Excuse me but do you mean….?

[cloughie]

After he's been Aaround The World With Michael Palin, of course.

Were you thinking of any specific rim?

[Sir Velo]

gaffs on the Forum

Is that a deliberate gaffe?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Is that a deliberate gaffe?

It is now!

[cloughie]

It is now!

So speaks 'The Deliberate Gaffer'

[Bryn]

It is now!

Bet you feel well crook about that one.

[french frank]

Yes, we should be careful to ensure that details of our citations are correct and accurate, but to equate gaffes on the Forum (whose Hosts and contributors are unpaid enthusiasts) with those from a national public service broadcaster (with professional staff paid for from public funding) seems a little over-delicate to me.

Yes, most people [] are paying for a professional service, via their BBC licence (or a taxpayer subsidy, atm). Much of what people here complain of is down to unprofessionalism. To be a 'professional broadcaster' is not enough for a Radio 3 presenter. Programmes like Breakfast and Essential Classics are likely to present the biggest problem for the BBC/Radio 3 in finding presenters who are adequate, because so many different works covering a wide chronological span are played in a single programme**. Hard work/time can compensate for 'ignorance' to a large degree. But presenters need to be (often painfully!) aware of their own limitations and try to compensate. Too often this does not appear to be the case.

I suspect management turns a blind eye to such limitations on the grounds that they can't find alternatives. Though bussing in people from other BBC stations seems like an unacceptable short cut. Yes, we know that management's 'target audience' for Radio 3 is very similar to the audience for 6Music; but these presenters are only satisfactory for 6 Music listeners who tune in to Radio 3, not for listeners whose primary radio listening is Radio 3 - for its classical music output.

** Playing fewer, longer works would lighten the research burden.

[ahinton]

Perhape they had KSS71 in mind.

Nice one! (except that this dates from more than 15 years after Around Music's publication!)...

[LMcD]

Were you thinking of any specific rim?

Gosh, cloughie, you've set the bar bally high!

[cloughie]

Gosh, cloughie, you've set the bar bally high!

Bloody Mary anyone?

[Serial_Apologist]

Yes, most people [] are paying for a professional service, via their BBC licence (or a taxpayer subsidy, atm). Much of what people here complain of is down to unprofessionalism. To be a 'professional broadcaster' is not enough for a Radio 3 presenter. Programmes like Breakfast and Essential Classics are likely to present the biggest problem for the BBC/Radio 3 in finding presenters who are adequate, because so many different works covering a wide chronological span are played in a single programme**. Hard work/time can compensate for 'ignorance' to a large degree. But presenters need to be (often painfully!) aware of their own limitations and try to compensate. Too often this does not appear to be the case.

I suspect management turns a blind eye to such limitations on the grounds that they can't find alternatives. Though bussing in people from other BBC stations seems like an unacceptable short cut. Yes, we know that management's 'target audience' for Radio 3 is very similar to the audience for 6Music; but these presenters are only satisfactory for 6 Music listeners who tune in to Radio 3, not for listeners whose primary radio listening is Radio 3 - for its classical music output.

** Playing fewer, longer works would lighten the research burden.

Personally, I can't help wondering if the BBC's attitude towards slip ups by Breakfast and EC presenters is based on a view that, "Well, the listeners to these lowest common musical denominator programmes aren't likely to spot them when they occur, so what do they really matter?".

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Personally, I can't help wondering if the BBC's attitude towards slip ups by Breakfast and EC presenters is based on a view that, "Well, the listeners to these lowest common musical denominator programmes aren't likely to spot them when they occur, so what do they really matter?".

Except that none of the reported gaffes so far appear to have originated on either of those programmes (I mean - calling Farinelli a countertenor on supposedly specialist Early Music Late, for goddness' sake! That's like H&N calling Erwartung a "serial work"!)

I rather think that it's non-specialist presenters dashing off hastily-prepared blurbs, with no time/staff to revise/proof-read.

[french frank]

According to a BBC press release, Rigoletto (Opera on 3 tomorrow) will be sung by a soprano, one Roberto Frontali …

[subcontrabass]

According to a BBC press release, Rigoletto (Opera on 3 tomorrow) will be sung by a soprano, one Roberto Frontali …

And the Duke will be sung by a "star tenor" who is also a soprano.

[Serial_Apologist]

My god, this is taking transgender politics one step too far!

[cloughie]

And the Duke will be sung by a "star tenor" who is also a soprano.

Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls.
It’s a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up world
Except for Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola.