Radio 3 Programming - Problems & Solutions

[kernelbogey]

Listening to Start the Week (R4) yesterday I was again struck by the notion that the BBC has a cult of The Presenter, extending across all platforms. Andrew Marr's guests were three distinguished academics, authors of new books on Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dickens, perfectly capable of having a diverting conversation without him: yet he had to intervene with smart comments of his own. It seems to me that this cult is also behind the playlist programmes where the presenter has been promoted as equal to the music played. It works ok, I guess, for the Radio 1 and 2 audiences who value the empty-headed chatter of the disc-jockey. Alas it's invaded Radio 3 too.

[DracoM]

1st para - exactly.

[doversoul1]

Listening to Start the Week (R4) yesterday I was again struck by the notion that the BBC has a cult of The Presenter, extending across all platforms. Andrew Marr's guests were three distinguished academics, authors of new books on Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dickens, perfectly capable of having a diverting conversation without him: yet he had to intervene with smart comments of his own. It seems to me that this cult is also behind the playlist programmes where the presenter has been promoted as equal to the music played. It works ok, I guess, for the Radio 1 and 2 audiences who value the empty-headed chatter of the disc-jockey. Alas it's invaded Radio 3 too.

Sorry to nit-pick but I think this is a little unfair. When I have no choice but to hear the station, I usually find that the presenters sound as if they know exactly the programmes’ intentions and what the listeners are interested in, and carry their programmes very well. The problem with Radio 3 is that its programmes have (or should have) very different intentions from those on Radio 2.

[french frank]

Q: how many times have Forumistas signed in to find NO new messages overnight??

This has been brought up before. The workaround is to go to the forum homepage, and top centre, click on the Quick Links and choose Today's posts items. What you will get is a list view of the latest posts, and there should be a bold division line marked The threads below have not been updated since your last visit or since forums have been marked read.. Any 'missing' updates should be there - the exact times of the updated threads are marked, so you can check the top ones that are 'Today' or 'Yesterday'.

It's fiddlier to describe than to check it.

[LezLee]

This has been brought up before. The workaround is to go to the forum homepage, and top centre, click on the Quick Links and choose Today's posts items. What you will get is a list view of the latest posts, and there should be a bold division line marked The threads below have not been updated since your last visit or since forums have been marked read.. Any 'missing' updates should be there - the exact times of the updated threads are marked, so you can check the top ones that are 'Today' or 'Yesterday'.

It's fiddlier to describe than to check it.

Similar query - how do I activate 'Notifications'? I'd like to see when there's been a reply to one of my posts.

[kernelbogey]

Sorry to nit-pick but I think this is a little unfair. When I have no choice but to hear the station, I usually find that the presenters sound as if they know exactly the programmes’ intentions and what the listeners are interested in, and carry their programmes very well. The problem with Radio 3 is that its programmes have (or should have) very different intentions from those on Radio 2.

Well, perhaps unfair. But there is a great deal of chatter on Radio 2 that is not about the music at all.

Occasionally Martin Handley drifts into talk of his pond, or birds at his window. I am sufficiently prejudiced not to mind this. (Perhaps SK's 'gang' are similarly forgiving .)

[LMcD]

Similar query - how do I activate 'Notifications'? I'd like to see when there's been a reply to one of my posts.

LexLee: Top right of your screen - the word 'Notifications' turns red, I think - just click on that.
kernelbogey: How DARE you insult broadcasting legend Tony Blackburn! (Actually, I'd rather listen to him than Elizabeth Alker or Tom Service).

[doversoul1]

Well, perhaps unfair. But there is a great deal of chatter on Radio 2 that is not about the music at all.

Well, exactly. I don’t think people listen to Radio 2 because they just want to hear music and/or about music. I think they tune in to hear music and chat.

[french frank]

Similar query - how do I activate 'Notifications'? I'd like to see when there's been a reply to one of my posts.

I don't ever use this, but I think it would be Settings (top right of each page when you're logged in, by Log Out), then General Settings (l-h sidebar), then under Messaging and Notification turn Default Thread Subscription Mode to whatever you choose, daily, weekly &c - notifications come by email, so please (people!), keep your email address up to date.

[antongould]

Strictly speaking his should go in the EC thread but it possibly isn't entirely unconnected with this topic.
I don't know what the lead up was but Mr Skelly read out a title 'How to think like a vegetable', followed by a tiny pause and then, almost sotto voce 'could be useful down here'.

To walk away with the Prize for the Saddest and Most Misguided Radio 3 Listener I have just heard this on BBC Sounds.
He was, naughty boy, plugging the, I think, Oxford Music Festival and spotted a lecture on How To Think Like A Vegetable and after the comment mentioned rounded it all off with “ sounds like fun for all the family and the contents of your fridge ... “ Of course he shouldn’t be doing this ......
......

[Hitch]

I visited the Radio 3 website today. At least, I think I did. What appeared under the umbrella of BBC Sounds was a frustrating mess, which somehow managed to cover my screen with lots of uninformative images while at the same time wasting acres of empty space. If the BBC wants to attract new listeners to R3, it would do well to rethink its homepage and website.

EDIT: Took the hyphen out of "re-think", which is apparently the thing to do. I think the hyphen adds emphasis and clarity.

[oddoneout]

I visited the Radio 3 website today. At least, I think I did. What appeared under the umbrella of BBC Sounds was a frustrating mess, which somehow managed to cover my screen with lots of uninformative images while at the same time wasting acres of empty space. If the BBC wants to attract new listeners to R3, it would do well to re-think its homepage and website.

That's probably the result of its re-think...
Actually, I think it's the house style, as I've just had a look at the R4 version and it's the same. The modern way, all image, not information.

[Bryn]

That's probably the result of its re-think...
Actually, I think it's the house style, as I've just had a look at the R4 version and it's the same. The modern way, all image, not information.

Just like rather too much Radio 3 presentation style, of late.

[Hitch]

Further to my grizzle about R3's website: put yourself in the shoes of a newcomer to classical music and then contrast the R3 and Classic FM homepages:

Radio 3

Classic FM

Despite its commercial motivation, the Classic FM site has more of a pedagogical bent than the BBC's. It is certainly better structured and more welcoming.

[french frank]

Despite its commercial motivation, the Classic FM site has more of a pedagogical bent than the BBC's. It is certainly better structured and more welcoming.

I quite agree. There's much more of a sense that CFM is leading listeners gently into areas they know nothing about, and the news features flagged up are generally useful and interesting. Although R3 wants the same kind of listeners, their website/information seems much more offputting/forbidding. "The 9 o'clock class this morning will include some essential classics. And we have a game for you to join in if you're a bit more advanced … "

But it's often been said that whatever it is R3 is trying to do along these lines, Classic FM does it better. The adverts are a necessary disadvantage that they have to put up with as well as their listeners.