The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[mercia]

yes, on Sunday we had twenty minutes of Mahler 6, I think Mr Handley even commented that we wouldn't normally hear it at that time of the morning

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b036j8fy/live

[Bax-of-Delights]

I'm enjoying the way 'Breakfast' has been slightly hoist on the petard of the current 3-a-day 'Proms Artist recommends' gimm..., er... concept (a selected Proms artist chooses 3 works, one each for playing on 'Breakfast', 'Essential Classics' and 'In Tune' respectively, for non R3 listeners )

Several people have chosen wildly non-'Breakfast' fare - I'm currently enjoying some Myaskovsky, thanks to Vladimir Jurowski (OK, so it's only the last movement of his 27th Symphony.... but STILL... !!! )

For 'Breakfast', Antoni Wit chose the Alpine (Alpen.... yeah yeah ) Symphony and Kiril Karabits chose Shostakovich 11

Someone has written this on R3's Facebook page today:

Hey! Miaskovsky on Breakfast? What went wrong? Great to hear the finale of the 27th symphony although, in my opinion, the first movement has one of the most beautiful "tunes" in all of his symphonic work. The whole symphony isn't that long and deserves an airing - but on which programme though? Breakfast, Essential Classics and In Tune only ever play bleeding chunks and single movements. Just where is your "new" audience going to find the more substantial - as in "complete" - works?

[Nick Armstrong]

Someone has written this on R3's Facebook page today:

Hey! Miaskovsky on Breakfast? What went wrong? Great to hear the finale of the 27th symphony although, in my opinion, the first movement has one of the most beautiful "tunes" in all of his symphonic work. The whole symphony isn't that long and deserves an airing - but on which programme though? Breakfast, Essential Classics and In Tune only ever play bleeding chunks and single movements. Just where is your "new" audience going to find the more substantial - as in "complete" - works?

[Nick Armstrong]

Get your CDs / recordings of Through the Night ready, folks... Mr Hoban is returning to the Breakfast hotplate I see

Not that I plan on being awake.

[french frank]

There must be some method in't: Simon Hoban on last weekend, Tom McKinney this weekend. What's wrong with the regular Radio 3 presenters? are they all on holiday?

[Sir Velo]

I'd never thought I'd say it: but give me Clemency any day over the Local/Hospital radio joker we have on this morning (in actual fact, CB-H has been consistently impressive as a Proms announcer this season: something else I thought I'd never say!).

[Black Swan]

Sir Velo,

I totally agree. I woke this morning expecting to hear her presenting and was completed deflated to find SH again. I don't know if he is reading a script or not but his comments do make CB-H look good.

[teamsaint]

I'd never thought I'd say it: but give me Clemency any day over the Local/Hospital radio joker we have on this morning (in actual fact, CB-H has been consistently impressive as a Proms announcer this season: something else I thought I'd never say!).

You are generous about CBH.

proms announcing isn't really that tough a job though, is it?

[french frank]

proms announcing isn't really that tough a job though, is it?

Well, I did feel a bit for CB-H and AMcG who introduced the Urban Classic Prom for Radio 3 and who both seemed to make an effort to be, erm, hip for the youthful audience in the RAH. Their contributions were neatly cut out from the BBC Three broadcast and the concert started with the arrival of the Radio 1Xtra presenters.

[Black Swan]

Sir Velo,

I totally agree. I woke this morning expecting to hear her presenting and was completed deflated to find SH again. I don't know if he is reading a script or not but his comments do make CB-H look good.

If the idea of having Simon H. present is to draw in a young audience they have missed the mark. Most teenagers/20+ year olds are not up on Saturday or Sunday morning much less listening to R3.

[french frank]

If the idea of having Simon H. present is to draw in a young audience they have missed the mark. Most teenagers/20+ year olds are not up on Saturday or Sunday morning much less listening to R3.

I lost a post somewhere: it was billed as being Tom McKinney, not Simon Hoban.

I don't think it's necessarily to attract an audience that young; more the 30-54 year olds. They seemed to be the ones targeted by the BBC Trust 'research': find out what would make them listen to Radio 3, then make sure they're given it.

What many listeners would like, in any case, is to be told what is going to be played on the programme, not that Saturday's playlist 'will be put up by noon on Monday.'

[Sir Velo]

I don't think it's necessarily to attract an audience that young; more the 30-54 year olds. They seemed to be the ones targeted by the BBC Trust 'research': find out what would make them listen to Radio 3, then make sure they're given it.

I'm in that age group. It does not appeal to me in the slightest.

[french frank]

I'm in that age group. It does not appeal to me in the slightest.

But you're already listening, and you'll still count in the listening figures unless you stop listening entirely ... The gamble is that there'll always be something that you (and listeners like you) want to listen to each week. One quarter hour slot per week (and only 5 continuous minutes of that slot), and you're 'a Radio 3 listener' for that week.

[Black Swan]

I lost a post somewhere: it was billed as being Tom McKinney, not Simon Hoban.


What many listeners would like, in any case, is to be told what is going to be played on the programme, not that Saturday's playlist 'will be put up by noon on Monday.'

I've already complained about the lack of posting of programme in the Early Music Thread.

[Anna]

If the idea of having Simon H. present is to draw in a young audience they have missed the mark. Most teenagers/20+ year olds are not up on Saturday or Sunday morning much less listening to R3.

I thought they were aiming for the young families audience (mother at home with toddlers?) but possibly I'm wrong.
I still listen to bits of Breakfast but hate the appeals to text, email. I think it was early this week there was a piece by Vieuxtemps played, followed by the (yawn!) usual 'famous Belgians' joke and text about any Belgian you can think of except Henri .... It's all rather tedious.