Why on earth is record review moving

[mikealdren]

This month's BBC music magazine has an article on 'Time for a change, as Radio 3 gets a spring clean'.

It says 'Saturdays, meanwhile, will look very different as BBC music Magazine columnist Tom Service hosts a new programme from 9am-12pm that covers all manner of topics from today's classical music scene. This will be followed by another new show: Earlier... With Jools Holland' etc etc. Mention of a new incarnation of Music Matters but no mention at all of RR.

Apparently 'Distinctiveness and ambition are at the heart of the new Radio 3 schedule as we look to delight our existing audience while also offering a raft of programmes that give new listeners a reason to join us'.

[oddoneout]

The thing is, lots of people have heard of Lang Lang, so will be attracted to listen (they hope). But fewer RR/R3 listeners.

But how many of those who saw him on "The Piano" will see his name and try out R3 for size I wonder?

[LMcD]

But how many of those who saw him on "The Piano" will see his name and try out R3 for size I wonder?

Perhaps some people will wonder what he's doing interviewing a Giant Panda.

[oddoneout]

This month's BBC music magazine has an article on 'Time for a change, as Radio 3 gets a spring clean'.

It says 'Saturdays, meanwhile, will look very different as BBC music Magazine columnist Tom Service hosts a new programme from 9am-12pm that covers all manner of topics from today's classical music scene. This will be followed by another new show: Earlier... With Jools Holland' etc etc. Mention of a new incarnation of Music Matters but no mention at all of RR.

Apparently 'Distinctiveness and ambition are at the heart of the new Radio 3 schedule as we look to delight our existing audience while also offering a raft of programmes that give new listeners a reason to join us'.

Are you delighted yet - or has it just given old listeners a reason to leave?

[Nick Armstrong]

People should not, however, feel any hesitation at all about returning to the original topic should they wish

AMcG putting a brave face on it this evening:

[Ian Old Bean]

Well I am listening to yesterday's Record Review on catch up and I must say it sounds hurried. Still a very high quality and well presented selection of music, but the guest has already arrived and we are only 15 minutes into the show. I am sure we used to have 30 minutes of new recordings before the guest arrived.

[seabright]

I was unaware of the change but when I tuned in to listen to RR but instead heard the voice of the preposterous Tom Service, I hastily consulted RT to see what had happened. To shunt RR to the middle of Saturday afternoons is a nonsense because that's when most people are out shopping or doing whatever else they do at that time. It will be interesting to know to what depths the RR listening figures will now plummet. Oh well, at least A McG will no longer have to get up at the crack of dawn on Saturday mornings!

[LMcD]

I was unaware of the change but when I tuned in to listen to RR but instead heard the voice of the preposterous Tom Service, I hastily consulted RT to see what had happened. To shunt RR to the middle of Saturday afternoons is a nonsense because that's when most people are out shopping or doing whatever else they do at that time. It will be interesting to know to what depths the RR listening figures will now plummet. Oh well, at least A McG will no longer have to get up at the crack of dawn on Saturday mornings!

RT = Radio Times? I stopped buying it ages ago because, for reasons that were in some cases beyond its control, such as late schedule changes, programme details were out of date or incorrect.

[Bella Kemp]

I have to say I enjoyed this hugely. I used not always be able to listen on a Saturday morning because of work commitments or the weekly shop, so the new location is very pleasing. The segment on the Sea Symphony was wonderful. David Owen Norris was amiable and erudite and I feel I will now listen to this work with fresh ears.

[french frank]

I was unaware of the change but when I tuned in to listen to RR but instead heard the voice of the preposterous Tom Service, I hastily consulted RT to see what had happened.

I imagined there would be many who weren't dedicated followers of the media news and who would have had a bit of a shock

To shunt RR to the middle of Saturday afternoons is a nonsense

What it tells us is that R3 management doesn't value RR as much as, say, Essential Classics. The new morning programme is just a different flavour of the same item (EC), but it will still have reasonable listening figures purely because it goes out at a 'peak time'. RR on the other hand will really have to buck trends to keep its listeners in the afternoon. It may increase the listening for the afternoon slot but who does that benefit if its own reach decreases, I wonder?

There are various reasons why the new programme may eventually get more listeners than RR had recently: firstly because it's now somewhat longer and secondly because it's more of a short-stay, continual dip in, dip out style of programme where, as for Breakfast, people may only listen casually for 20-30 mins or so and then drift off while others are drifting in, raising the total number of listeners.

[LMcD]

I imagined there would be many who weren't dedicated followers of the media news and who would have had a bit of a shock



What it tells us is that R3 management doesn't value RR as much as, say, Essential Classics. The new morning programme is just a different flavour of the same item (EC), but it will still have reasonable listening figures purely because it goes out at a 'peak time'. RR on the other hand will really have to buck trends to keep its listeners in the afternoon. It may increase the listening for the afternoon slot but who does that benefit if its own reach decreases, I wonder?

There are various reasons why the new programme may eventually get more listeners than RR had recently: firstly because it's now somewhat longer and secondly because it's more of a short-stay, continual dip in, dip out style of programme where, as for Breakfast, people may only listen casually for 20-30 mins or so and then drift off while others are drifting in, raising the total number of listeners.

I wouldn't say I 'drift off'. It's just that mornings are the busiest part of my day, what with shopping, gardening, meeting friends, visiting the care home and going on (hopefully healthy) walks. When I reach that stage of the day when I'm ready to listen to something substantial, Classical Live won't be my first port of call.

[Wigmore fan]

Distinctiveness and ambition....it sounds so good doesn't it (thanks oddoneout). We would love programmers to live up to this and be allowed to live up to it... given the economic constraints and the desperate need to justify the role of public service broadcasting in our slightly blighted age. I have done my best to keep on track with the new schedule, given the necessities of daily life. RT not all that helpful as the breakdown of content seems cursory. Perhaps RT will get better...at present I feel I have been floating all at sea on radio 3's raft of programmes with occasional respite but blessed to be in a safe haven at mo with RR (thank you AM). P.S was there a waspish remark from someone a few days ago about the Thursday evening recording of Piers Lane at the WH? I thought he played beautifully, even sublimely.

[LMcD]

Distinctiveness and ambition....it sounds so good doesn't it (thanks oddoneout). We would love programmers to live up to this and be allowed to live up to it... given the economic constraints and the desperate need to justify the role of public service broadcasting in our slightly blighted age. I have done my best to keep on track with the new schedule, given the necessities of daily life. RT not all that helpful as the breakdown of content seems cursory. Perhaps RT will get better...at present I feel I have been floating all at sea on radio 3's raft of programmes with occasional respite but blessed to be in a safe haven at mo with RR (thank you AM). P.S was there a waspish remark from someone a few days ago about the Thursday evening recording of Piers Lane at the WH? I thought he played beautifully, even sublimely.

IMHO Radio Times started becoming less useful (and accurate) some years ago, and I very much doubt that it will improve again. BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 3 Schedules tell me all I need to know.

[Wigmore fan]

I agree with that...that RT is less a radio magazine and more a wide ranging broadcast media mag...note the front cover themes and the "in depth" articles. I am just grateful to have anything at all but for detail you do need the online radio schedules. The subscription is a significant cost and to keep it to that level I they have to carry all the "media trending material". So it goes.

[Pulcinella]

Duplicate post from the Schedule change thread:

I sent this to the Record Review contact email earlier:

Good morning
I see that the website does not yet identify the 'winner' (and any other recommendations) of last Saturday’s programme on Brahms 3.
I hope that this is simply an oversight, but perhaps, given that you know that many listeners have abandoned listening to the programme live because of its new time slot, you have decided to keep the suspense going and to encourage catch-up listening on Sounds.
You are no doubt aware of the weekly threads on The Radio 3 Forum (to which Nigel often contributes, whether or not he is the reviewer). Here is a link to the one on Brahms 3.

BaL 13.04.24 - Brahms: Symphony 3 - The Radio 3 Forum for3.org

You may also like to read the comments on this thread:

Why on earth is record review moving - The Radio 3 Forum for3.org

and some general comments about R3’s schedule changes here:

Radio 3 Schedule changes - The Radio 3 Forum for3.org

You will see that they have not gone down well.
With best wishes and a hope for some reconsideration of the schedule (maybe after the Proms).

I've had this reply:

Sometimes it can take a while for the added details of the recommended winner/s to publish but the details are definitely there now!
Also, if you would like to send any comments about the schedule change here is information about where to send complaints:
Complaints about the BBC are handled centrally. This allows us to make the most efficient use of the licence fee. To be guaranteed a reply please send your complaint to the BBC through our complaints website at www.bbc.co.uk/complaints (or alternatively by post to BBC Complaints, PO Box 1922, Darlington DL3 0UR or by phone. You can record your comments 24 hours a day: 03700 100 222* 03700 100 212* (textphone) (*charged as geographic numbers)

Full details of our complaints service are available on the website.
I will post this on the 'Why on earth...' thread too.