Trails - it gets worse

[french frank]

I think trailing policy is decided by the marketing division. They decide which programmes are to be promoted, then the built trails are put together, then they're plugged ad nauseam.

How refreshing if at the junction between programmes an announcer simply read out the relevant details as a 'public service announcement' rather than having the commercial style trails which try so hard to sell the product. Unfortunately, since there are now far fewer different programmes, there are far fewer junctions. Which is why the trails are played in the middle of programmes.

[jayne lee wilson]

Or a mute possibility of trailing the remote (but never when I'VE been using it of course...)

[coat on, already left the building...]

Ah, so there's only a remote possibility of muting the trails, eh?

[Coat already off peg.]

[MickyD]

I think what must be particularly galling to television programme makers is to see all their diligent efforts trashed in a few seconds thanks to these trails; there have been a few good history documentaries recently which have been subjected to trails accompanied by deafeningly inappropriate rock music, in a patronising attempt to presumably attract the masses. I cannot believe that the original programme makers have been consulted before these trails go out.

[VodkaDilc]

I think what must be particularly galling to television programme makers is to see all their diligent efforts trashed in a few seconds thanks to these trails; there have been a few good history documentaries recently which have been subjected to trails accompanied by deafeningly inappropriate rock music, in a patronising attempt to presumably attract the masses. I cannot believe that the original programme makers have been consulted before these trails go out.

An even worse aspect of this trend on television is when the closing titles are squashed into part of the screen, so that details of future programmes can be trailed. What a complete disregard for those involved in the original programme. All channels are guilty of this. I know I am possibly unusual in wanting to read the information, but it should surely be clearly available for those who want to read it. (My cinema-going days are well and truly in the past, but I was always irritated by those who began to leave as the credits appeared. I would always sit and read them to the end, while complaining bitterly about those blocking my view of the screen.)

[Panjandrum]

Or a mute possibility of trailing the remote (but never when I'VE been using it of course...)

[coat on, already left the building...]

Shouldn't that be "moot"?

[Don Petter]

Or you could try the blue cloth from the parrot's cage - very appropriate in the case of the wittering PT.

(This post seems to have become detached from ff's enquiry as to how to mute the radio. Android gremlin is my excuse, as I am currently on the road.)

[Norfolk Born]

[QUOTE=Chris Newman;87408]I agree, Eine Alpensinfonie. Without the occasional outbursts of waffle between the presenters I would often have no idea what was scheduled. I seem to remember plugs for later programmes being given by the likes of John Holmstrom and Cormac Rigby. Or there was that frightfully stiff starchy lady who always sounded as if she disapproved of everything about the radio (what was her name?) who would say things like "Right! Well! I suppose I should inform listeners that tonight at seven thirty there will be a relay from the Royal Opera House of the Opera written by Benjamin Britten namely Peter Grimes to be conducted by Colin Davis."[/QUOTE]

Are you referring to Patricia Hughes? Her quiet dignity when Radio 3 resumed its normal programming after covering the memorial service for the victims of the 1972 Olympics terrorist attack is still vivid in my memory. I don't know whether she was 'on duty' that day by chance or by design, but I do think that nobody could have handled the situation better.

[french frank]

detached from ff's enquiry as to how to mute the radio

Could I have made such an enquiry? I long ago found the easy way to mute the radio

[vinteuil]

... I long ago found the easy way to mute the radio

like FF, I have found a way to mute the radio.
Sadly this robust method does not enable me to know when the garbage and wittering is over and some potentially good and interesting stuff is coming up.
If only someone at the BBC could think up a way - since they know what they will be broadcasting - of letting the public know! One useful thing might be a weekly printed document detailing their programmes, which they might even plausibly sell - why, if they included some info of what's on the telewele they could probably charge, oh, I don't know, £1-20? for it and make a little profit. Or since they have access to technological wizardry they might use the interweb and 'up load' details of the programmes with the timings of the various pieces. One then might actually be able occasionally to listen to the wireless in the morning. Just a thought...

[Chris Newman]

[QUOTE=Ofcachap;87500]

I agree, Eine Alpensinfonie. Without the occasional outbursts of waffle between the presenters I would often have no idea what was scheduled. I seem to remember plugs for later programmes being given by the likes of John Holmstrom and Cormac Rigby. Or there was that frightfully stiff starchy lady who always sounded as if she disapproved of everything about the radio (what was her name?) who would say things like "Right! Well! I suppose I should inform listeners that tonight at seven thirty there will be a relay from the Royal Opera House of the Opera written by Benjamin Britten namely Peter Grimes to be conducted by Colin Davis."[/QUOTE]

Are you referring to Patricia Hughes? Her quiet dignity when Radio 3 resumed its normal programming after covering the memorial service for the victims of the 1972 Olympics terrorist attack is still vivid in my memory. I don't know whether she was 'on duty' that day by chance or by design, but I do think that nobody could have handled the situation better.

Thank you, Ofcachap,
That was the lady, though she rather frightened me at times. Here she is in a much more relaxed and witty mode:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/classical/thirdprogramme/soundstories.shtml

[MickyD]

[QUOTE=Chris Newman;87513]

Thank you, Ofcachap,
That was the lady, though she rather frightened me at times. Here she is in a much more relaxed and witty mode:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/classica...dstories.shtml

Thank you, what a wonderful extract. Nobody could put over the words "diaphanous négligée" quite like Patricia Hughes!

[hmvman]

Yes, that's a delightful extract. It reminds me that a friend of mine had (and I really hope still has) a recording of a slightly embarrassed Patricia Hughes announcing that the record (an LP in those days) that had just been played was done so at the wrong speed (45rpm instead of 33) and that she was grateful to a listener for pointing it out!

[Nick Armstrong]

Did you spot the clip of Cormac Rigby down at the bottom of the page? Both he and Patricia Hughes were before my time in terms of R3 listening... I think Mr Rigby's voice would still be ideal today, Patricia does though sound alas rather of a former age à la 'Brief Encounter'.

[Chris Newman]

Did you spot the clip of Cormac Rigby down at the bottom of the page? Both he and Patricia Hughes were before my time in terms of R3 listening... I think Mr Rigby's voice would still be ideal today, Patricia does though sound alas rather of a former age à la 'Brief Encounter'.

The much loved and missed late Cormac Rigby who left Radio 3 to become an Roman Catholic priest once announced a piece of music as being "A very rarely played piece by Richard Wagner, or at least attributed to him, his Sonata for Strumpet and Rings...Oh, dear me! My goodness! What am I saying? You must forgive me! I meant to say Richard Wagner's Sonata for Trumpet and Strings." There was a lot of guffawing in the studio.

I think the two obituaries from the Daily Telegraph beautifully capture the human and lovable announcer we all admired

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1546846/The-Reverend-Cormac-Rigby.html

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/3684641/Remembering_Cormac_Rigby/