The Eternal Breakfast Debate in a New Place

[french frank]

My point was that bringing in 50,000 new listeners and losing 150,000 old listeners would possibly not be regarded as success deserving of a bonus, even for a TV executive.

The aim is to broaden the audience, not reduce it. Radio 3 is, however, specifically required to maintain its reach.

[Panjandrum]

My point was that bringing in 50,000 new listeners and losing 150,000 old listeners would possibly not be regarded as success deserving of a bonus, even for a TV executive.

You won't find any disagreement from me on that score. However, my point is, if the contract states that a percentage of salary will be paid as bonus for a certain number of new listeners, this will not be reduced just because there has been an overall decline in audience, unless specified in the contract (however iniquitous that may seem to the layperson).

[Don Petter]

How do you know if a listener is a new one, just come, or an old one who hasn't (yet) left?

Surely the figures are just net totals?

[old khayyam]

i think i mentioned once before that if they keep going this way, they will end up with wossies and wogans demanding millions to prevent their defection. Less chat and more music must be cheaper (PRS notwithstanding)

I've just thought of an answer to my own question (with acknowledgement to FF): They have no intention of ever letting the presenters get good enough to warrant a Woganic wedge.

They will eject them before they even approach that position or, better still, not hire anyone with that kind of 'talent' in the first place.

With a rota of cheap talkers, and minimal outgoings to record labels and PRS, the mighty BBC should be able to run its 'heavyweight' 3rd channel on the budget of a small local station.

Genius!

[french frank]

How do you know if a listener is a new one, just come, or an old one who hasn't (yet) left?

Surely the figures are just net totals?

I can't see anything in the RAJAR data that gives that information. It seems to be not about 'new listeners' but 'ratings'. We await the new figures for the quarter ending 24 June, to be published 2 August - not usuallly a very good quarter.

[Resurrection Man]

I can't see anything in the RAJAR data that gives that information. It seems to be not about 'new listeners' but 'ratings'. We await the new figures for the quarter ending 24 June, to be published 2 August - not usuallly a very good quarter.

True but you can bet your bottom dollar that if the figures don't give any good news for them then it will be down to the 'unseasonal weather/Jubilee-fatigue/Euro 2012/Pre-Olympics-blues' rather than naff wittering and twits.

[old khayyam]

Observing the way a Scott Joplin piece was introduced this morning: Given their obvious remit to lighten the content and present a much more MOR station like R2, they want to play Scott Joplin, but attempt to hide their intentions and absolve themselves of guilt by telling us it was "requested" by such-and-such a listener. Oh well thats alright then. Except, why did someone write to R3 to hear such R2/JazzFM material in the first place? Seems unlikely to me. And finally, R3 cover their backsides by playing a version of the song played on violin. So thats alright then!

[antongould]

Nice picture of Ian Skelly on the R3 Breakfast page!

[french frank]

Nice picture of Ian Skelly on the R3 Breakfast page!

Can't stand blokes with long hair ...

[JanH]

Can't stand blokes with long hair ...

Yes, he certainly needs a haircut!

After a brief mention of the torch this morning, and suitable music, Ian S said "answers on a postcard" which caused giggles here..... lovely sense of humour that chap.



JanH

[french frank]

He'd better be careful - he'll be getting a fan club!

[Osborn]

Can't stand blokes with long hair ...

Can't stand Mahlerphiles...

[antongould]

It's almost certainly just me but is Breakfast starting to play a wider range of pieces/composers? - the proof of the pudding will be in Suffolkcoastal's figures of course; but when I was young, daft and less busy a year ago I did a survey of what was played during July 2011.
In that month the works of 191 composers were played by RC and SMP. If I take today's playlist and compare today's 23 composers (No Bruckner you may have guessed!) 10 of them did not appear at all in July last year.
I realise there is a Journey of The Torch effect but could it be mildly encouraging?

[Suffolkcoastal]

There isn't overall much change on last year as some the breakfast warhorses have become scattered across other programmes. I did a little half-yearly projection and whilst some warhorses are down, others are up. The main change across the Board seems to be the increase in pieces/chunks played which looks to be about 10% up on last year. All those Schubert songs accounts for a portion of it but not all. There is also an increase in anonymous and traditional music within the normally mainly classical programmes.

[Nick Armstrong]

It's almost certainly just me but is Breakfast starting to play a wider range of pieces/composers? - the proof of the pudding will be in Suffolkcoastal's figures of course; but when I was young, daft and less busy a year ago I did a survey of what was played during July 2011.
In that month the works of 191 composers were played by RC and SMP. If I take today's playlist and compare today's 23 composers (No Bruckner you may have guessed!) 10 of them did not appear at all in July last year.
I realise there is a Journey of The Torch effect but could it be mildly encouraging?

My sense based on my own slightly random listening (usually at various times between 8 and 11am during the week) was similar. I caught some George Lloyd the other day!