The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[HARRIET HAVARD]

I couldn't care less who presents these programmes: young, old, male, female- it's all the same to me. Just as long as presenters are all they are. But they are not. They have a substantial influence on the content and format of the show- a task for which they are, without exception, unsuited . Hense the consistant dumbing down of Breakfast in particular, and R3 in general over the past years. What was once a channel that would inform and educate us, without patroning us, is now no more than a Classic FM cloan. Breakfast, and increasingly Essential Classics, seem to have a new remit: We know what we like, but given we don't know much, we don't like much. Or, if they do, it certainly doesn't make it onto the airwaves. Breakfast, for example, seems now to be obsessed by the "charts". A suspicious person might think there is some financial interest here...I couldn't possibly comment.

[Sir Velo]

HHA couple of thoughts - why generally do female presenters generate an disproportionate amount of adverse comment hereabouts?

I can't say I see that. Trelawny; Cowan; Hoban; Rafferty; Service and that other occasional Saturday Breakfast presenter, Tom? someone from Radio Leeds have all come in for their share of flak. Perhaps it's because you're an old fashioned gent AG that you notice these alleged slurs on the ladies.

[Nick Armstrong]

I can't say I see that. Trelawny; Cowan; Hoban; Rafferty; Service and that other occasional Saturday Breakfast presenter, Tom? someone from Radio Leeds have all come in for their share of flak. Perhaps it's because you're an old fashioned gent AG that you notice these alleged slurs on the ladies.

"Galant", perhaps, rather than old-fashioned...?

Otherwise I'm inclined to agree, Sir V

[french frank]

"Galant", perhaps, rather than old-fashioned...?

There probably is a tendency to disregard most of the stronger insults aimed at the men. But women rouse the protective(?) instincts in le galant homme.

[MickyD]

It's a long time since I've listened to "Breakfast", but I happened to catch the last two minutes of Martin Handley before CD Review on Saturday morning. He was gabbling away like a Radio 2 presenter, I couldn't believe it was R3.

[antongould]

There probably is a tendency to disregard most of the stronger insults aimed at the men. But women rouse the protective(?) instincts in le galant homme.

The subtleties of the French are of course lost on a lad from the pit heaps, but ...........I sort of fell on my sword in #3099.

[jean]

Perhaps it's because you're an old fashioned gent AG that you notice these alleged slurs on the ladies.

There probably is a tendency to disregard most of the stronger insults aimed at the men. But women rouse the protective(?) instincts in le galant homme.

I'm an old-fashioned feminist myself, so these comments hardly apply to me...but I do seem to notice more insults directed at the manner and vocal quality of the women as much as at anything more substantial.

[subcontrabass]

TTN presenters are generally (always?) neutral in tone + restrict their words to a short introduction to the piece, the artists and possibly its connection to others in any sequence of items - ideal if you just want to listen to the music.

On TTN the presentation time between items is very tightly restricted and has to be synchronized across all the different stations taking the music feed from the BBC. Some years ago one of the producers of TTN sought my help with some specialist information on a recording that they had been sent. Eventually it was decided not to use the recording so our discussion on how to reduce the information that I could offer to something short enough was not concluded.

[Serial_Apologist]

On TTN the presentation time between items is very tightly restricted and has to be synchronized across all the different stations taking the music feed from the BBC. Some years ago one of the producers of TTN sought my help with some specialist information on a recording that they had been sent. Eventually it was decided not to use the recording so our discussion on how to reduce the information that I could offer to something short enough was not concluded.

As was not one of the announcements during last night's TTN... which made the point you are making very well. I know many on here like the succintness of TTN introductions, making as it does a nice contrast to verbiage elsewhere, but I have to admit to sometimes saying: sorry? what was that again? - out loud.

[Radio64]

She's back! In her own (tweet) words: "Back on yer wireless @BBCRadio3 this week.."

Not sure about the new pic though .. a tad too photo-shoppèd methinks.

[french frank]

She's back! In her own (tweet) words: "Back on yer wireless @BBCRadio3 this week.."

Not sure about the new pic though .. a tad too photo-shoppèd methinks.

Interesting. Norman Lebrecht had an article claiming that the Telegraph was itself 'dumbing down' by using that same picture above its Radio 3 article. I pointed out that the BBC picture of Clemency made her look more like a Hollywood starlet, and that this one was much more 'girl-next-door'.

There. In medieval France, 14 was about the age when girls gave up their diminutive names to assume the grown-up form: Jeannette became Jeanne, Peronnelle became Peronne. I always think it should be the time when they have their hair cut, though I do realise that long tresses do, allegedly, make them lusciously attractive to men. Happy to make 21 the 'cut-off' point, though

[Historian]

There. In medieval France, 14 was about the age when girls gave up their diminutive names to assume the grown-up form: Jeannette became Jeanne, Peronnelle became Peronne.

So there I was reading through assorted comments on Radio Three's presenters and came across this wonderful nugget. One of the great joys of this forum is learning so much incidentally, as it were. Thank you to you, ff, and all those who continue to enlighten me.

[Zucchini]

If someone had tweeted that to Breakfast the 25 pople who last year accounted for 50% of messages here (seriously), would have erupted in fury.

[french frank]

If someone had tweeted that to Breakfast the 25 pople who account for 50% of messages here (seriously), would have erupted in fury.

If? I don't think anyone did.

[teamsaint]

If someone had tweeted that to Breakfast the 25 pople who last year accounted for 50% of messages here (seriously), would have erupted in fury.

ooh, now i like a bit of casual statistics being flung around . Its like flinging real stuff, only a bit different.

So, would that be like the 25 composers whose work makes up 90% of "Breakfast's " output.

Just as a f'rinstance.


Distribution curves. such fun.