The Culture Minister speaks ...

[Roehre]

Politicians = greedy, self-important, lying & manipulative individuals with absolutely no common sense or dignity. We'll probably find out a close associate of the Minister without Culture has something to do with CFM.

A foreign colleague of mine knowing Britain very, very well, and who was asked to describe Britain in one sentence, said: the country without any common sense.

[Pianorak]

When you look at the policy areas of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport it's quite a surprise that he has actually heard of Radio 3.

[rauschwerk]

Chris Smith was all right - though I don't know that he was particularly interested in classical music.

I saw him at a performance of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at the Coliseum after he lost his ministerial job - he seemed to be enjoying himself.

[Richard Tarleton]

I saw him at a performance of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at the Coliseum after he lost his ministerial job - he seemed to be enjoying himself.

I saw him at a concert in the RFH when he was in post - IIRC it was OAE/Rattle.

[David-G]

One of the advantages of going to bed late is that I can listen to TTN at bedtime. By the way - I never did understand what IIRC means.

[jean]

If I recall correctly, IIRC.

[Quarky]

A key point I take from this: Ed Vaizey was keen to extend the warmest congratulations to his old friend Alan Davey on his appointment as controller of Radio 3. “I have to say Alan Davey who I worked with for four years at the Arts Council is a terrific bloke and a great appointment,"

Well I guess that's better than hating his guts, but some of R3's output might be so hated. So how will they interact? I guess there will be at least a (another) nod in the direction of classic FM.

By the way, some posters have the view that late night R3 should act as a sedative. I have found that camomile tea is more effective.

[Alain Maréchal]

It just beggars belief that these are the people who are our elected representative.

But it does not beggar belief that these are the people who WISH to be your elected representatives. You have an election soon.

[french frank]

To clarify what seems to me to be important: listening to Classic FM (and even enjoying it) is not a hanging offence. But he was clearly avoiding an awkward question (and it's not clear from this story exactly what question was posed.'So what's wrong with Radio 3' is very carefully not within quotation marks. That means the question was something like 'So what's wrong with Radio 3?' It could just have been, 'So why not Radio 3')

Factually, he doesn't listen to Radio 3
Factually, Classic FM offers all he requires in terms of classical music radio.
Factually, he has no interest in discovering anything else 'the UK's leading cultural broadcaster' [sic - R. Wright] has to offer.

BUT, we know that 'culture' has a very wide interpretation nowadays, enough to keep him busy.

OTOH, he ought to take at least SOME interest in the nation's cultural radio output - including what is only on Radio 3.

[Pianorak]

A foreign colleague of mine knowing Britain very, very well, and who was asked to describe Britain in one sentence, said: the country without any common sense.

But our much vaunted Pragmatism is surely ample compensation - no?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

A foreign colleague of mine knowing Britain very, very well, and who was asked to describe Britain in one sentence, said: the country without any common sense.

Praise, indeed. I wish it were true - sadly "common sense" is precisely what paralyses so much hope and imagination (in our public life, at least).

[Honoured Guest]

Vaizey prefers CFM, so b****y what. Who gives a monkey's for Vaizey and his tastes, here today and gone (one hopes) tomorrow.

As the son of the esteemed and regular Radio 3 contributor Marina Vaizey, Ed Vaizey's attitude to Radio 3 is extremely interesting.

[french frank]

As the son of the esteemed and regular Radio 3 contributor Marina Vaizey, Ed Vaizey's attitude to Radio 3 is extremely interesting.

I am told that he has tweeted that this morning he listened to Breakfast on R3. I hope there was less chat than usual.

[HighlandDougie]

Chris Smith was all right - though I don't know that he was particularly interested in classical music.

As he is a very old and good friend, I can assure you that he is both interested in and passionate about classical music. I'd better not mention his involvement with Classic FM

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

if it were at all needed Vaizey is just another argument for closing Oxbridge and Public Schools; there are cheaper ways of creating self satisfied arses