The Doctrinaire stupidity of the BBC

[mangerton]

As soon as the interview ended, the newsreader thanked the police officer for his advice, and then turned to the camera and said ... ' if any viewers have further pictures of the floods in their area, please DO send them to us ..'

You could not, as they say, make it up.

[antongould]

Aren't we all getting a bit petty? Short news summaries have been a feature on Radio 3 for many years, and they are surely to be preferred to yet another trailer. If you don't want the news, you can always feed the cat or or have a tinkle.

Carping is good fun, but it gets in the way of musical discussion. I'd like to read more people's opinions about the music they love.



Written 5 months ago on a scarily similar thread.......(not by me!)

[french frank]

Are identical news bulletins really broadcast every 15mins from 6.30-9.00 Mon-Fri & 7.00-9.00 Sat, Sun, without fail?

As someone who very rarely listens to any music at all before evening, I would never have guessed. It does seem too much.

The two or three times I made a point of listening to Breakfast there seemed to be 'headlines'/short bulletins every 15 minutes and random press headlines from <shuffle, shuffle> the day's papers. Plus the interactive topics and regular features such as the phone-in and charts.

The impression I got was that they were all there to give a buzzy, breakfasty feel to the 'show' and break up the music so that nothing lasted too long before we moved on to something else.

[teamsaint]

Aren't we all getting a bit petty? Short news summaries have been a feature on Radio 3 for many years, and they are surely to be preferred to yet another trailer. If you don't want the news, you can always feed the cat or or have a tinkle.

Carping is good fun, but it gets in the way of musical discussion. I'd like to read more people's opinions about the music they love.



Written 5 months ago on a scarily similar thread.......(not by me!)

I will try feeding the cat , or having a tinkle when the news comes on, during my drive to my first call...drives which take me anywhere from the Hants/ Surrey border to Penzance. I don't think it will work AG, but if it does, I will be certain to give you all the credit !!

[Flosshilde]

Well I can think of stories that were made up....WMD's in Iraq for one.

That wasn't made up by the BBC, or any other news media, but by the government. So it doesn't really come into it.

[Flosshilde]

The two or three times I made a point of listening to Breakfast there seemed to be 'headlines'/short bulletins every 15 minutes and random press headlines from <shuffle, shuffle> the day's papers. Plus the interactive topics and regular features such as the phone-in and charts.

The impression I got was that they were all there to give a buzzy, breakfasty feel to the 'show' and break up the music so that nothing lasted too long before we moved on to something else.

Which seems to be quite appropriate to that time of day - who has time for concentrated listening to anything when you're having a shower, getting dressed, having breakfast, getting the kids ready for school/university/work/job hunting, taking the dog out, catching the train/bus/tram to work?


Still, some people are never happier than when they are complaining.

[french frank]

Which seems to be quite appropriate to that time of day - who has time for concentrated listening to anything when you're having a shower, getting dressed, having breakfast, getting the kids ready for school/university/work/job hunting, taking the dog out, catching the train/bus/tram to work?

Well, I'd be quite surprised if they had time to listen to the radio, too

Still, some people are never happier than when they are complaining.

My post that you quoted was a fact-based description of what I heard, in response to Osborn's enquiry

[David-G]

Anyone who has the stamina (not I ) to listen to an hour or so of Breakfast will hear the same lead stories, albeit in some instances reduced to a headline, four times per hour. It's tedious enough to hear that on Radio Four (actually I think it's less frequently there) but in a music programme it is, as others have eloquently testified above, barbarous.

I could not agree more.

However, I find this comment strange:

The Beeb's agenda here seems to me to be the notion that folk who have shares that are important parts of their wealth - and what proportion of the populace is that? - want some daily news about the state of the markets. Likewise, they can buy the FT daily or subscribe to one of innumerable information services.

I do have shares in my pension, and I do value daily news about them. I can't afford to buy the FT. I am not saying that this financial information should appear on Radio 3. But I don't see why you appear to want to deprive me of daily news about the state of the markets. It is a matter of some importance.

[David-G]

The Beeb's agenda here seems to me to be the notion that folk who have shares that are important parts of their wealth - and what proportion of the populace is that? - want some daily news about the state of the markets. Likewise, they can buy the FT daily or subscribe to one of innumerable information services.

This is a dangerous argument. Someone might question the Beeb's agenda, in broadcasting Radio 3, of catering to classical music lovers. But what proportion of the populace is that?

[Flosshilde]

Still, some people are never happier than when they are complaining.

Well, I'd be quite surprised if they had time to listen to the radio, too
My post that you quoted was a fact-based description of what I heard, in response to Osborn's enquiry

It wasn't directed at you, ff (or Osborn).

[Flosshilde]

I just wonder who all these people are who have time to sit around in the morning listening to lengthy works - don't you have to earn a living? do any chores? have any other interests? Or do you all have un-earned incomes (from shares?) & household staff to take care of the cleaning, laundry, etc?

[teamsaint]

I just wonder who all these people are who have time to sit around in the morning listening to lengthy works - don't you have to earn a living? do any chores? have any other interests? Or do you all have un-earned incomes (from shares?) & household staff to take care of the cleaning, laundry, etc?

I agree. There is no reason at all that "breakfast shouldn't be composed of generally shorter works.
There is plenty of the day left for longer , complete works. 21.5 hours.

[Resurrection Man]

...

Still, some people are never happier than when they are complaining.

When does having a strong opinion about something become 'complaining'? When it isn't you harping on about something?

Please - give credit to the posters here who do not like Breakfast and have explained why.

I no longer listen to Breakfast - not because I don't mind the odd news item - it's over and done with very quickly (and as for the financial news in seconds) - or even short pieces of music. No, for me it's the banality of the chirpy inconsequential prattle coming out of the presenters mouth like some form of verbal diarrhoea plus the emails, tweets and Your-bloody-call.

[Resurrection Man]

hatred , RM? your words. Not me matey.Don't do hate. Must be in your head.
I just want a decent deal for people. We have been screwed by the banks and the city, I assume you don't want to see that, because it cannot be the case that you can't see it.

On detail. even the bulletins you mention are too many for the gambling news when there is real and important stuff that goes unreported on the mainstream bulletins.
Oh dear, I expect that is a sweeping generalisation.

Anyway, got to get back to figuring how 12000 quadrupled 2 .5 times makes half a million. My calculator seems to be doing it wrong.

And a'slippin' and a'slidin' ever further from my original point.

But, not to worry. As I don't seem to be able to have a rational discussion with you (I can hear the keys being hammered to death from here), I will place you on the ignore list. Seems better for all concerned. You might like to consider reciprocating.

[teamsaint]

And a'slippin' and a'slidin' ever further from my original point.

But, not to worry. As I don't seem to be able to have a rational discussion with you (I can hear the keys being hammered to death from here), I will place you on the ignore list. Seems better for all concerned. You might like to consider reciprocating.

well, if I am on ignore, RM, its not going to ruin my day.
But rational discussion? nothing really irrational in my views. You just don't like them. That's the point of discussion isn't it? discussing different points of view.But its a shame really, if you have any intent to discuss things through, because , however far we are apart, the point in being here is to engage. Unless we engage, we are unlikely to learn.