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Radio 3 recent changes.

GavinA said:
The worry is that the new boss (from Classic FM) is trying to change R3 into Classic FM.
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Didn't know about that but as long as he doesn't interfere with s.q. used to listen to Classic FM , esp. in the car and over the past two decades, it has changed for the better. In some ways, regarding content, Classic FM has become a little more adventurous and R3 has had more potboiler content. Seems a reasonable switch to me but on a good day, with good live material from the studio or outside broadcast recording, R3 s.q. is quite thrilling. I'm not a jazz enthusiast, but keep listening to J-Z for a while after Music Planet (which has been superlative these last 2 or 3 prog's.
 
Is this ident thing the reason behind presenters telling the listeners who they are and what the programme is between every piece of music? Night Tracks particularly bothers me so much so I switch off sometimes, it doesn't make for chilled out listening regardless of the whispering dreamy voices.
 
Assuming the bbc aren’t regularly monitoring pfm, what’s the appropriate channel to voice disapproval of the direction of R3? Agree that across the board, the bbc has way too many ads for being “ad free”.

When I worked at a college radio station in the US, the only obligation by the FCC was to announce the call letters once per hour. Even then I sometimes forgot.

BTW, I find the continuous pushing of the on-demand platform irritating. I can’t imagine all those hard disks streaming content asynchronously has a lower carbon footprint than a radio transmission or live stream.
 
I'm finding this discussion interesting as I only really started listening to R3 over the last 2 years since my wife passed away. The current morning scheduling suits me. I'm not settling down to listen in the mornings so the shorter pieces work well for me. So it's breakfast with Petroc and I do my housework to Georgia. It is always interesting to hear the changes when the regulars are on holiday, the presenters bring their own spin to the programming. This week Hannah French is in for Petroc and of course we get a bit more of early music. They is always a clear plan in the programming to promote up coming programmes, a piece in Breakfast will be used to introduce an artist appearing on In Tune or a composer featured in Afternoon Concert. I suppose we live in a world where the Radio Times is no longer part of most peoples lives and this is a way generate interest a pique interest in the up coming schedule.

I like what I hear at the moment and don't want too much change
 
Interesting snippet in the current Private Eye. “Radio 3 playlists are being reduced, with fewer pieces played more often.” Further evidence of the ongoing Classic FM-isation of R3. I mean, c’mon, I love the 3rd movement of Brahms symphony No. 3, or Clair De Lune, as much as everyone else, but let’s have a little diversity.
 
Finnegan said:
Interesting snippet in the current Private Eye. “Radio 3 playlists are being reduced, with fewer pieces played more often.” Further evidence of the ongoing Classic FM-isation of R3. I mean, c’mon, I love the 3rd movement of Brahms symphony No. 3, or Clair De Lune, as much as everyone else, but let’s have a little diversity.
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Bleeding chunks faded in with voice over, some Classic FM instant coffee platitudes, readers requests and birthdays and anniversary announcements.

In Classic FM’s first month a host actually said “that was the sixth symphony of Herbert von Karajan”. Here’s a penetrating description of Wagner on their website,

“Sometimes, you just can't get to the shops in time, can you? Notable grump and controversial composer Richard Wagner obviously thought a practical gift wasn't enough, and composed his Siegfried Idyll especially for her. Bonus points for arranging to have it performed at the bottom of the stairs in her house, too”.
 
Finnegan said:
Interesting snippet in the current Private Eye. “Radio 3 playlists are being reduced, with fewer pieces played more often.” Further evidence of the ongoing Classic FM-isation of R3. I mean, c’mon, I love the 3rd movement of Brahms symphony No. 3, or Clair De Lune, as much as everyone else, but let’s have a little diversity.
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I think licensing costs come into it too. Impacting both variety and sources.

I often listen during the night if I wake for a while. My observation is that the performances broadcast are increasingly from sources such as fairly local orchestras around the EBU countries rather than internationally-famous ones. I assume BBC pays a lower licensing fee per hour that way. This is not a criticism. The performances seem quite good enough to me to stand comparison.
 
Finnegan said:
but let’s have a little diversity.
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Or at least a few 'variations' (on a theme of etc?) :)

I dunno if it's me, my system or the excellence of R3, but the output from ' Music Planet' on Sat. afternoons can raise hairs on the back of my neck. I find it interesting to hear professional (i.e., they produce records etc.) music from around the world. Okay, content is subjectively variable but both recordings and esp. their live studio broadcasts have superb dynamics and detail, certainly belying the common conception of limited bandwidth etc. of FM radio.

The bass 'rumble' from one piece yesterday surprised me that my speakers went so low and my CDP and vinyl rig are not exactly bargain basement. I obv. get good reception but even so...... I've always been a tuner man, or at least since 1970 if not before when I was peripatetic.
 
It’s been going on for years. I cannot listen to that programme on Saturday that features Jess Gillam. It’s just hideous. Constant aimless wittering over the music they’re talking about.
 
GavinA said:
Is anyone else annoyed by recent changes to Radio 3? They have introduced more ‘idents’ telling you that you are listening to Radio 3 (I know!) and adverts for other programmes on the channel, and now adverts for tv programmes ‘Call the Midwife’ and the Six Nations rugby. I find it really annoying breaking the mood they have been carefully constructing. I still rate Radio 3 the best I have heard for intelligent programming and sound quality, but they seem to be undermining their excellent traditions with this mindless standard radio presentation.
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Can't comment on R3 but since they pretty much scrapped local radio I’ve completely boycotted local BBC radio and won’t even listen to the morning weekday shows and no weekend whatsoever. Even removed presets from my car radio!
 
Yesterday’s Breakfast Programme played an excerpt of Eric Carmen’s godawful All By Myself as a bridge to playing Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (upon which Carmen’s dirge is based).

I don’t much care for Rachmaninov (other than his Vespers) but I bet even fewer R3 listeners give a hoot about Eric Carmen. Another blatant injection of populist dross into R3’s programming.
 
Oh dear and my kitchen sink is blocked because Mr Crazy Bastard fries Skate and pours the oil down the F****** sink.
 
Finnegan said:
Yeah, that Reinhard Heydrich was a bit of a rascal n’ all.
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Frédéric Chopin was just as much an anti-Semitic prick in his writings as Wagner was, and both were in populous, if not good, company in the Europe of the time. The reason people hone in on Wagner is because Adolf Hitler liked him, and holding that against a man who was already dead, and thus a little constrained in his ability to comment, is a bit much.
 
KrisW said:
Frédéric Chopin was just as much an anti-Semitic prick in his writings as Wagner was, and both were in populous, if not good, company in the Europe of the time. The reason people hone in on Wagner is because Adolf Hitler liked him, and holding that against a man who was already dead, and thus a little constrained in his ability to comment, is a bit much.
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I don’t know what point you’re trying to make. I didn’t mention Wagner, or Hitler. But since you’ve brought it up, I find Wagner’s anti-Semitism highly objectionable. The fact that Chopin was also anti-Semitic has no bearing on my distaste for Wagner, and I’m not really concerned with Hitler’s taste in music.

None of that, however, prevents me from acknowledging Wagner as the most important Romantic composer, and one of the most important composers of the 19th century.
 
Finnegan said:
I don’t know what point you’re trying to make. I didn’t mention Wagner, or Hitler. But since you’ve brought it up, I find Wagner’s anti-Semitism highly objectionable. The fact that Chopin was also anti-Semitic has no bearing on my distaste for Wagner, and I’m not really concerned with Hitler’s taste in music.
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it was a response to the easy comparison made between Richard Wagner, a composer, and Reinhard Heydrich, one of the chief architects of the Holocaust.

On Wagner's music, we agree. Yes, he was by most accounts an absolute prick of a man, but it's tiring to constantly see him blamed somehow for inspiring National Socialism.
 
Just you wait. Soon they'll be having folks saying "D'ya know whaa-?".. "Wiv..".. & "Fousand" soon.

Like they do on Radio 4 now.

Capt
 
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