New schedule: has *this* been discussed?

[french frank]

Record Review being trimmed by 30 mins to accommodate Jess Gillam's new programme?

RR will end 11.45
11.45- 12.30 Music Matters
12.30 - 13.00 This Classical Life
13.00 Inside Music
15.00 Sound of Dance
16.00 Jazz Record Requests
17.00 J to Z
18.30 Opera on 3.

[Nick Armstrong]

Record Review being trimmed by 30 mins to accommodate Jess Gillam's new programme?

I'm not sure it could be classed as a 'discussion' but I gave an opinion on the matter:

Yes, Record Review loses half an hour. Thin end of the wedge before the introduction of Essential Saturdays.

[french frank]

Thought people would not have missed it

Interesting statistics: the steady increase of 'entry point' programmes which ‘should actively seek to welcome new listeners to the station at key points of the day, offering an accessible and enjoyable listening experience’.

It's harsh to describe programmes which seek to attract new listeners with 'accessible' programmes as 'dumbing down'. But for existing listeners who want more specialised programmes, that is exactly what it is: these are programmes that are either beneath their knowledge level or which are content to be light entertainment ('accessible and enjoyable').

[DracoM]

Yeah, and SO very many young [ erm......ages in BBC's mind??] listeners will be tuning in on a Saturday morning to catch our Jess?
As bloomin' well if.

Most of them have got all manner of other things to do, people to see, and things to be, and even having it on [yuk] BBC Sounds will NOT pull them in.

Just got on to the Finnish Classical station I use a lot. They have this on their 'Stuff' tab:

https://yle.fi/aihe/klassinen

<< Playlist for lied music listening challenges
Yle.fi/klassinen Musiikkineuvola delivers playlists custom-made.
To date, the series has included playlists Naisenera, a family of a family with children , a friend of Minimalism punk and rap , Adventure and cello music for a vacationing schoolgirl , and Rhythmic and energetic music for a former cello enthusiast . Do you wish to playlist yourself? For instructions . >>

[french frank]

I've done a rough calculation which has to be refined. Daytime (live listening) programmes which are either specifically, or appear to be, tailored for new listeners: weekly approx. 50h 30m.

Daytime (live programmes) for more specialised (classical) listening: approx. 34h

Through the Night (On Demand listening): approx. 42h

This leaves approx. 38 hours of daytime (live, albeit some late night) speech, other music (not classical).

At this stage approx is v. approx.

This will be skewed more towards classical when the new late night classical programme begins which is currently a total mystery as regards the potential audience: will it be like Essential Classics or more like TTN? No clue as yet.

The figures certainly bear out the station's current strategy which is (as for the past 20 years) to increase the station's reach by attracting younger listeners (especially the 'replenishers' - the 35-54s). That does appear to be what they're trying to do. It remains to be seen whether the Young Things will at last take the bait. Unfortunately the oldies are really hanging on and average age has risen by 3 years in the past decade.

[pastoralguy]

For me, Record Review WAS an 'entry point' programme since I learned so much about recordings and music. And yes, I usually was out on Saturday mornings so that left me perusing Radio Times to decide which 2 hours I most wanted to hear so I could set my electric plug timer to, hopefully, grab the chosen two hours on a fragile C120 cassette tape!

[doversoul1]

New schedule: has *this* been discussed?

Record Review being trimmed by 30 mins to accommodate Jess Gillam's new programme?

There was/is a thread when the new schedule was announced. I complained about this Jess Gillam's programme and was told to give the poor girl a chance.

[DracoM]

Poor lass - she's been dropped right in it.

She's talented, carrying a banner for music with the young, BUT the Beeb have put her in a totally useless space in the schedule.
I'm just amazed at the decision.........

- oh, hang on....just a minute....what am I saying...........!!

Erm 'WIA' maybe?

[kernelbogey]

Unfortunately the oldies are really hanging on....

[zola]

Regarding Record Review, it seems there will still be a 'disc of the week' at 1125 but obviously a slightly shorter extract. The feature between building a library and disc of the week will be the other bit that is squeezed.

[doversoul1]

Today’s playlist. Quite an achievement for a half an hour programme.

Antonin Dvorak – Symphony No.9 'New World', 1st movement (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra / Marin Alsop)
Quincy Jones - The Separation (‘The Color Purple’)
Bela Bartok - Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, 3rd movement (Cedric Tiberghien, Francois-Frederic Guy - piano / Colin Currie, Sam Walton - percussion)
Nadia Boulanger - Vers La Vie Nouvelle (Lucy Mauro - piano)
Steve Reich - Music for a Large Ensemble (Steve Reich Ensemble - ECM Recording)
Franz von Biber – Passacaglia in G minor 'Guardian Angel' (Rachel Podger - violin)
Maurice Ravel - La Valse (New York Philharmonic / Leonard Bernstein)
Vernon Duke/Yip Harburg - April in Paris (Ella Fitzgerald / Louis Armstrong)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00040cg

[french frank]

Today’s playlist. Quite an achievement for a half an hour programme.

Well, it is for Young People. They can't be expected to listen to long pieces. Or to a programme of only classical music.

Not having heard it, we can't say whether it will be 'Good', 'Bad', 'High Quality' &c &c. But we can question whether Radio 3 is the station most likely to be listened to by the target audience on a Saturday at 12.30pm. But … I was forgetting the power social media to pass the word round …

[Bryn]

Well, it is for Young People. They can't be expected to listen to long pieces. Or to a programme of only classical music. . . .

That may have been your experience of being a young person, it was not mine.

[french frank]

That may have been your experience of being a young person, it was not mine.

Nor mine But there has to be some explanation for Radio 3's obsession with short classical excerpts, punctuated with short pieces of other kinds of music (making it all disappointingly unlistenable for those who want to hear full length works).

[Nick Armstrong]

For me, Record Review WAS an 'entry point' programme

EXACTLY!