In Tune Mix Tape

[french frank]

I must steel myself to listen because, unlike most (?), I want some genuinely informative comment to be made about music I have heard. A classical jukebox is what I always felt Radio 3 should NOT be.

[DracoM]

I think it's the principle that R3 is trying to establish rather than the actual 'tape' that may be worth questioning.
Is this a cost-cutting exercise?
Because I just keep asking myself 'why?' is this happening at all.

[french frank]

Is this a cost-cutting exercise?

In my view, yes.

Because I just keep asking myself 'why?' is this happening at all.

The old Third Programme which people recall so fondly was on the air for 6 hours a day. Radio 3 is on the air for 24 hours. Would people prefer to go back to 6 hours, with sports coverage, educational broadcasting &c. filling up much of the rest (close down with a Schubert song at 11.30?).

This is not to defend the current R3 coverage because, as I've made clear, I no longer listen regularly. Most days I play CDs in the evening and work in silence during the day.

[gingerjon]

Would people prefer to go back to 6 hours, with sports coverage ...

It's how I knew England had lost another Test match early: I'd switch on and there'd be this classical music playing at me instead of TMS.

[french frank]

It's how I knew England had lost another Test match early: I'd switch on and there'd be this classical music playing at me instead of TMS.

I'd just discovered Radio 3 in the early 1990s and rang up the BBC to enquire why there was a cricket commentary and I couldn't find Radio 3.

Interestingly, figures I was given for the (then new) RAJAR reports showed that the R3 audience reached over 3 million then. Largely inflated, one presumes, by cricket fans tuning in to hear 'their' programme. Back to normal the following month, replacing the Test Match, we had, eg, a piano recital by Peter Hill: Haydn, Debussy, Messiaen …

[Serial_Apologist]

I must steel myself to listen because, unlike most (?), I want some genuinely informative comment to be made about music I have heard. A classical jukebox is what I always felt Radio 3 should NOT be.

[oddoneout]

I've realised that although I don't have any particular objection to it, ironically I don't hear it because it's tacked onto In Tune, which I choose not to listen to. I do think that making such a fuss about the concept(the Beeb not the Forum) is not helpful though for reasons mentioned on another thread, and also because R3 afficionados will remember, as mentioned above, the earlier incarnation and so won't be fooled into sales patter about something supposedly new.

[french frank]

I've realised that although I don't have any particular objection to it, ironically I don't hear it because it's tacked onto In Tune, which I choose not to listen to. I do think that making such a fuss about the concept(the Beeb not the Forum) is not helpful though for reasons mentioned on another thread, and also because R3 afficionados will remember, as mentioned above, the earlier incarnation and so won't be fooled into sales patter about something supposedly new.

The interesting point is: Is Radio 3 still being a copycat? Or is BBC Music under the pop-loving Director of Music/Radio throwing out cool and awesome suggestions?

I really think that, love it or hate it, this is principally just a filler. I don't think that expressing a lack of interest in the Mixtape is any more 'making such [sic] a fuss' about it than not listening to In Tune because one 'chooses not to listen'

[LMcD]

Might one objective possibly be to discourage listeners from tuning to Classic FM at 8 p.m. for the 'Full Works Concert'? I agree that it's a good (by which suppose I mean bad?) example of lazy programming.

[french frank]

I don't think we should confuse whether we enjoy the programme, dislike it/don't bother to listen/would prefer something else with whether in some objective sense it is a 'bad idea' (tbd). It is An Idea which evidence here suggests that some listeners enjoy. If they also think it is a 'bad idea' then maybe it is. But why?

[oddoneout]

The interesting point is: Is Radio 3 still being a copycat? Or is BBC Music under the pop-loving Director of Music/Radio throwing out cool and awesome suggestions?

I really think that, love it or hate it, this is principally just a filler. I don't think that expressing a lack of interest in the Mixtape is any more 'making such [sic] a fuss' about it than not listening to In Tune because one 'chooses not to listen'

Perhaps I didn't express myself as well as I could have.By 'making a fuss' I was referring to the constant mentions of it on R3 as if it was something noteworthy and new, not comments on the forum.Not only does that irritate in general(as per Trailers and Adverts thread), it further irritates by assuming no-one will remember its predecessor.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Might one objective possibly be to discourage listeners from tuning to Classic FM at 8 p.m. for the 'Full Works Concert'?

But wouldn't whatever was programmed on the R3 in Concert concert starting at 7:30 already do (or undo) that? (In that listeners who don't want to listen to a programme of unaccompanied choral Music will switch over to the CFM offering anyway - the sequence between 7:00 and 7:30 won't have any affect on their decision?)

[ardcarp]

The OP expressed my own simple pleasure at hearing a half-hour of un-commented-upon music. I've read all the posts, and just wonder if people are over-analyzing the slot, and maybe imputing all kinds of devious motives to R3 where there were probably none beyond "We've got half an hour to fill."

We can take it or leave it surely?

[french frank]

We can take it or leave it surely?

My feeling exactly. Except …nothing wrong with a bit of pointless analysis

Perhaps I didn't express myself as well as I could have.By 'making a fuss' I was referring to the constant mentions of it on R3 as if it was something noteworthy and new, not comments on the forum.

Apologies - I thought you meant here

[eighthobstruction]

Hate it. Just wallpaper.
And the In Tune banter - hate that too, but at least then you knew what was being played.
AND anyone who does NOT have access to R3 online has no idea what the music is - unless they have all-consuming music memories. How audience-friendly is that?

Instant switch off for me.

....It's a miss....