Jess Gillam's "This Classical Life"

[LMcD]

Some week ago on Radio 4 or World service I heard a conversation with young people about trying to get them to listen to BBC podcasts: These college and university students all said that they don't listen to radio any more, don't even own radios and now use Spotify etc.

While this may come as a surprise to those behind the new Saturday morning Yoof Thread, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. That doesn't necessarily mean that I'm particularly clever or aware of what's going on, but it does perhaps raise questions about the qualifications, experience and aims of those who, insider and/or outside the BBC. have managed to convince themselves and others that this was a good idea.

[Frances_iom]

I'd be very surprised if BBC marketing are unaware of the non-use of radio by millennials - I suspect this program is in the same class as the "Happy Harmonies" etc in that it will be mostly listen to on Sounds - recall some years agowhen the BBC was buying up printed journals which raised many complaints from commercial operations which resulting in the BBC needing to divest and to cease this operation, it would appear that commercial online operators who see 'yoof' as a money cow easily misled by 'influencers' and are thus very antagonistic to any attempt by the BBC to enter this market - it appears that there is some legal or maybe an Ofcom ruling that the BBC cannot make programs that will only go out on line and that Sounds can only offer pre-broadcast programs

[french frank]

But isn't all this rubbish the Beeb's 'irresistible charm offensive' to get millennials and Gen X/Gen Z listening to the radio? They are concerned to keep hold of a younger audience, given that the oldies are now dropping off the twig.

But who can predict anything? The coming of television was going to sound the death knell for cinema decades ago …

[Bryn]

I'd be very surprised if BBC marketing are unaware of the non-use of radio by millennials - I suspect this program is in the same class as the "Happy Harmonies" etc in that it will be mostly listen to on Sounds - recall some years agowhen the BBC was buying up printed journals which raised many complaints from commercial operations which resulting in the BBC needing to divest and to cease this operation, it would appear that commercial online operators who see 'yoof' as a money cow easily misled by 'influencers' and are thus very antagonistic to any attempt by the BBC to enter this market - it appears that there is some legal or maybe an Ofcom ruling that the BBC cannot make programs that will only go out on line and that Sounds can only offer pre-broadcast programs

What about BBC Three?

[Stanfordian]

While this may come as a surprise to those behind the new Saturday morning Yoof Thread, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. That doesn't necessarily mean that I'm particularly clever or aware of what's going on, but it does perhaps raise questions about the qualifications, experience and aims of those who, insider and/or outside the BBC. have managed to convince themselves and others that this was a good idea.

Hiya LMcD,

Yes, I have no problem agreeing with that.

[oddoneout]

I see that today's evening concert is a recording of a concert version of This Classical Life

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000xr4k

https://www.pressparty.com/pg/newsdesk/BBCSounds/view/255812/

The reference to an ARIA award initially caused a bit of confusion when I looked it up until I realised that there are two such award schemes and this wasn't the Australian one, but what puzzled me somewhat having found the right one was this

gold award for ‘Best Specialist Music Programme’ for her weekly radio series on BBC Radio 3, ‘This Classical Life’

. Perhaps I'm missing something but I don't understand the specialist music bit, since JG herself is interested in a wide variety of music and wants to share that interest. Is it a reference to the target audience perhaps ie not the music? Perhaps I need to put aside thoughts of R3 programmes such as The Early Music Show which is what I would consider to be a specialist music programme?

I'm crotchety this morning so when I first read the evening concert blurb an initial thought was "how long before one of the dumbtime iterations becomes an evening concert..."

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I see that today's evening concert is a recording of a concert version of This Classical Life

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000xr4k

https://www.pressparty.com/pg/newsde...s/view/255812/ [/SIZE]

Will Jess be talking over the music in a live concert?

[oddoneout]

Will Jess be talking over the music in a live concert?

Don't know and don't propose to find out. The music doesn't appeal to me particularly anyway and certainly not when mixed with chatter.

[french frank]

The reference to an ARIA award initially caused a bit of confusion when I looked it up until I realised that there are two such award schemes

I did the same! These ARIA awards are what used to be the (Sony) Radio Academy Awards, run by the British radio industry. My assessment of the old Sonys was that winners were decided chiefly on who made a special contribution to the radio industry. So programmes and individuals who received a certain amount of press coverage (such as "Youngest ever Radio 3 presenter) were in the running, as were the programmes the critics chose to write about and the ones who did well in the RAJAR ratings.

Just as Radio 3 won the UK Radio station of the year on one sole occasion (CFM won it several times, and Radios 1, 2 and 4 were regular winners), the popular shows seem to get most of these awards. This Classical Life won the specialist gold last year, this year it was Jamz Supernova - Somethin' Else for BBC Radio 1Xtra, in 2018 it was Soundtracking with Edith Bowman, Ebow Productions, Annie Mac, BBC Radio 1, in 2017 it was Benji B (TBI Media/BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra) …

[Stanfordian]

When I first heard 'This Classical Life' Jess Gillam's giggling was quite endearing but now a number of programmes on I can't listen to her any more.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

When I first heard 'This Classical Life' Jess Gillam's giggling was quite endearing but now a number of programmes on I can't listen to her any more.

I know, but once the BBC has its hooks into someone, you can guarantee (s)he will be there until the end of time.

[Tony Halstead]

I know, but once the BBC has its hooks into someone, you can guarantee (s)he will be there until the end of time.

Hmm..... Suzy Klein has been a bit - shall I say - underexposed recently, or is that merely a subjective observation?

[Cockney Sparrow]

I am part of the legions who have never listened to "Times Radio". However, The Times does like to let readers know every time they recruit a BBC presenter. And I haven't noticed her name (Suzy Klein) mentioned there. Perhaps she's off making TV programmes?

[Frances_iom]

When I first heard 'This Classical Life' Jess Gillam's giggling was quite endearing ...

I once caught her act by mistake - I thought the whole essence of her show was how music was to be treated as background to be overlaid by inconsequential gush - maybe this turns on some but not me.

[Tony Halstead]

I am part of the legions who have never listened to "Times Radio". However, The Times does like to let readers know every time they recruit a BBC presenter. And I haven't noticed her name (Suzy Klein) mentioned there. Perhaps she's off making TV programmes?

Suzy used to present 'In Tune' on R3... rather well, as it happens, and at a MUCH higher level of articulacy than JG.