The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A darned good programme that.

It was. Alan Keith was never patronising. He could never have been on Breakfast.

[Radio64]

Today: Breakfast becomes Lunch !

[Honoured Guest]

It was. Alan Keith was never patronising. He could never have been on Breakfast.

Indeed, he could not! He sounded as if he should be left to slumber all day and only gently roused at mealtimes to enquire whether he would care to attempt a little food or drink.

"This (pause) is (longer pause) Al-aaaaaan (pause) Keith. (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)"

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

AK had the confidence not to fall over his own words. He spoke in complete sentences and put full stops at the end. But your example is total rubbish (w.a.s); he never spoke like that, even when his speech became slurred towards the end of his life. It's only today's presenters who jabber about themselves, desperately needing to be noticed and pleading for someone to text them.

Furthermore, AK's programme was at 9.00 p.m.

[Padraig]

Very unkind of you, Honoured Guest. If you had been a listener you would have heard him unfailingly wish you well at the end of each programme. Old-fashioned kindness, I suppose.
Mind you, he had his pet hates. I remember well the night he struck what I thought was a blow for freedom from BBC-speak. He had his own way of putting things, but presciently he noticed the start of a new departure for presenters. With a degree of disdain in his voice he said something like - "I've been told to say this: 'You are listening to Your Hundred Best Tunes with me Alan Keith on BBC Radio 2.'"
Sound familiar?

[Honoured Guest]

... presciently he noticed the start of a new departure for presenters. With a degree of disdain in his voice he said something like - "I've been told to say this: 'You are listening to Your Hundred Best Tunes with me Alan Keith on BBC Radio 2.'"
Sound familiar?

So, he thought that he, as a presenter, was more important than his employer? That contradicts Ena's claim that he was self-effacing.

The Alan Keith Show was broadcast between 9 and 10pm but it didn't go out live, did it?

[Richard Tarleton]

I've only dropped into this thread out of idle curiosity, having long since given up on Breakfast, but what on earth has provoked these waspish, intemperate and unkind remarks about Alan Keith? He was a well-loved broadcaster for much of his long life, like his fellow-nonagenarian Alistair Cooke (whose dates are, incidentally, almost identical). But as a BBC insider I imagine the sort of individuality they personified would have been anathema to you, HG.

[Padraig]

So, he thought that he, as a presenter, was more important than his employer? That contradicts Ena's claim that he was self-effacing.

The Alan Keith Show was broadcast between 9 and 10pm but it didn't go out live, did it?

Did he?
Does it?
Did it not?*

*What was the Alan Keith Show?

[Richard Tarleton]

Did he?
Does it?
Did it not?*

*What was the Alan Keith Show?

And who is "Ena"?

[french frank]

So, he thought that he, as a presenter, was more important than his employer? That contradicts Ena's claim that he was self-effacing.

No, he didn't think he as a presenter was important. That was his point. He thought the music was important.

[doversoul1]

So, he thought that he, as a presenter, was more important than his employer?

I think it was the phrase ‘you are listening to [the programme] with me [the presenter]’ that he must have felt an absurd and patronising thing to say to the listeners.

We listen to the presenter as part of the programme but ‘listening with’ him/her? Where did this idea come from?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

We listen to the presenter as part of the programme but ‘listening with’ him/her? Where did this idea come from?

It goes in parallel with the "Thank you for joining me" nonsense.

[french frank]

It goes in parallel with the "Thank you for joining me" nonsense.

Or even: "My next piece ..."

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Or even: "My next piece ..."

Indeed.

[doversoul1]

I know Penny Gore is only following the instruction (whose?) but ‘My Afternoon on 3 Opera is…’

(the opera is, incidentally L'Incoronazione di Poppea)