Goodbye Choice FM, Hello Capital Xtra

[Guest]

At the first, this heading perhaps doesn't seem relevant to BBC Radio 3.

Choice FM was the first Black-owned radio station licenced to play Black Music to the Black Community. It has been taken over by Global Radio,

Boya Dee says in the article linked below:

" As of Monday, London's Choice FM will officially be known as Capital Xtra. My first thought on hearing the news; what the hell happened to originality? Did a bunch of out-of-touch executives sitting around conference table suddenly decide that this was the best way to compete with Radio 1Xtra? My second question was whether this change would also mean a change in music policy? I hoped not. A visit to the revamped website made my heart sink as I spotted the word "dance" underneath the logo for the rebranded radio station."

Aaah, sound familiar?

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/04/rip-choice-fm-black-music-capital-xtra

Boya Dee continues:

"Choice was not only a place to hear music I enjoyed but a beacon of hope. Here was a station still going strong more than two decades on that remained undiluted by the juggernaut of mainstream genres. As a kid I remember having my cassette tapes at the ready to record Commander B's infamous night flight show where various grime artists would flex their lyrical muscles and battle over ground-breaking instrumentals. The epic Dizzee Rascal v Asher D clash remains a definitive moment in grime history. Hip-hop with DJ 279 where you could here the hottest track and up and coming acts, reggae with Daddy Ernie and Natty B, soca with Martin Jay as well as Dave P's gospel show have all been axed."

So FoR3 is not alone in bemoaning the loss of its cultural brand leader.

This morning on Radio 4's Today programme, Sarah Montague spoke to Steve Philips (DJ 279) who has been sacked and James Quidland of Media UK, a forum for the broadcast industry.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03jsrm4 - starts around 40 mins in.

There are some very familiar arguments being aired here, from both sides Quidland argues for consistency (Montague argues for 'bland') and tells us the the availability of specialist music on Spotify and youtube, there is less room/need for specialist radio.

Is there anything for us to learn, to bring into a briefing paper to Parliament?

[french frank]

Sarah Montague - is that the opera expert they sent in to bat against Thomas Hampson on HardTalk a few months ago?

One thing to say is that the BBC is going to be in a very delicate position in the next couple of years with its future direction up to be decided, in the end by the politicos. My view is that whatever the BBC does, we should still be behind it and defend its independence. But that doesn't mean to say they shouldn't be told where they're getting things (disastrously) wrong. 'Specialist' radio doesn't just mean radio that plays specialist (minority) types of music: it means radio which caters for informed audiences, which stretches them and doesn't dismiss them as 'elitists' (NB Ms Montague).

May get back to the links later this evening, amateur - gotta get me head down for the next few hours - thanks for posting.

[amateur51]

Sarah Montague - is that the opera expert they sent in to bat against Thomas Hampson on HardTalk a few months ago?

One thing to say is that the BBC is going to be in a very delicate position in the next couple of years with its future direction up to be decided, in the end by the politicos. My view is that whatever the BBC does, we should still be behind it and defend its independence. But that doesn't mean to say they shouldn't be told where they're getting things (disastrously) wrong. 'Specialist' radio doesn't just mean radio that plays specialist (minority) types of music: it means radio which caters for informed audiences, which stretches them and doesn't dismiss them as 'elitists' (NB Ms Montague).

May get back to the links later this evening, amateur - gotta get me head down for the next few hours - thanks for posting.

I got the impression that Steve Philips (DJ 279) would agree with you french frank.

Good luck with the next few hours

[Serial_Apologist]

Ah, this was the topic I've just referred to on The Way It Is thread. Thanks , ams!

One thing mentioned on Radio 4 this morning was that some of Choice FM's faithful listenership feels sufficiently strongly about the issue to be demonstrating outside their HQ. Perhaps we should take a leaf out of their book? Radio 3 listeners demonstrate outside Broadcasting House against the dumbing down of their station... is that likely?

[Anna]

I heard the R4 programme too - it seems the way all things are going - the one size fits all mentality of the men in suits.

[Serial_Apologist]

I heard the R4 programme too - it seems the way all things are going - the one size fits all mentality of the men in suits.

And they broke down the Berlin Wall to escape uniformity - we were told.

[Frances_iom]

..the one size fits all mentality of the men in suits.

since the purpose of radio is to deliver an audience to advertisers it makes more financial sense to cater for the 90%+ of sheeple and ignore the probably less than 10% troublesome goats who tend to think for themselves - all media eventually sinks to the bottom of the swill trough.
ETA I guess I should qualify that 'all media that relies on advertising' - I include R3 in this as the BBC seems dominated by a desire to maximise its audience to demonstrate to the cretins currently in power that they can serve all.

[John Wright]

There are some very familiar arguments being aired here, from both sides Quidland argues for consistency (Montague argues for 'bland') and tells us the the availability of specialist music on Spotify and youtube, there is less room/need for specialist radio.

But surely the availability of 'bland' music on Spotify and youtube (and on BBC Radios 1 & 2 and on Capital, Smooth etc) suggests there is less need for MORE 'bland' radio stations?

[amateur51]

Ah, this was the topic I've just referred to on The Way It Is thread. Thanks , ams!

One thing mentioned on Radio 4 this morning was that some of Choice FM's faithful listenership feels sufficiently strongly about the issue to be demonstrating outside their HQ. Perhaps we should take a leaf out of their book? Radio 3 listeners demonstrate outside Broadcasting House against the dumbing down of their station... is that likely?

If you wait til next Spring, I'll be there

[french frank]

I got the impression that Steve Philips (DJ 279) would agree with you french frank.

Interesting that they asked him whether there was any other station playing that kind of music and he queried 'Commercial station? Not unless they start a new one.' I wonder what he would have said if they'd suggested BBC Radio 1 Xtra? When it was started it wasn't 'for the black community' but for a range of listeners who enjoyed that kind of music (because when it started, the ethnic listeners were very much a minority so they had to say it was for 'everyone')). But I bet they'll hug themselves now and smirk about their 'public service remit' in catering for the young African Caribbean audience ...

One thing the other guy (MediaUK??) said was that Radio 2 was getting rid of its specialist shows, which was just what Stuart Nicholson said in his Jazzwise article - that it was becoming - wait for it - Radio 1.5 !!!

Radio 2 is just a disgrace: with 14m-15m listeners every week it could afford to cut its reach a bit by doing specialist music programmes intelligently.

The other point: they were talking about 'music stations', and it was said that they had to have a 'consistent sound whenever you tune in'. Can you imagine anything worse? Fortunately, Radio 3 is NOT a 'music station' and we have to fight to keep its distinctive speech output which mirrors the distinctive music - no other station would do the kind of speech that Radio 3 does - forget about Radio 4! That, at least, is how it should be. Just as Radio 3 is quite distinctive from Classi ... ... He-e-e-lp!

[amateur51]

Interesting that they asked him whether there was any other station playing that kind of music and he queried 'Commercial station? Not unless they start a new one.' I wonder what he would have said if they'd suggested BBC Radio 1 Xtra? When it was started it wasn't 'for the black community' but for a range of listeners who enjoyed that kind of music (because when it started, the ethnic listeners were very much a minority so they had to say it was for 'everyone')). But I bet they'll hug themselves now and smirk about their 'public service remit' in catering for the young African Caribbean audience ...

One thing the other guy (MediaUK??) said was that Radio 2 was getting rid of its specialist shows, which was just what Stuart Nicholson said in his Jazzwise article - that it was becoming - wait for it - Radio 1.5 !!!

Radio 2 is just a disgrace: with 14m-15m listeners every week it could afford to cut its reach a bit by doing specialist music programmes intelligently.

The other point: they were talking about 'music stations', and it was said that they had to have a 'consistent sound whenever you tune in'. Can you imagine anything worse? Fortunately, Radio 3 is NOT a 'music station' and we have to fight to keep its distinctive speech output which mirrors the distinctive music - no other station would do the kind of speech that Radio 3 does - forget about Radio 4! That, at least, is how it should be. Just as Radio 3 is quite distinctive from Classi ... ... He-e-e-lp!

I can see that this has fired you up, french frank

[Anna]

I agree with all frenchie says, I wouldn't even know where R2 is on the dial.
(This may not be germane to the discussion, but I thought I would mention it. Thursday on R2 there is a two-parter on the history of commercial radio)