The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[Old Grumpy]

Is that what Jimmy Young used to say OG ?????

Isn't he the nice young man who used to be on the Light Programme, Anton?

[kernelbogey]

Reminds me that just as the heatwave was getting into its stride last week a favourite charity shop in town put out its Christmas stock; very much not the choice of the people running the shop(not least as they are the ones who have to listen to the customer grumbles about it every day) but Head Office had spoken so they had no choice.

While I'm entirely in accord with this sentiment, the argument is that the stuff has been delivered, has to be stored somwhere, and they might as well put it out because some customers will buy it. (I am only the messenger here: don't shoot please.)

[oddoneout]

While I'm entirely in accord with this sentiment, the argument is that the stuff has been delivered, has to be stored somwhere, and they might as well put it out because some customers will buy it. (I am only the messenger here: don't shoot please.)

S'OK I won't shoot! It was a battle I experienced years ago when I worked as a volunteer in an Oxfam bookshop, and the "higher-ups" would dump boxes of Christmas stuff on us. The practical difficulty with putting it out rather than storing it to go out later was that we had so little space in the first place that clearing existing stock to make room for it didn't solve anything as there wasn't any room for what we took off the shelves - we couldn't work in the back room sorting books for sale, putting online, or (in the case of the many specialised text books we got given)arranging transfer to the city shop. In the meantime our regular customers grumbled not just about it being too early for Christmas stuff, but more importantly about the effect it had on the choice of books on display. Head Office didn't give flying fig and ignored our suggestions as to how better to manage( basically not delivering the total stock all at once) their demands we flood the shop with the stock. They were deaf to most other matters as well - it coloured my opinion of the organisation such I haven't had anything to do with it since.

[Old Grumpy]

... They were deaf to most other matters as well - it coloured my opinion of the organisation such I haven't had anything to do with it since.

So TTFE...


... Ta-ta for ever!

[kernelbogey]

No Martin next Sunday....

[french frank]

So TTFE...


... Ta-ta for ever!

In my case 99.999% true (I listened to that programme about women composers a week or so ago). And I can report that a former controller of Radio 3 once introduced me to a BBC governor as "Radio 3's most faithful listener". Sad!

To those who enjoy even some of what they serve up now, make the most of it while it's still around. It may get worse.

[antongould]

In my case 99.999% true (I listened to that programme about women composers a week or so ago). And I can report that a former controller of Radio 3 once introduced me to a BBC governor as "Radio 3's most faithful listener". Sad!

To those who enjoy even some of what they serve up now, make the most of it while it's still around. It may get worse.

I presume you are talking about the whole station rather than Breakfast ...... ????

But if I can pick up on the " .... it may get worse."

Many moons ago when there was a more or less constant debate about Breakfast there was very much a majority feeling that it was bad and getting worse.

A good few years on ...... I wonder is it ..... ???

If I remember the, dare I say, moans, then they were

Too many short pieces

Too many warhorses

Too many Top 10 Composers

Too many trailers

Too much news

Too much listener interaction .....

Is it worse with Lord Petroc ??????

[french frank]

I presume you are talking about the whole station rather than Breakfast ...... ????

In general, the whole station including Breakfast. I gradually (ie not overnight) stopped listening to Breakfast from 2007 when it became Breakfast. It sounds as if it has got worse since then - but not if you enjoy the changes. It's all subjective.

The moans would be pretty much the same now as they were then, so in that sense Breakfast may have got no worse and - as I emphasise - if you enjoy what you get, that's absolutely fine for you. Somewhere on my computer I still have a strip cartoon I made of the then Breakfast - in fact I made whole series but Mark didn't want to put them on the FoR3 website because he didn't like them For myself, I prefer announcers who stay in the background: so away with "Lord Petroc" and "Lady Alker". They don't improve the programme: they've just taken up residence.

[Serial_Apologist]

To answer Anton, it may all boil down to a matter of the BBC management's omnipresent intransigent refusal to consider, let alone discuss numerous issues that give so much disappointment to faithful long-term listeners... and viewers, for that matter. One only has to consider uses of invasive background music that is no longer background in many TV documentaries, inaudible muttering in dramas, and lack of political impartiality across all networks. It's just not good enough to go along with what is inflicted on grounds that this particular programme happens to be to one's liking.

[Joseph K]

I had to turn Breakfast off this morning owing to some terribly cheesy folk-like music at around 7:50.

[oddoneout]

I had to turn Breakfast off this morning owing to some terribly cheesy folk-like music at around 7:50.

This week is likely to have a higher folk element as Petroc is doing an Irish odyssey.

[oddoneout]

I presume you are talking about the whole station rather than Breakfast ...... ????

But if I can pick up on the " .... it may get worse."

Many moons ago when there was a more or less constant debate about Breakfast there was very much a majority feeling that it was bad and getting worse.

A good few years on ...... I wonder is it ..... ???

If I remember the, dare I say, moans, then they were

Too many short pieces

Too many warhorses

Too many Top 10 Composers

Too many trailers

Too much news

Too much listener interaction .....

Is it worse with Lord Petroc ??????

Breakfast did get worse, and became impossible. However the worst bits were gradually ditched, and quite some time ago now it settled down. In some respects I prefer it to EC, which is still just too long a slot for the format. There seems to me to be less repetition and lazy music choice in the earlier programme (whereas it isn't unknown for there to be 2 airings of the same item, with a repeat in EC of a Breakfast piece), but having said that EC has also improved considerably, and the much criticised playlist slot can throw up some real gems now that listeners' suggestions reflect thought and challenge,and the final cut doesn't go for the easy/obvious.

[hmvman]

Breakfast did get worse, and became impossible. However the worst bits were gradually ditched, and quite some time ago now it settled down. In some respects I prefer it to EC, which is still just too long a slot for the format. There seems to me to be less repetition and lazy music choice in the earlier programme (whereas it isn't unknown for there to be 2 airings of the same item, with a repeat in EC of a Breakfast piece), but having said that EC has also improved considerably, and the much criticised playlist slot can throw up some real gems now that listeners' suggestions reflect thought and challenge,and the final cut doesn't go for the easy/obvious.

I would agree with all of that, except that I still find EC pretty much unlistenable and seek solace elsewhere at that time. I can remember the phone-ins on 'Breakfast' so it has definitely improved now. There might be an element, though, of one having got used to the new format and therefore thinking it's not so bad - a bit like wallowing in a lukewarm bath. However, I think it's unlikely we'll get a TTN-like format in the mornings anytime soon.

[oddoneout]

I would agree with all of that, except that I still find EC pretty much unlistenable and seek solace elsewhere at that time. I can remember the phone-ins on 'Breakfast' so it has definitely improved now. There might be an element, though, of one having got used to the new format and therefore thinking it's not so bad - a bit like wallowing in a lukewarm bath. However, I think it's unlikely we'll get a TTN-like format in the mornings anytime soon.

It's not really a new format any more, but yes I have got used to it and don't expect more than it gives. If the powers that be started trying gimmicks again I'd pretty soon jump ship as I did before. I don't think I've got used to EC, despite the improvements, to the same extent. I find my attention wandering and often don't restore normal listening for some time if I've muted the adverts, and more frequently now I just switch off after the playlist results.

[eighthobstruction]

....my son is very much enjoying driving to work listening to Irish folksy music and the lovely female voices in between the tracks....(this, I am sure, sets him up just right to spend his time gazing at petri dishes; for the great NHS....

....not so much actually as my GP practise in their castle with portcullis down and draw-bridge up....with only access through invisible fi's [sic] in the sky, which make me want to end it all....WHILE the NHS has major onslaught of 60second adverts on tele, showing patients in all sorts of predicaments, with the bye-line " Get in touch with you GP Practise"

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Oh too be sure....