Presenters - Again

[beacon]

I have recently received a letter from an old friend and offer below his comments on Radio 3 to which he listened again after a longish period without it.

'In our rented house was a “Roberts Radio” that allowed us to listen to digital radio from all over Europe. I can now listen happily to French and Spanish programmes.... We also now have Radio 3 as a possibility, and at last I understand your annoyance with the changes. I much dislike it—and mainly listen to France Musique. What I loathe above all is the facetious way in which the Radio 3 presenters announce music. The men seem to want to give the impression that classical music is a strange elitist joke. They remind me of the loathsome Fawlty Towers television series, making fun of foreigners. As for the women’s voices, half the time I just can’t follow them. The other half of the time they talk as though they were presenting Blue Peter and as though listeners were half-wits.'

This is what I have been saying for years and why I no longer listen to R3.

[jayne lee wilson]

I have recently received a letter from an old friend, now living in the EU (lucky him!) and offer below his comments on Radio 3 to which he listened again after a longish period without it.

'In our rented house was a “Roberts Radio” that allowed us to listen to digital radio from all over Europe. I can now listen happily to French and Spanish programmes.... We also now have Radio 3 as a possibility, and at last I understand your annoyance with the changes. I much dislike it—and mainly listen to France Musique. What I loathe above all is the facetious way in which the Radio 3 presenters announce music. The men seem to want to give the impression that classical music is a strange elitist joke. They remind me of the loathsome Fawlty Towers television series, making fun of foreigners. As for the women’s voices, half the time I just can’t follow them. The other half of the time they talk as though they were presenting Blue Peter and as though listeners were half-wits.'

This is what I have been saying for years and why I no longer listen to R3.

Doesn't relate to any Radio 3 presenters I've heard recently, or back to last years' Proms....
But radio presenters, like TV Personalities, do seem to get people going, don't they?....

[french frank]

But radio presenters, like TV Personalities, do seem to get people going, don't they?....

Yes, they can kill interest in a programme stone dead, can't they?

Not always their fault: sometimes they're saddled with an awful programme format and in that case it might be unfair to expect them to make much of it.

But there's no doubt at all, that Radio 3 is now tailoring much of its programming, style and content, on a majority ('out there' - not on Radio 3) who have only a casual interest in classical music and really don't want more than to be briefly entertained with a bit of a variety show. Offer them that, and they might listen to Radio 3.

Apart from that … all's fine

[jayne lee wilson]

I guess I listen less to R3 than I used to, but I don't remember losing all interest in my chosen programme (even a speech one) just because of the presenter....if I don't care for a Proms presenter, say, I just - metaphorically rather than literally - tune it out, and wait for the music...

Years ago, I recall finding Robbins-Landon's delivery rather less than seductive, but I stayed switched to hear him talk about Haydn all the same.

Perhaps this applies more to morning program? I don't listen to anything much then, so....
Kate Molleson got a bit of flak here recently, I think? She's presenting right now, and seems inoffensive to me.... just getting on with it.
I know some listeners react very strongly to these things, which fascinates me if only because I tend not to. It is an interesting mystery, possibly a physiological one.
Perhaps similar to the like/dislike of music itself....or various urban sounds, or birdcalls...

[teamsaint]

I suppose the reason they get some flak is because everything is so presenter driven.

And sometimes, and again its not their fault, because of what/ who they aren’t.....

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Since RW left Radio 3, there hasn’t been the improvement some of us might have hoped for, as far as presentation is concerned, but I think the Proms have taken a turn for the better.

[Bella Kemp]

I have to say that I rather like the amiable Petroch Trelawney and Ian Skelly.

[hmvman]

Thanks for rescuing this thread, ferney. It was interesting to read Beacon's friend's comment about R3 presenters and have a view of the station from abroad. I'm not sure I'd agree that his comments apply to all of the current presenters but I go along with what teamsaint said in that programmes have become presenter, rather than content, driven. I find Petroc Trelawny's style informative and amiable, as Bella Kemp says, on 'Breakfast' and I wouldn't describe it as 'facetious', whereas I would describe Georgia Mann's style so. I used to like Ian Skelly's style before he went to 'Essential Classics' but I find that programme - or 'show' as they like to call it - virtually unlistenable which for me proves french frank's point that a good presenter can't make an awful format any less awful. I don't know how anyone could describe Penny Gore's presentational style as "presenting Blue Peter and as though listeners were half-wits".

[Nick Armstrong]

Thanks for rescuing this thread, ferney. ....

... I used to like Ian Skelly's style before he went to 'Essential Classics' but I find that programme - or 'show' as they like to call it - virtually unlistenable which for me proves french frank's point that a good presenter can't make an awful format any less awful.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I too liked Ian Skelly, but since he developed the punctuated breathing problems of several other presenters, I soon became as exhausted as he sounds.

[hmvman]

I too liked Ian Skelly, but since he developed the punctuated breathing problems of several other presenters, I soon became as exhausted as he sounds.

Do you think there's a course they go on to learn that breathing style, EA?

[french frank]

Perhaps this applies more to morning program? I don't listen to anything much then

I'd say it's very largely the two morning programmes - presenter driven, as team said. I can't see that these can be both presenter-led and music-led. Presenter-led radio consists, especially nowadays, of interaction with listeners; and it's where a presenter's 'personality' is most audible. Pretending to be 'authoritative' and knowledgeable (often betraying their limitations), carefully 'accessible' so that our new listeners don't find anything off-puttingly dry and factual, being cringeingly 'warm and welcoming', being smart alecs. This is where impatience set in and the set went off.

[antongould]

I'd say it's very largely the two morning programmes - presenter driven, as team said. I can't see that these can be both presenter-led and music-led. Presenter-led radio consists, especially nowadays, of interaction with listeners; and it's where a presenter's 'personality' is most audible. Pretending to be 'authoritative' and knowledgeable (often betraying their limitations), carefully 'accessible' so that our new listeners don't find anything off-puttingly dry and factual, being cringeingly 'warm and welcoming', being smart alecs. This is where impatience set in and the set went off.

It might to fair to call Skellers a poor breather or the like but he is not a smart alec IMVVHO ........

[french frank]

It might to fair to call Skellers a poor breather or the like but he is not a smart alec IMVVHO ........

I didn't say he was, nor did I imply it. I was listing various characteristics displayed by our current R3 presenters, not saying they all had all those characteristics. Some, indeed, are entirely unsullied, and paragons of presenterdom.

[hmvman]

Thinking back, I remember that in about 1990 at our recorded music society we had Malcolm Ruthven as a guest speaker and he talked about life at R3. I'm sure that in those days he and his colleagues were described as 'announcers'. When did they become 'presenters'?