Latest RAJARs

[oddoneout]

I was trying to establish from listeners what change they had noticed in the programming/content

I don't know if it's new hand on the tiller, given that he has only been in post 6 months, but 2 changes I have noticed are the increasing encroachment of morning schedule features into the Afternoon Concert slot(short/filleted pieces, more verbals, more adverts), and what, as far as I am concerned, is an increasingly uninteresting evening concert offer. Anything mid 19th century to present on is OK but going back from there is seemingly proscribed. I realise that for many the big symphonies/concertos and Romantic repertoire is to their liking but it would be nice to have a bit of contrast occasionally. Afternoon Concert used to provide that, but no longer, or at least not reliably or to any great extent.
Neither of which perceptions would have anything to do with increasing a quarter's figures I admit. April 2024 will be the time to look at the picture for trends?

[Old Grumpy]

Scala Radio may lose some more listeners as they have gone over to DAB+. I won’t be listening as much as my portable radios are only DAB. There are only a few of their presenters I can listen to anyway.

Never listen(ed) to Scala, but CFM also going to DAB+ soon, I believe.

[TarandeepKang]

I've been away on fieldwork for a few months (Ukraine) but while I was away I'm sure I saw a report saying that weekly listeners had risen as a result of the Proms? My question is, whether you think this is a good sign for the station? Intuitively it would seem that something like the Proms would be a good entry point, and if even a modest number of those new listeners stay around, there can only be a good thing? But I imagine there must be some sort of bump like this every year? Mr Jackson seems to be rather happy with himself, but you have longer memories than me, I wonder if you would be kind enough to contextualise this?

[french frank]

I've been away on fieldwork for a few months (Ukraine) but while I was away I'm sure I saw a report saying that weekly listeners had risen as a result of the Proms? My question is, whether you think this is a good sign for the station? Intuitively it would seem that something like the Proms would be a good entry point, and if even a modest number of those new listeners stay around, there can only be a good thing? But I imagine there must be some sort of bump like this every year? Mr Jackson seems to be rather happy with himself, but you have longer memories than me, I wonder if you would be kind enough to contextualise this?

Your post has been merged with the ongoing thread. Some of the recent posts might answer your questions

[TarandeepKang]

Many thanks Frank, I hadn't originally seen this thread, so thanks for cleaning up after me! Will read with interest.

[LMcD]

I've been away on fieldwork for a few months (Ukraine) but while I was away I'm sure I saw a report saying that weekly listeners had risen as a result of the Proms? My question is, whether you think this is a good sign for the station? Intuitively it would seem that something like the Proms would be a good entry point, and if even a modest number of those new listeners stay around, there can only be a good thing? But I imagine there must be some sort of bump like this every year? Mr Jackson seems to be rather happy with himself, but you have longer memories than me, I wonder if you would be kind enough to contextualise this?

(If this is on the wrong thread, could it please be redirected?) Is it possible that some people who found their way into classical music via CFM - which is still losing listeners - have grown tired of its depressingly limited and soporific playlist and decided to see what R3 has to offer?

[french frank]

(If this is on the wrong thread, could it please be redirected?) Is it possible that some people who found their way into classical music via CFM - which is still losing listeners - have grown tired of its depressingly limited and soporific playlist and decided to see what R3 has to offer?

My instinctive reaction is: No, CFM is more 'popular' (bigger audience) than R3 because it plays familiar music. It's the repeated story: a single quarter's figures are not conclusive: it's trends over at least an entire year which are significant and indicate whether a station is really gaining or losing listeners. Or, What goes up often goes down again; and what goes down ...

In any case, it would be quite odd if changes to programming instantly attracted new listeners since, by definition, new listeners would not have been aware of the changes as they hadn't been listening.

[DracoM]

Spot on, FF!!!

[antongould]

(If this is on the wrong thread, could it please be redirected?) Is it possible that some people who found their way into classical music via CFM - which is still losing listeners - have grown tired of its depressingly limited and soporific playlist and decided to see what R3 has to offer?

I however think this is a fair point

[LMcD]

Is there anything particular to be read into the fact that, while commercial radio's share of listening is apparently steadily increasing overall, CFM has lost nearly a fifth of its listeners in three and a half years (down from 5.48 million to Q1 2020 to 4.47 million in Q3 2023) and suffered losses in 7 of the last 9 quarters? Have these listeners gone elsewhere, or are they just tuning in less often? I believe Scala Radio's figures are also down.

[french frank]

Is there anything particular to be read into the fact that, while commercial radio's share of listening is apparently steadily increasing overall, CFM has lost nearly a fifth of its listeners in three and a half years (down from 5.48 million to Q1 2020 to 4.47 million in Q3 2023) and suffered losses in 7 of the last 9 quarters? Have these listeners gone elsewhere, or are they just tuning in less often? I believe Scala Radio's figures are also down.

I can't explain why CFM has suffered an indisputable loss of listeners, though it could hardly be because of 'its depressingly limited and soporific playlist'. That is exactly what it has been providing since 1992 and which presumably accounted for its success over the years. As far as R3's figures are concerned, the latest figure is 2.002m - only a small rise above a notional 1.999m (a poorish figure), but just passing the 2m benchmark which is the point at which celebratory hats are thrown in the air - sometimes with pure relief after some bad figures.

You only have to go back to June 2022 to see the reach was 2.022m, the previous March 2.053m, to see that there has been something of an improvement after a few positively disastrous quarters - for example 1.703m in June 2023, the quarter before last.

[Serial_Apologist]

I can't explain why CFM has suffered an indisputable loss of listeners, though it could hardly be because of 'its depressingly limited and soporific playlist'. That is exactly what it has been providing since 1992 and which presumably accounted for its success over the years.

If notwithstanding CFM's listenership is declining, it might not be beyond the realms of possibility that people are starting to wake up to softening up being used as just one means among many to cosset people into general acquiescence about serious matters they are led into believing they should not be questioning? How nice it would be for them to find a robust, educative Radio 3 ready and waiting to receive and enlighten them in the direction of more informed choices than the market decrees worthy?

[LMcD]

I can't explain why CFM has suffered an indisputable loss of listeners, though it could hardly be because of 'its depressingly limited and soporific playlist'. That is exactly what it has been providing since 1992 and which presumably accounted for its success over the years. As far as R3's figures are concerned, the latest figure is 2.002m - only a small rise above a notional 1.999m (a poorish figure), but just passing the 2m benchmark which is the point at which celebratory hats are thrown in the air - sometimes with pure relief after some bad figures.

You only have to go back to June 2022 to see the reach was 2.022m, the previous March 2.053m, to see that there has been something of an improvement after a few positively disastrous quarters - for example 1.703m in June 2023, the quarter before last.

CFM's schedules have become even blander of late. At one time there was actually a live music spot (admittedly only 30 minutes) in the early evening, and the Full Works concert (8.00-10.00 p.m. Monday to Friday) was dropped only relatively recently. Just about everything they play now is 'smooth', 'relaxing' or 'calm', and a larger proportion of programmes are fronted by 'personalities', some, but not all, of whom seem to know something about classical music. I'm not sure what they're trying to achieve, but they don't seem to be succeeding.

[Serial_Apologist]

CFM's schedules have become even blander of late. At one time there was actually a live music spot (admittedly only 30 minutes) in the early evening, and the Full Works concert (8.00-10.00 p.m. Monday to Friday) was dropped only relatively recently. Just about everything they play now is 'smooth', 'relaxing' or 'calm', and a larger proportion of programmes are fronted by 'personalities', some, but not all, of whom seem to know something about classical music. I'm not sure what they're trying to achieve, but they don't seem to be succeeding.

Generalised mollycoddled compliance, as I suggested above. If you constantly inundate people with norms of aesthetically simplifying reductive pap you encourage them not to question the value of what's being foisted upon them in general, reinforcing the consumerist mindset. Orwell had it right there.

[french frank]

If notwithstanding CFM's listenership is declining, it might not be beyond the realms of possibility that people are starting to wake up to softening up being used as just one means among many to cosset people into general acquiescence about serious matters they are led into believing they should not be questioning?

My own feeling (not a Nietzschian conviction ) is that I wish it were so but am by no means sure that it is. I suspect that old saw bread and circuses more often drives Hoggart's 'mass audience' than a desire to question prevailing views (of whatever stripe).

How nice it would be for them to find a robust, educative Radio 3 ready and waiting to receive and enlighten them in the direction of more informed choices than the market decrees worthy?

No argument with that from me. But I wonder how many of those R3 listeners who enjoy the current diet would agree that that's what they want from R3? For all I know they may exercise their critical/moral faculties elsewhere (if so, where?) rather than by listening to R3, and they want a bit of a rest. But that would be sad.