specifically 'It's bettter than it was before Roger Wright' (which was where the rot began for me). .
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Originally posted by oddoneout View PostIn any case, I would be suspicious of any announcement that said something along the lines of " 75% of R3 listeners are happy with the current format/output", since the right question put to the right group will produce the desired result.It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.
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Originally posted by antongould View Post
do you see any official information suggesting that anyone prefers the old style to the new … ????It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.
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Originally posted by french frank View Post
Yes. Some years back we werer told that no focus groups had mentioned Radio 3's 'excessive' programme trails. But if R3 set the agenda for the meetings and didn't include the subject, would there have been any opportunity for it to be discussed?
* the JSB BWV 54 was good, but I was amused to see that the dissection bug had infected the online schedule listing, which shows it as 3 separate items...
There's also someone called Wiliam Brade listed - now even the pop person will.i.am keeps the double "l" so I don't know where that came from. Can AI really be such a bad thing if this is what humans do? - And no, no answers to that question thank you, on a postcard or otherwise!
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Originally posted by oddoneout View Post
When I was noting Breakfast content yesterday I recorded 2 ads(there may have been a 3rd when I was out of the room for 10 minutes)in the whole programme; in 40 minutes or so of (so-called) Afternoon Concert* today there were 3. It may be that the half-hourly news summaries mean fewer ads but even so it does seem strange.
* the JSB BWV 54 was good, but I was amused to see that the dissection bug had infected the online schedule listing, which shows it as 3 separate items...
There's also someone called Wiliam Brade listed - now even the pop person will.i.am keeps the double "l" so I don't know where that came from. Can AI really be such a bad thing if this is what humans do? - And no, no answers to that question thank you, on a postcard or otherwise!
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Originally posted by oddoneout View PostThere's also someone called Wiliam Brade listed - now even the pop person will.i.am keeps the double "l" so I don't know where that came from.It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.
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Originally posted by french frank View Post
Why would there be 'official information' confirming that people criticise what the officials are currently doing? It's only on forums like this that people can praise or criticise, according to their personal opinions. But, as I keep saying, it's nothing to do with what Listener A likes and Listener B hates. It's to do with establishing a rational consensus as to what Radio 3's remit should be (and why).
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Originally posted by french frank View Post
Why would there be 'official information' confirming that people criticise what the officials are currently doing? It's only on forums like this that people can praise or criticise, according to their personal opinions. But, as I keep saying, it's nothing to do with what Listener A likes and Listener B hates. It's to do with establishing a rational consensus as to what Radio 3's remit should be (and why).
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Originally posted by LMcD View PostIts remit seems to be to hold on to as many as possible of its existing listeners and attract new, preferably younger, ones
Originally posted by LMcD View Postwhile attempting to adapt to a changing world.
But ignorant critics, clutching at the strawmen of evening dress and cut-glass accents, reveal the fact that in some respects R3 has 'moved with the times'. The inclusion of 'world music' back in c 1992 was another movement with the times. The continuous following of developments in new 'art music' has been another. And the ending of 'no fixed points' another. A more systematic consideration of new writing would be another which I'm afraid is not found on the frequently mentioned bard of Barnsley's programme. In my view, more depends on the manner of presentation, and for whom the programmes are intended, than what is presented. E.g. a programme/series about new developments in pop music would be perfectly appropriate if presented for an R3 audience - with comment and analysis; but not if it was a programme of the latest pop music for the entertainment of fans of the latest pop music - who have plenty of alternative sources of such music, on and off the BBC
It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.
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French Frank - you make a very powerful point here. What I find very odd about R3 is its reluctance to go deep into matters as a matter of course. It can do this very well, but infrequently, as if afraid of alienating people. There are fascinating programmes on R4 and R5Live that go into enormous detail on certain topics, leaving one feeling 'I know enough about that now' or equally 'This has been fascinating, I will explore further!' It borders on the anti-intellectual to be honest. Your suggestion for an examination into the latest trends in popular music is excellent; if you are a R3 listener it is reasonable to assume that your mind and ears are at least open to the idea of someone explaining what is happening now, rather than the tired assumption that simply because lots of young/er people listen to it, it surely can have no merit at all. And there are numerous other potential lines of enquiry. Also agree emphatically about the ludicrous idea of 'moving with the times' being de facto problematic. If people had refused to move wih the times from the 60s onwards we would scarcely have any Mahler and Stravinsky would still be 'difficult'.
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I said some time ago that I thought Radio 3 had a problem with its identity, compared with that of the other BBC Radio channels. There's no doubt what Radios one, two and four are there for, but Radio 3 seems still to be floundering without a clearly-stated purpose. If we could have that we'd be onto something.
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Originally posted by smittims View PostI said some time ago that I thought Radio 3 had a problem with its identity, compared with that of the other BBC Radio channels. There's no doubt what Radios one, two and four are there for, but Radio 3 seems still to be floundering without a clearly-stated purpose. If we could have that we'd be onto something.
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