Come back Radio 3

[old khayyam]

I had been a staunch listener of Radio 3 for 40 years - I now barely listen
We're not children - we don't need competitions, phone-ins and talk - music speaks for itself
'Dear Radio 3, please be who you were meant to be.'

At this point i feel compelled to reveal my age, purely for the sake of the campaign, in case anyone is listening 'upstairs' who feel that a radio station for the over60s is not required.

I'm in my mid40s (albeit a youthful specimen) and i came to R3 about 20yrs ago out of a despair of shallower channels (all DJs and adverts) and a thirst for broader horizons. I recieved great pleasure from swimming in deep, uncharted waters for years and years, learning and learning. I have friends and associates both older and younger who feel the same. Strange, when i look back, to think i was a young lad in my mid20s..

[VodkaDilc]

Thanks for the précis. I don't buy The Radio Times any more (I couldn't wade through all that television and celebrity rubbish), so I was interested to see what the letter said.

I can confirm that I am not the writer of the letter - but every word fits my views exactly.

[Serial_Apologist]

At this point i feel compelled to reveal my age, purely for the sake of the campaign, in case anyone is listening 'upstairs' who feel that a radio station for the over60s is not required.

I'm in my mid40s (albeit a youthful specimen) and i came to R3 about 20yrs ago out of a despair of shallower channels (all DJs and adverts) and a thirst for broader horizons. I recieved great pleasure from swimming in deep, uncharted waters for years and years, learning and learning. I have friends and associates both older and younger who feel the same. Strange, when i look back, to think i was a young lad in my mid20s..

I could go back as far as 1971 and cite the instance of an 18-year old, who just happened to work in my office, who came round to my flat one day when I happened to be playing some Stockhausen I'd taped from Radio 3. "Where does one get to hear music like that? Have you got any more?", she wanted to know. Thinking it must have been a one-off fluke I sat her down to listen to Gerhardt's very complex Concerto for Orchestra - to which she listened in rapt attention. I was reminded of Sir William Glock's remark about young people's susceptibility (in a positive sense) to new musical sounds, if caught early enough not to have been out-groomed by adult prejudices or peer-group pressures. 18 years of age was late in Glock's terms, but I've often thought about that occasion since that time, and the imagined numbers of young people who have had their musical tastes blunted either by overexposure to certain kinds of music or underexposure to others.

[salymap]

But to balance all that, there is a two-page spread [pages 122/123]in the new RT, by John Suchet, praising CFM and his job with them that saved his sanity after his wife's sad illness. All sympathy to him but a lovely advert for CFM on the RT 'Radio'page.

[Don Petter]

But to balance all that, there is a two-page spread [pages 122/123]in the new RT, by John Suchet, praising CFM and his job with them that saved his sanity after his wife's sad illness. All sympathy to him but a lovely advert for CFM on the RT 'Radio'page.

I don't see that that 'balances' anything?

There's nothing wrong in principle with CFM for the people who want it, any more than with R1, R2 or any others. It's R3 trying to imitate CFM that many of us are opposed to.

[VodkaDilc]

On a number of occasions I've found John Suchet a welcome alternative to the horrors of R3 mornings.

[Barbirollians]

As much as it amazes me to say it so have I . On one morning he played the whole of Natalie Clein's Elgar Concerto because he liked it so much !

[VodkaDilc]

As much as it amazes me to say it so have I . On one morning he played the whole of Natalie Clein's Elgar Concerto because he liked it so much !

Even with the adverts, John Suchet's programme has more music (rather than words) than the R3 offering. Whereas I used to switch off Classic FM when the adverts went on too long, it's now R3 that gets that treatment when I can't stand the inane interviews and chitchat any longer.

[Serial_Apologist]

Even with the adverts, John Suchet's programme has more music (rather than words) than the R3 offering. Whereas I used to switch off Classic FM when the adverts went on too long, it's now R3 that gets that treatment when I can't stand the inane interviews and chitchat any longer.

I suppose the difference lies that in Classic FM, companies advertise themselves, whereas on R3, people do.

[EdgeleyRob]

The only reliable programme now is Through the Night

And lunchtime concerts.

[french frank]

And lunchtime concerts.

Should point out that what has been quoted a couple of times under my name was my précis of the letter in the RT, not me speaking personally

[gurnemanz]

I don't see that that 'balances' anything?

There's nothing wrong in principle with CFM for the people who want it, any more than with R1, R2 or any others. It's R3 trying to imitate CFM that many of us are opposed to.

I agree. If I should ever tune to Classic FM (rarely), I can never stand its style for very long. Whatever its shortcomings R3 is, for me at least, vastly preferable.

[amcluesent]

Nothing is done without a reason at the BBC. We can only hope this presages 'wrecker' Wright having the totally brilliant idea to reduce the blarny and prattle, just like his totally brilliant idea to have live concerts at 19:30.

[barber olly]

A précis? I'll attempt one, but some specific references are not what I would want to publicise:


What has happened to Radio 3?

I long ago gave up on 'Breakfast' but at least after 10am it was possible to listen to music rather than chatter

The only reliable programme now is Through the Night

What on earth is going on - does R3 have to worship at the altar of celebrity and 'dumb down' like every other channel except BBC Four?

I had been a staunch listener of Radio 3 for 40 years [NB that lets me out folks ) - I now barely listen

We're not children - we don't need competitions, phone-ins and talk - music speaks for itself

'Dear Radio 3, please be who you were meant to be.'

Thank you very much French Frank, I started this reply yesterday and then other chores took over, so apologies for my delayed response to your very swift response to my request. It's such a shame that Roger and his marketing gurus on the roof of Broadcasting House cannot see the light. When R6 was threatened, the R2/6 controllers responded quickly to protests. Why oh why can he not see the blinding obvious that CFM provides the service for one market and R3 another and we all have choice buttons or dials if we wish to switch between the two - the choice we want is between R3 and CFM, not CFM or CFM2. Much of my listening of R3 is now cherrypicking via iplayer with the bonus of freecorder (thanks to these boards for bringing to my attention) to save things for longer.

[french frank]

When R6 was threatened, the R2/6 controllers responded quickly to protests.

I'm not certain that that's true. The policy to close it came from management (esp. I presume, the D-G). Davie was defending the decision 'regretfully' in the face of the protest. It was the Trust which stepped in and vetoed it - and being ostensibly concerned for the interests of the licence fee payers they could do no other.

Why oh why can he not see the blinding obvious that CFM provides the service for one market and R3 another and we all have choice buttons or dials if we wish to switch between the two

This is precisely the point I've been trying to argue with the Trust (who rubberstamped management's strategy): it's a question of market. They argue that R3 is high quality and distinctive. Now, even if we were to concede that (big 'if' with the new programming), it's still the case that R3 is targeting the same market: the lighter listener, the listener who doesn't know a lot about classical music, the listener who prefers the short and familiar and, crucially, the listener to almost any popular music station who has been brought up on presenter-led joviality and chat as the being both the norm and key attractions of a programme.

I think Radio 3 listeners are doing what they can, given their numbers, to make their protest known. The advantage 6 Music had was that it was able to build on the public's low awareness of its existence and attract people who would have listened to it had they realised what it was broadcasting. It was the new recruits as much as the existing listeners who made a difference, particularly people in the media. And, of course, it was pop (broad use) music.