Roger Wright moves to Aldeburgh Music

[french frank]

I know I'm a bit slow but the top of that article says "Roger Wright has left the BBC"
Is that correct ? Is there currently no Controller of Radio 3 ? I had been assuming he was in place until September.

It's wrong! Unless there's been a sudden flounce or instant dismissal which would seem a big story that no one's covered!

[Flosshilde]

I'd be very surprised if you don't all understand broadly what is meant in common usage by "general" and "specialist" in relation to listeners and programmes.

Being a water nymph of little brain I don't understand what 'general' and 'specialist' might mean, especially in the way that you are using the terms - could you perhaps give me one or two examples from current Radio3 programmes?

[Quarky]

6 music is a specialist rock/contemporary music channel.

It is called 6 music.

But its content seems to be chat and classic/easy listening rock. Its daytime programming is for people not yet old enough to listen to R2.

More "specialist " programmes means programmes aimed at people who are actually interested in music, not music to hear in the background while they work.

Why do specialist pr0grammes have to be on at midnight, or outsied peak hours? What research is there that indicates that this the way to build audience, or serve the stations remit?

Apologists for low quality thresholds do none of us any favours.

OK teamsaint.

I think you are being too hard on Radio 6, and the weekend broadcasts, e.g. Cerys Matthews, Mary Ann Hobbs, Gilles Peterson, are much better.

However Bob Shennan has had overall responsibility for other radio stations as well, and I think the point to note is that Radio 6 was saved from the axe, and it now has overtaken Radio 3 in the ratings league. I guess in the worst possible scenario, Radio 3 might be exposed to the threat of the axe, or perhaps the guillotine.

Bob Shennan's role certainly extends to Classical music on TV -extract from BBC brief:
BBC Four will take audiences into the world of Glyndebourne in their 80th anniversary year and their new production of Der Rosenkavalier, directed by Richard Jones and conducted by the company’s new music director Robin Ticciati. The feature-length film will be an expert and critical insight into Richard Strauss’s much-loved comic masterpiece, in an anniversary year for the composer.
BBC Four will be reflecting and contextualising the work of award-winning independent dance company Balletboyz: The Talent; and the channel will also air a new documentary in collaboration with the Voice of Black Opera Awards with Scottish Opera, encouraging new talent in opera to come to the fore. In A Knight At The Barbican, BBC Four will be dedicating an evening to the work of Sir Simon Rattle

Obviously the question is to what extent Bob Shennan is going to lean on the new Controller of Radio 3 - probably a very great amount!

[teamsaint]

Oddball. I appreciate your comments, and accept that round the margins there is good programming on R6, as there is(decreasingly) on R2.

As I said elsewhere, that is no excuse for low aspirations, low quality, or acceptance by the licence fee payers of low standards. I do tune in to 6 music from time to time in the daytime usually, and I think the standards of presentation and the choice of music is poor. The playlists lack imagination, diversity and risk, for what is (at least I thought it was) a specialist music station. It is presenter led in the worst traditions of R1. But that is my opinion, and it is borne of a lifetime of disappointment at seeing popular music poorly served by the BBC.
I really don't see any good reason why quality and specialism should be pushed to the margins, if catered for at all.

I was pleased that 6 music survived, but it may prove to be at great cost to other music services.

[french frank]

However Bob Shennan has had overall responsibility for other radio stations as well,

Radio 2, the Asian Network and Radio 5 Live.

and I think the point to note is that Radio 6 was saved from the axe, and it now has overtaken Radio 3 in the ratings league.

Not quite yet, if you mean the number of listeners. In any case, it was bound to be the case that as digital radio use grew, a popular music station would outgun a classical one.

I guess in the worst possible scenario, Radio 3 might be exposed to the threat of the axe, or perhaps the guillotine.

At which point people will question the BBC's public service remit.

Bob Shennan's role certainly extends to Classical music on TV -extract from BBC brief:
BBC Four will take audiences into the world of Glyndebourne in their 80th anniversary year and their new production of Der Rosenkavalier, directed by Richard Jones and conducted by the company’s new music director Robin Ticciati. The feature-length film will be an expert and critical insight into Richard Strauss’s much-loved comic masterpiece, in an anniversary year for the composer.
BBC Four will be reflecting and contextualising the work of award-winning independent dance company Balletboyz: The Talent; and the channel will also air a new documentary in collaboration with the Voice of Black Opera Awards with Scottish Opera, encouraging new talent in opera to come to the fore. In A Knight At The Barbican, BBC Four will be dedicating an evening to the work of Sir Simon Rattle

It does seem as if it will do. RW once had the position of `Head of Classical Music. Not sure what that meant, but the post may have been scrapped.

Obviously the question is to what extent Bob Shennan is going to lean on the new Controller of Radio 3 - probably a very great amount!

The BBC is littered with highly placed, highly paid individuals with oversight for areas about which they know nothing: my feeling is that they leave it to the 'experts' to get on with things.

[MrGongGong]

This just published

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2014/03/the-next-bbc-music-chief-will-be.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+artsjournal%2FbQrW+%28Slipped+disc%29

BUT he does seem to talk out of his ar*e and make things up
some of his "likely runners"

[teamsaint]

This just published

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2014/03/the-next-bbc-music-chief-will-be.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+artsjournal%2FbQrW+%28Slipped+disc%29

BUT he does seem to talk out of his ar*e and make things up
some of his "likely runners"

Ah, so HE is in the frame too?

[Richard Barrett]

Ah, so HE is in the frame too?

god I hope not

[Nick Armstrong]

A real fan of the Forum among the commentators under the Guardian article about this news:

SusieK
25 March 2014 3:47pm
I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than read the Radio 3 forum, thanks!

[DracoM]

<< The BBC is littered with highly placed, highly paid individuals with oversight for areas about which they know nothing: my feeling is that they leave it to the 'experts' to get on with things. >>

As WIA is admirably demonstrating.

[Serial_Apologist]

god I hope not

I was going to say Radio 3 needs the person running Resonance FM as its new controller, then suddenly remembered, it's a co-operative.

[teamsaint]

god I hope not

well gongers seems to thing he has the (w)right qualities, and its a **** load of cash for no really hard work, (you know, like digging coal, teaching, composing, selling stuff, for instance, so why wouldn't he ?!

PLUS ...he LOVES classical music sales charts i would think, cos he has been banging on about sales often enough recently................

[teamsaint]

A real fan of the Forum among the commentators under the Guardian article about this news:

SusieK
25 March 2014 3:47pm
I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than read the Radio 3 forum, thanks!

There is of course the fact that the Guardian is every bit as capable of publishing complete B*****X as every other paper, (see its Billy Davis article yesterday for proof), and presumably has some readers to match.

[Serial_Apologist]

There is of course the fact that the Guardian is every bit as capable of publishing complete B*****X as every other paper, (see its Billy Davis article yesterday for proof), and presumably has some readers to match.

The Grauniad advocates a safe world in which all cadences can be resolved under capitalism.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

[I]SusieK
25 March 2014 3:47pm
I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than read the Radio 3 forum, thanks!

Not our SuzieK, surely?