R4 Feedback covers Radio 3 - again

[Word]

I mistakenly went with the abridged version of my post. Specifically with reference to the name changes - I'm only aware of the two that Serial_Apologist mentioned: The first was on the BBC message board, which I believe to have been a straight name change of an existing account (one of the few features offered by that system) and the second, from Eudaimonia to Cavatina, was in response to a sustained and rather unpleasant hounding by a group of board members who disagreed vociferously with her point of view.
To FF's credit, she did rebuke a few of those involved and things settled down for a while.

It does sound as if Cavatina was a little naughty in keeping both accounts active for a period, but I thought the fact that she returned at all showed strength of character (or a masochistic streak).
It would be nice to think that she will return for next year's Proms, but I don't think she will.

I do accept the point about the 'effective communication' tips though, which were a bit odd in their frequency and probably should have been guided by the maxim that advice is generally best not offered unless specifically solicited, even if well intentioned.

[french frank]

It would be nice to think that she will return for next year's Proms, but I don't think she will.

I do accept the point about the 'effective communication' tips though, which were a bit odd in their frequency and probably should have been guided by the maxim that advice is generally best not offered unless specifically solicited, even if well intentioned.

cavatina's main interest is the Proms, rather than Radio 3's output. She will be welcome to return to the forum, if she wishes to do so, to talk about both being at the Proms and the music performed. In fact, she spent far more time taking issue with listeners' criticisms of R3 than in discussing the music - which she only began to do when she was warned that her other postings were becoming disruptive.

The problem wasn't principally that she disagreed with what the majority are saying - you (Word) and antongould have done the same, and others have disagreed on particular issues. It is that her contributions were frequently disparaging of others and all too often this diverted members into responding to her rather than pursuing the issues. This happened endlessly on the old boards and continued here.

On 16 September, I posted this. Trying to engage in some serious points, I had to repost a message because cavatina had latched on to the kind of irrelevant points which immediately send the discussion hurtling after a decoy. As Radio 3 is essentially a 'domestic' matter, I feel her views were being expressed too regularly and at too great a length. I warned her to ease off. She didn't. I warned her again. Choosing me as the butt of some of her disparagement, I admit, didn't help her cause. I did try to defend her when I felt others were OTT with their ripostes but I only disagreed with the robustness of their comments, not their motivation. She was behaving like the guest who wants to take over the party and wouldn't be warned.

I might add that if you close your account simply because you feel 'persecuted', it's a bit silly to reappear under a new name and then behave unmistakeably in the same way so that you are instantly recognised. In fact she had opened her second account less than a month after she opened the first (and only used it to cast a second vote in the Mozart poll). My impression was that she asked for her 'Eudaimonia' account to be closed because she wished all her Visitor Messaging to be deleted, not because of the way she had been treated by other members.

[Panjandrum]

I see Cavatina has now moved on and is now voicing her support for the evil empire over on Facebook where she is fighting a similar one person battle (one needs to view all 8 comments under today's Breakfast post).

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

er well done ff the commentary continues, whatever you felt about the interview it was NOTICED!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

My name isn't Leonard, Cedric, Gloria (well ... apart from one really good party!) or even Max, but the final words sum up the crux of the whole debate for me: "because the sublime Music deserves it". Spot on!

[hmvman]

In the light of FF's experience with Feedback, I was interested to hear on last Friday's edition that the Controller of R2 wouldn't debate on air with a listener who complained about the axeing of Melodies for You and lack of light classical music on the station. Instead, said Controller did agree to an interview with Roger Bolton.

More interestingly, perhaps, is that the complainants were not directed to Radio 2.5 for their light/popular classics fix!

[french frank]

In the light of FF's experience with Feedback, I was interested to hear on last Friday's edition that the Controller of R2 wouldn't debate on air with a listener who complained about the axeing of Melodies for You and lack of light classical music on the station. Instead, said Controller did agree to an interview with Roger Bolton.

Yer-zzzz. Just looked at my 'invitation' again:

"sorry for the short notice, I was going to wait until we'd got Roger Wright on in a few weeks, but of course this is all really gathering momentum so we should do more on it for this week's programme."

They had two other R3 listeners on the last programme to get the ball rolling. I wonder why they didn't stick to their original plan and ask me on with Roger ...?

I don't think Bob Shennan, CR2, is particularly suited to that job.

"Tim Davie welcomed the appointment, saying: "Bob is an outstanding leader with extensive radio experience and a proven track record in station management. Bob's energy, enthusiasm and passion for Radio 2 will ensure that the station remains creative and vibrant, and continues to offer unique programmes to the widest possible audience."

Passionate about Radio 2? I doubt it. Radio 5 Live was more his niche, though he is a career mediaman and the vacancy came at the right time for him.

[hmvman]

Well, Mr Shennan is certainly a pro when it comes to waffle. The response regarding light music was vague to say the least. I think we've all heard the "covered in some programmes coming in the near-future" line before! I seem to recall that light/popular classics were going to be adequately covered by Melodies for You when Your 100 Best Tunes was axed a while ago

[kernelbogey]

[....] "Tim Davie welcomed the appointment, saying: "Bob is an outstanding leader with extensive radio experience and a proven track record in station management. Bob's energy, enthusiasm and passion for Radio 2 will ensure that the station remains creative and vibrant, and continues to offer unique programmes to the widest possible audience." [....]

I'm amused by this classic bit of press-release-speak. Can you imagine these words coming out of anyone's mouth?

'Outstanding leader...proven track record...': it's all corporate management jargon.

Coming up shortly: 'Roger Wright's blue sky thinking about Radio Three'....

[french frank]

It's like these captains of industry who appear to move from ship to ship without any specialist knowledge of the industries concerned. Shennan seems to have spent a fair old slice of his career in Sport.

Incidentally, I'm sure this is a mischievous apocryphal story, but I was told it by a journalist, so it might be true. RW used to say to all the other BBC radio controllers that he could do their jobs but none of them could do his. Which just leaves a gap as to who on earth could run Radio 3 then ...

[aeolium]

Incidentally, I'm sure this is a mischievous apocryphal story, but I was told it by a journalist, so it might be true. RW used to say to all the other BBC radio controllers that he could do their jobs but none of them could do his. Which just leaves a gap as to who on earth could run Radio 3 then ...

Surely that's more a comment on the poor quality of current controllers than anything else. As to who could run R3 now, how about John Tusa, someone with wide experience of the BBC and arts administration? If given a free rein, he's be a big improvement (but then, who wouldn't?)

[Curalach]

how about John Tusa, someone with wide experience of the BBC and arts administration?

I agree with the sentiment but I think the fact that JT is 75 would be likely to rule him out for the BBC even if he were interested.

[french frank]

Surely that's more a comment on the poor quality of current controllers than anything else.

I think it was meant to suggest that the jobs could be done by anyone with senior managerial skills - as, indeed, in these days of BBC managerialism, they could. Radio 3, on the other hand, needs not merely the deep knowledge of the classical music world which RW has, but a determination to see the service maintain the high intellectual and artistic standards, across the broad range of content that it covers, that it has had in the past. The controller has to defend those standards within the BBC in difficult times not act as a high-profile public relations officer for corporation policy.

I'm told that there aren't that many people after the job

[Anna]

Any idea of when the Roger Wright Feedback programme will be on? And for those who have not as yet written, here is the link again http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/feedback/contact/

[Colonel Danby]

well, Roger Wright read the lesson at the Proms end of season service last year in Holy Trinity Church, although I didn't see him at all this year. Basically he is a decent sort of chap (anybody who produced Boulez's recording of the Ligeti Concertos for Deutsche Grammophon will always get my vote) but like Kenyon before him he is under enormous pressure from the BBC suits to up the ratings at any cost, and I'm afraid their interest in Cornelius Cardew is sadly lacking. Everything is going to get a lot worse, believe you me...

Would I be right in assuming Roger Wright was not out talking to queuers at this year's proms?