OK I give up

[Guest]

That's it. I've had enouugh. After having been a devoted listener for decades, I can't take any more. What has been done to the station in recent years is like seeing an old friend tortured. If it were an animal you would do it a kindness and put it down.

[mercia]

thanks for sharing. So what was the last straw ?

[VodkaDilc]

That's it. I've had enouugh. After having been a devoted listener for decades, I can't take any more. What has been done to the station in recent years is like seeing an old friend tortured. If it were an animal you would do it a kindness and put it down.

I am feeling the same. No particular last straw, just all the things which we have discussed repeatedly. I would certainly trace my R3 listening back to around 1964, when I was doing O Levels. I suppose all good things come to an end; as others have said, this is where our much-treasured CD collections come into their own.

[mercia]

perhaps Harriet will take comfort from the proms. Not long now.

[MrGongGong]

thanks for sharing. So what was the last straw ?

Poetry ?

[EdgeleyRob]

I am feeling the same. No particular last straw, just all the things which we have discussed repeatedly. I would certainly trace my R3 listening back to around 1964, when I was doing O Levels. I suppose all good things come to an end; as others have said, this is where our much-treasured CD collections come into their own.

Me too.
Alas the Radio 3(from around 1968) I knew and loved will never return.
But then every so often something comes along and I think yes,there is a glimmer.
Weinberg COTW.
John Kinsella next ?

[Barbirollians]

It is very seldom that I listen to anything but BAL or a live evening concert or opera . The rest is not worth wasting time on sadly.

[Honoured Guest]

Come on everyone...I posted the original comments to try and get some creative debate going. After all this is supposed to be a FORUM, not playschool. The comments so far- the ones that make any sense that is- hardly bring anything to the table, do they.

.

[mercia]

a quote from a post that seems to have disappeared - anyway hasn't there been enough 'debate' - try the breakfast or essential classics threads - hundreds of posts agreeing with you, surely enough to satisfy any appetite

only trouble is a debate needs an opposite point of view to be put forward

[teamsaint]

Fwiw....
I still think there are rays of hope that R3 is worth saving. I Won't dwell on the glories of yesteryear, since i am not qualified.

One valid but probably inadequate way to contemplate the state of R3, is to look around at the rest of the media and broadcast culture, and to compare the alternatives. They really aren't very appetising.
saturation news coverage is everywhere, not just on Breakfast.Presenter and celebrity led programming is THE way that everything from History to Football is given to us.
Everything is now "curated". And so on and so on.

Where are the rays of hope?
Well,even Breakfast and EC are not irredeemable.Breakfast could be turned into a decent entry point show with some thought, and EC has two fine presenters who could do a good job given just a little more freedom.
cotw sometimes, in fact quite often, provides 5 hours a week of decent programming. Where else can you hear 5 hours on the life and work of Weinberg?

AO3, despite some of the presentation, does play interesting music from time to time, with plenty of new and live performances, admittedly from house Bands.
In Tune has the basis of a decent bit of programming, and is well scheduled, but needs radical thought as to its presentation and content.
There are still a reasonable number of interesting evening concerts, which with some tweaking could provide a real quality base to the programming.

I really wouldnt want to defend the R3management,but in all seriousness, I do think they have a real problem with their core audience. The online world and the spectacular availability of music on CD and download means that for the hardcore audience, the real needs of the audiences of 20 or 30 years ago are being met, or perhaps being seen to be met elsewhere.
There is so much variety and depth available, that programmers might reasonably think that it is impossible to compete or add in any worthwhile way to what is available to those with in depth knowledge, so why bother? Better to provide a service with some elements of quality to those ready to move away from CFM and R2, and to actually provide a public service in that way.

OK,so I may not believe all of that, and I haven't mentioned speech, Jazz, World, contemporary music and TTN, but for the sake of discussion........

have a nice day.

[MrGongGong]

It sometimes occurs to me that this forum is more like the (new) Archers messageboard
most of the people there don't listen to the programme anymore and it's become a different kind of community which seems to function quite well without Ambridge.
Many of the more musically interesting things in here have little to do with the broadcast output of R3 IMV which is not really a 'problem' unless you are one of those who wish to wallow in nostalgia ALL the time.

Before the advent of THIS means of communication R3 was one of the only ways for us to listen to certain types of music. It isn't anymore. I don't stay in to catch H&N these days NOT because its rubbish and used to be wonderful but because I can listen to it at another time, or there are other ways for me to hear that music.

[mercia]

do members of the Archers messageboard ever suggest it should change its name, if as you say they don't actually listen to the programme ?

[Roehre]

I don't listen to R3 live much, I prefer to use the iPlayer.
Apart from the inane breakfast and the not much better In Tune and Essential Classics, which have become an absolute non-go-area for me, there still is much to enjoy.
If you are interested in the war-horses, you are well served.
But didn't we all have to "learn" and appreciate these before we started to develop out further tastes and interests?

As far as "classical music" is concerned: CotW, the lunch concerts, Ao3, the evening concerts and especially H&N and TtN offer regularly other music than these war horses too.

That keeps me listening to R3.

I have to admit however, that for me most of the time my own music collection provides me with the music I am interested in at that moment

[MrGongGong]

do members of the Archers messageboard ever suggest it should change its name, if as you say they don't actually listen to the programme ?

No, they call it Mustardland (the yellow colour was the one the BBC used and is used with the new one/s)

Many of them do listen BUT there's a whole heap of folks who don't listen at all, there are sometimes threads that start with things like "I last listened to the Archers in 1976"......

[doversoul1]

(What’s happened to mercia’s last post? I didn’t delete it by accident?)

Radio 3 works as a lead or a signpost for me. Whilst there is infinite amount of music available on CDs and online these days, I wouldn’t know what to look for without programmes like those that Roehre mentions PLUS Early Music Show.

I am far from satisfied but further from giving it up all together.