A Sincere Thank You

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Johnb, you make a valid point. I've often thought the same. Indeed, when I started a thread about a programme on Sunday, there were precisely zero responses. However, I think the comments regarding Breakfast need to be made. I believe it has become dumbed down to attempt to complete with CFM; and I believe this to be a mistake, removing listeners' choice.

Radio 3 needs to be imaginative, and listen to all points of view, including our own. We, in turn, need to be more constructive with less whinging. I say this in full knowledge that only a few moments ago, I make an attack on one of the Radio Times journalists on another thread (but I shall try to do better).

[johnb]

EA,

I completely agree with what you say about Breakfast and would extend the point to Classical Collection (though to a slightly lesser extent).

PS I had expected to be roundly lambasted for what I wrote.

[Martin]

Johnb - you make some very good points about the old message board. And EA, I agree about Breakfast: it's the wrong way to do it.

[Keybawd]

A lot of the messages may have been petty, silly, repetitive even rude. But there was still a core of intelligent and informed comment. I believe it a terrible mistake for the BBC to cut off this source of feedback. Now they have no one looking over their shoulder. And I fear they will continue down the road of giving the public what they think the public wants or what they want the public to want.

[french frank]

what they think the public wants or what they want the public to want.

Or, what they think there is a public for, and a public which it suits them to try to attract for reasons which somehow never get openly discussed.

[Frances_iom]

Or, what they think there is a public for, and a public which it suits them to try to attract for reasons which somehow never get openly discussed.

apparently TV viewers to a dumbed down gardening show managed to get the old presenter and his intelligent and less celebrity driven show re-instated by the BBC so some public pressure does work - R3 has gone so far along the CFm path that I suspect it can't turn back until Wright has gone, by which time I suspect it will be too late.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I think the near total lack of imagination is one of R3's biggest faults at present. The current tendency to fall back into playing certain composers and certain works ad nauseam, classical collection now beginning to sound like an inferior version of CFMs Evening Concert, as what is sometimes played on CFM is now more interesting and CFMs evening concert tends to play complete works. Classical Collection has started to play chunks of works and this is even happenning on TTN occasionally now. Even shorter works are being chopped up, the other day intune just played the Prelude from the orchestral version of Vaughan Williams' Prelude & Fugue in C minor, for heaven's sake the complete work is only 10 minutes long! As long as RW is in charge things will only get steadily worse, the best Christmas present the BBC could offer R3 listeners is to remove RW and appoint a controller who actually respects (RW clearly doesn't that is obvious from the various interviews he has given) the R3 listeners, engages with them, is approachable, imaginative without risking losing the station's integrity, and gives the station its unique indentity & individuality back.

[doversoul]

Suffolkcoastal
I agree: the lack of imagination. Have you noticed that there are only a very few threads on these boards that are actually about Radio3’s programmes? Is it because everything is fine? It can’t be. Is it a case that we find nothing to talk about? If it is, it is very worrying.

What sort of programmes do you think can be inspiring, other than the choice of music, which is of course the top priority?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Although I go along with the basic point regarding the lack of imagination in the running of Radio 3, there is the point that has to be faced. Many have pointed the blame at the current controller of the channel. Maybe it's justified, but it's hardly surprising, with such a relentless barrage of condemnation, that the Radio 3 Messageboard has been closed down. There are ways and means to get things changed, but constant sniping is not going to work. Constructive suggestions might.

[Frances_iom]

... There are ways and means to get things changed, but constant sniping is not going to work. Constructive suggestions might.

there were plenty of suggestions on the old board - please give one instance in which Wright has entered into any serious discussion about the direction he has taken R3 - I recall his appearance on Feedback when the presenter seemed extemely annoyed at his total lack of any need to engage with his audience.
Maybe FF has had private conversations (+ I trust a good lunch) but in the absence of wikileaks from the BH Kremlin I can only judge by his lack of any discussion re his decisions.