The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[french frank]

(*** Archers (R4, Ambridge) listening family hear - after each programme the continuity announcer makes some cute (witty?) observation on what has just been broadcast. Come on BBC, you evidently really think we are so dumb to think the announcer has been listening, and given latitude to make some remark - as opposed to reading from a script supplied by the producer.)

Back to Peter Allen's comment about 'phoniness'. To be fair to Ms Alker, there are some R3 regulars who could be charged with that too. As I said, this is a problem with all presenters shipped in from elsewhere. I thought Victoria Meakin was a good broadcaster - a good voice, nice manner - just completely at sea.

[antongould]

The Skelly wags?

Excellent S_A and now seemingly there are 3.64 of us .......

[Nick Armstrong]

Excellent S_A and now seemingly there are 3.64 of us .......

Do I count as one of the number (perhaps as 0.64 after recent dietary self-discipline )?

[muzzer]

Yes, and somehow at the weekend it matters more...Anyway, in an ideal world who would you all wish to hear presenting Breakfast? Let's be aspirational.........

[antongould]

Yes, and somehow at the weekend it matters more...Anyway, in an ideal world who would you all wish to hear presenting Breakfast? Let's be aspirational.........

You first muzzers - I need to ponder while listening to CBH ......

[underthecountertenor]

As to Ian Skelly - the week after next, IIRC.
I've been wondering about why I object to Ms Alken as a presenter of that programme. (It could be unconscious ('ish) and unfair prejudice). But essentially I think its because I don't believe, for a moment, that she knows much about, or is interested, in presenting classical music on a classical music radio station. So, there is not a scrap of authenticity about what she says on that programme***. Its such a relief to hear Martin Handley, who is such a professional.

Point of order to start with. Her name appears to be morphing into Alken on this board. It's actually Alker.

Why do you 'not believe, for a moment, that she knows much about, or is interested, in presenting classical music on a classical music radio station'? Because she is young? Because of her voice? Because she also broadcasts on 6Music?

From what I've heard of her broadcasts, she seems knowledgeable and engaged. She works with the BBC Phil, hosting their Red Brick Sessions at Salford University.

It's a different style from Martin Handley, of course. She's much younger. She's not a conductor (MH, for all his qualities, does occasionally irritate me with his rather self-indulgent reminiscences of when he conducted this or that). But to say that you don't believe for a moment that she knows much about or is interested in what she is doing DOES strike me as unconscious (or possibly conscious) and unfair prejudice, and part of an attitude that would kill Radio 3 by putting a Trump-sized wall around it. I see that Alker has nearly 13,000 followers on Twitter (I've just this minute joined them), and she has been tweeting regularly about BBC Breakfast and the Red Brick Sessions (and appreciatively of Nico Muhly, Thomas Adès, Peter Warlock etc). If she persuades some of her followers to tune to Radio 3 for the first time, or to rock up to Salford University to hear an orchestra live in concert, that's a good thing, isn't it?

[muzzer]

Ideally someone whose love of the music matches their presenting skills....

[underthecountertenor]

Ideally someone whose love of the music matches their presenting skills....

Be careful what you wish for. Someone with zero love of the music and zero presenting skills would match your expressed ideal perfectly.

[muzzer]

Pedant

[french frank]

Good questions, utct.

Some might feel that for Radio 3 it isn't enough to 'know about' or 'be interested in' classical music. Radio 3 has this (in my view) rather silly phrase 'trusted guide' which does imply that the trusted guide knows more than the 'average listener' - or at least conveys an impression of authoritativeness. Anyone arriving straight from 6Music has a bit to do, if only to dispel the impression that classical music comes some way behind the knowledge and interest in contemporary 'popular' music. Nowadays, a recent degree in music isn't proof of a degree of knowledge. Presenters often give the impression of being 'knowledgeable': thorough preparation by the presenter (rather than coaching/prompting by the producer on the job) is a reasonable substitute.

BBC Phil? Salford University? So the guess that presenters for the weekend Breakfast are particularly sought after in the Salford area may not be far out?

Is it it a good thing 'if she persuades some of her followers to tune to Radio 3 for the first time'? It may be - for them, it may not be for others. See R Morrison's interview with Alan Davey:' “Last year’s Ibiza Prom … got people along who had never been to the Albert Hall or an orchestral concert.” Yes, but did they come back? “I don’t know,” Davey admits.' So: 1. How many of this new audience gets hooked on classical music (and how many simply find their way to Late Junction)? 2. How many people are left dissatified because the presentation isn't aimed at them but at getting new listeners? We've been going through these efforts for 15 years without obvious success.

I have gained a certain impression that 6 Music is being pressed to do a bit of this 'persuasion' on its home patch. In recent years, the migration of BBC presenters from other services seems more like expediency.

Point of order to start with. Her name appears to be morphing into Alken on this board. It's actually Alker.

Why do you 'not believe, for a moment, that she knows much about, or is interested, in presenting classical music on a classical music radio station'? Because she is young? Because of her voice? Because she also broadcasts on 6Music?

From what I've heard of her broadcasts, she seems knowledgeable and engaged. She works with the BBC Phil, hosting their Red Brick Sessions at Salford University.

It's a different style from Martin Handley, of course. She's much younger. She's not a conductor (MH, for all his qualities, does occasionally irritate me with his rather self-indulgent reminiscences of when he conducted this or that). But to say that you don't believe for a moment that she knows much about or is interested in what she is doing DOES strike me as unconscious (or possibly conscious) and unfair prejudice, and part of an attitude that would kill Radio 3 by putting a Trump-sized wall around it. I see that Alker has nearly 13,000 followers on Twitter (I've just this minute joined them), and she has been tweeting regularly about BBC Breakfast and the Red Brick Sessions (and appreciatively of Nico Muhly, Thomas Adès, Peter Warlock etc). If she persuades some of her followers to tune to Radio 3 for the first time, or to rock up to Salford University to hear an orchestra live in concert, that's a good thing, isn't it?

[antongould]

Do I count as one of the number (perhaps as 0.64 after recent dietary self-discipline )?

I thought you kept the register Rumpole - I am just making an educated guess .......

Sadly I shall be abroad for SkellersWeek .......

[DaisyDog]

If the BBC is so cost conscious why are there two broadcasting venues, London and Salford, at the weekend? That can’t be an economic choice. The two better presenters, Ian Skelly and Martin Handley, are beyond reproach whereas the Ms Meakin is a dreary and uninvolving presenter. She makes it turn-off time for me.

[Paulie55]

Reactions to Matthew Kaner's piano work 17 October

A collection of old-fashioned "plinks" and "plonks" with little redeeming factors and showing little desire for repeat performances. A bit of old-fashioned modernism, to which CBH exclaimed "terrific piece, Matt!" NOT!!!

Can anyone tell me what an 'embedded composer' is and how it differs from a composer in residence? And does playing said composer's(Matt Kaner) weekly offering every morning achieve anything?
I did risk my sanity trying to find out about this latest wheeze on the R3 page but was not surprised to find nothing there - or it was so 'embedded' as to be lost to view. Using the search facility came back with 'no results'.

[DaisyDog]

So maybe Meakin is Alker. It's hard to tell when she announces.

[teamsaint]

I'm a bit wary about venturing into this latest part of the debate. However, I suppose forums are for sharing opinions, so here'e mine.

Presenter slots on places like R3 are really very prestigious, almost impossible to get, and paid for out of what is effectively public money. So to get one of those slots, I suggest that the presenter needs to bring something rather special to the party. That doesn't have to be excellence or expertise in every area of the job, but something a bit special, rare, different. Now that could be a rather special way in broadcasting , but it could be a specialism. So for me Rob Cowan qualifies because of his very deep knowledge of recorded music, and an ability to transmit his enthusiasm. Doc Walker qualifies with her expertise as a professional in a number of areas . Tom Service ,despite many peoples reservations about his style, has proved himself as a thoughtful and excellent writer on music, with a real track record And so on.

To flip channels , I doubt if there are that many around who could really bring more to an R and B show than Paul Jones on R2.

Whats does bother me is that some people do seem to get these slots through contact, luck, being in the right place, and not through having anything that really adds to the mix. And there is no excuse for that, actually, because there are a lot of talented people with real expertise out there who deserve the chance.
And with its resources, the BBC should be able to find them.