The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[Bax-of-Delights]

I’ve been listening to the Saturday Breakfast offering for just half an hour and I feel as if I am listening to a broadcast of Blue Peter at best or Playschool at worst. Elizabeth Alker’s style would be perfect to either programme. It’s the little girl voice combined with the smacking of the lips that makes it unlistenable.

[DaisyDog]

I agree with Caliban and Paul T, Elizabeth Alker is not a good Radio 3 presenter. Her voice is annoying, her manner condescending, her selection of music irritating. John Shea and Martin Handley are all far better weekend presenters. As is Jonathan Swain on Through the Night. And the less said about Katie Derham the better.

O Wort, du Wort, das mir Fehlt indeed. Weniger ist mehr. . .

[LMcD]

I agree with Caliban and Paul T, Elizabeth Alker is not a good Radio 3 presenter. Her voice is annoying, her manner condescending, her selection of music irritating. John Shea and Martin Handley are all far better weekend presenters. As is Jonathan Swain on Through the Night. And the less said about Katie Derham the better.

O Wort, du Wort, das mir Fehlt indeed. Weniger ist mehr. . .

At the risk of sounding unchivalrous, I agree with the recent posts on this matter.

[french frank]

It confirms, over and over again, that Radio 3's chief concern is to appeal to new listeners. EA is (I understand) very popular with 6 Music listeners (an R3 target audience). She is also already a BBC presenter and, I'll guess, lives closer to the (weekend) Salford studios than any of the regular R3 presenters. Three pluses to an increasingly less important minus.

[Bax-of-Delights]

It confirms, over and over again, that Radio 3's chief concern is to appeal to new listeners. EA is (I understand) very popular with 6 Music listeners (an R3 target audience). She is also already a BBC presenter and, I'll guess, lives closer to the (weekend) Salford studios than any of the regular R3 presenters. Three pluses to an increasingly less important minus.

I’ve never understood the Salford/London studio split. EA was in Salford but Ms Walker is in London for Essential Classics while Martin Handley, resident in Sussex/Kent is dragged up to Salford for the weekend. With technology these days the presenters surely have no need to travel across the length and breadth of the country and could quite easily co-ordinate from a local radio station - or even their own lounges.
I trust everyone enjoyed the yodelling “Skater’s Waltz” this morning. Another low point. With “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” promised for EC I see no point in continuing to listen. Radio 6 listeners are welcome to it.

[kernelbogey]

...[EA] is not a good Radio 3 presenter. Her voice is annoying, her manner condescending, her selection of music irritating. John Shea and Martin Handley are all far better weekend presenters. As is Jonathan Swain on Through the Night. And the less said about Katie Derham the better.

I’ve been listening to the Saturday Breakfast offering for just half an hour and I feel as if I am listening to a broadcast of Blue Peter at best or Playschool at worst. Elizabeth Alker’s style would be perfect to either programme. It’s the little girl voice combined with the smacking of the lips that makes it unlistenable.

[kernelbogey]

I've been impressed by the voice and microphone technique of Debbie Russ, who sometimes reads the news. She'd make a good presenter, and perhaps is being prepared for that (I hope). The wonderful Catriona Young is a precedent.

[french frank]

I’ve never understood the Salford/London studio split.

I don't know exactly how much comes from Salford Quays at the moment. But the move was a 'policy decision' to decentralise. I don't know if MH travels up to Salford or whether a few programmes now and then are R3's 'contribution' to decentralisation. There was also a time when they kept getting Radio Merseyside, Radio York &c presenters to do the Breakfast stint. From the point of of view of presenter input it was even more dire. I think Victoria Forgotten-Her-Surname worked for 5 Live which is also based in Salford, I believe (but things change).

I trust everyone enjoyed the yodelling “Skater’s Waltz” this morning. Another low point. With “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” promised for EC I see no point in continuing to listen. Radio 6 listeners are welcome to it.

When Radio 3 fits seamlessly into the BBC's entertainment offer, with no accusations of 'elitism'/snobbery/stuffiness, the mission will have been successful.

[cloughie]

I've been impressed by the voice and microphone technique of Debbie Russ, who sometimes reads the news. She'd make a good presenter, and perhaps is being prepared for that (I hope). The wonderful Catriona Young is a precedent.

I agree about Catriona Young - when she was on Radio 4 she was second only to Harriet Cass!

[french frank]

I agree about Catriona Young - when she was on Radio 4 she was second only to Harriet Cass!

She used to be a regular presenter on On Air, predecessor to Morning on 3 (predecessor to Breakfast). And also on Morning Collection, predecessor to many programmes including Essential Classics.

Newsreading and continuity seem to be the regular duties for ex-programme presenters, presumably to make room for the less experienced and/or less qualified.

[teamsaint]

I've been impressed by the voice and microphone technique of Debbie Russ, who sometimes reads the news. She'd make a good presenter, and perhaps is being prepared for that (I hope). The wonderful Catriona Young is a precedent.

Given her age, I would be surprised if anybody has big plans for Debbie Russ, though I’d love to be wrong. She was a friend at Uni, and listening to her reading passages or parts from works we were studying was an absolute joy.She was a star child actor , most famously on the Double Deckers.

I agree that reads the news exceptionally well.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Given her age, I would be surprised if anybody has big plans for Debbie Russ, though I’d love to be wrong. She was a friend at Uni, and listening to her reading passages or parts from works we were studying was an absolute joy.She was a star child actor , most famously on the Double Deckers.

I agree that reads the news exceptionally well.

Yes, yes, yes ... but how's Tiger?

[LMcD]

One of the joys of 'Breakfast' is (or are) the informative snippets of musical history. Today, we've just been told, marks the bicentenary of the first performance of 'Silent Night', which was accompanied by a guitar because a mouse had damaged the church organ. Petroc also provided a timely reminder that 104 years ago the opposing armies on the Western Front each sang it in their respective language.

[french frank]

One of the joys of 'Breakfast' is (or are) the informative snippets of musical history. Today, we've just been told, marks the bicentenary of the first performance of 'Silent Night', which was accompanied by a guitar because a mouse had damaged the church organ. Petroc also provided a timely reminder that 104 years ago the opposing armies on the Western Front each sang it in their respective language.

Don't have to listen to Breakfast to learn all about it from the BBC today. Is this where Petroc got the info - or did he write the news story?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-46650323/two-hundred-years-of-silent-night

[Richard Tarleton]

There was a charming TV programme, I think on BBC, devoted to this subject which aired at Christmas 1978.