I'm afraid RW Leadership qualities are there for all to see in the rapid decline in standards that R3 has undergone since he took over. Doesn't the Controller have the final say on the content on R3? As I said earlier of course he will try to appear affable etc in public, have carefully choreographed interviews with vetted joiurnalists and be thick skinned and able to brush off any taxing questions, that is what he was hired to do. The question is whether this attempt to popularise (or should I say commercialise) R3 is mainly his agenda or as is most likely, the agenda of the BBC generally.

The problem with R3 is that the station is so unique and had such a clearly defined 'personality' that any attempt to commercialise/popularise the station is just doomed to failure as soon as someone in the BBC actually engages their brain and realises this then the sooner this daft experiment can end. What we have at the moment is a station that seems to be drifiting about randomly snatching at any daft new idea or trying to copy another station instead of building on what it does do well, its own huge resources and resources both nationally and internationally. Trying to turn R3 into a half serious, half commercial CFM/local radio style station does not and will not work and will ultimately satisfy no one.

The stark choice is that with its small audience you either allow R3 to expand on its tried and tested strengths with a willing controller who will fight to restore and maintain the integrity of R3 and also maintain its small but very loyal audience or you decide to pull the plug altogether to the detrement of the musical life of this nation.

We must remember that R3 was and hopefully (inspight of its decline) is highly respected internationally. There is so much scope in this fast moving digital age for working with other musical stations, building and creating new and expanding existing relationships with orchestras artists composers musicologists etc. As I mentioned in point 3 of my suggestions, pooling/sharing ideas and resources internationally could be one way for R3 to continue to create interesting and exciting programming, especially in more difficult economic times.