Yet another gaffe on Breakfast - can R3 get any worse???

[french frank]

Please excuse my naivety but has there ever been a Radio 3 programme that regularly featured the horrors of audience members phoning-in with requests and dedications?

Not until now! Actually, there was a phone-in introduced back in 1978, but there was rather a fuss and it was dropped after a few months. I don't remember this nightly 'Send in your requests and dedications' until now.

(Hello, Word. Yes, it's quite weird how similar the two sets of smileys are ...)

Actually, I'm sure Euda agrees with you all. I think she was more concerned about FoR3's public image which, notwithstanding the odd article mention over seven years, it doesn't have.

[Don Petter]

Well put James. Agreement here.

(Where was the reference to phoning in requests which Word mentions? I can't see it in James' post.)

[Suffolkcoastal]

All I will say Word, is that I had to trawl through four breakfast programmes on the iplayer early last week when the playlists weren't published to work on my survey and each of the four programmes had plenty of chat, invites to text in, listener's texts etc, I found it a thoroughly cringe-worthy and off-putting experience and almost a copy of CFM at its worst.

[french frank]

repeatedly accused me of ruining the station, "dumbing down", etc.

And, btw, where on earth did that come from? Not my language at all, and not the kind of thing we would say in meetings or on our website. Or anywhere in public. (I don't say it in private either!) People do say it, but it ain't us and we can't stop them saying it either.

[Mary Chambers]

A few years ago, I emailed Classic FM on behalf of a friend (who wasn't online then) to point out that Britten's Ceremony of Carols was not, as had just been said, 'a recent work'. I received a rather rude and semi-literate email in return from the presenter, saying that I was being a bit fussy and pedantic (or words to that effect), wasn't I? I think I replied saying that I expected accurate information, at least. I may be wrong, but I really do not think that Radio 3 would respond in that way, even now - so yes, things could be worse!

[Word]

Not until now! Actually, there was a phone-in introduced back in 1978, but there was rather a fuss and it was dropped after a few months. I don't remember this nightly 'Send in your requests and dedications' until now.

Thanks FF . Impressive memory; according to my recollection, or lack thereof, 1978 was an entirely unremarkable year . (And yes, these little smiling faces do all look the same .)


Don Petter, a phone-in wasn't explicitly mentioned but I take that to be the archetype of 'listener participation' activities, the like of which James decries:

I don't care if such and such a piece of music was playing when a listener, whom I don't know, met their wife/husband. Neither am I interested if their cat/dog/budgie turns cartwheels when a particular piece is played.

I'm definitely against being aurally assaulted by members of the public (it's somewhat ironic that Radio 3's mostly live-presented format would more readily accommodate that than CFM's mostly pre-recorded one).
As for listener anecdotes, I don't mind the occasional, well-chosen one, but I wouldn't want a programme built around them.

[french frank]

Thanks FF . Impressive memory; according to my recollection, or lack thereof, 1978 was an entirely unremarkable year .

Not memory, but from The Envy of the World. I always enjoy quoting the response in the editorial of the Bristol Evening Post:

'Radio Three, a channel once the Corporation's - and indeed the world's - proud standard bearer in matters of art and taste, launched a Sunday series on the lines of the classic Housewives' Choice. Two hours of prime listening time is given over to a pot-luck programme with one of Britain's finest pianists reduced to the role of disc jockey. Once Mozart's [sic!] music could speak for itself. Now apparently it needs the prop of a flabby phone-in chat. What is the BBC up to?"

'[...] Peter Gould [Head of Music Programmes, Radio] felt 'the programme concentrated on packaging at the expense of the product'...Meanwhile listeners [hurrah!] had sent in their reactions... All the calls had been 'highly critical', and most correspondents complained of 'trivial pieces, banal chat, boring homely patter'. John Lade recalls that 'the callers had nothing to say - "I remember that piece so well, it was on our honeymoon and we were walking over the Downs " '

Actually it began on Sunday, April 1 [hurrah!] 1973. The phone-in element was dropped in October, but management was enraged by outspoken comments about the programme by senior staff (oh, well, I daresay times have changed in that respect ]

[Don Petter]

Don Peter, a phone-in wasn't explicitly mentioned but I take that to be the archetype of 'listener participation' activities, the like of which James decries:

I think he was referring to emails, not phone-ins?

[It would be nice, in view of your moniker, if you could spell my name correctly!]

[Mr Pee]

I think he was referring to emails, not phone-ins?

[It would be nice, in view of your moniker, if you could spell my name correctly!]

Well, that's very welcoming to a new member on his second post. Anyway, I've never seen Peter spelt with two T's!!

[amateur51]

Well, that's very welcoming to a new member on his second post. Anyway, I've never seen Peter spelt with two T's!!

You tell him, Mr Poo!

[Don Petter]

Well, that's very welcoming to a new member on his second post. Anyway, I've never seen Peter spelt with two T's!!

Well that's because it's not Peter. You've not heard of Petter Oil Engines, or the designer of the Lysander and the Canberra?

I hadn't noticed the newness of membership, but that should be an incentive to get things right - first impressions and all that?

[Norfolk Born]

[QUOTE=Don Petter;20809]You've not heard of Petter Oil Engines, or the designer of the Lysander and the Canberra?

No - mea maxima culpa! (He must have been a clever chap to design a plane and a great big cruise liner!)

[Don Petter]

[QUOTE=OFCACHAP;20851]

You've not heard of Petter Oil Engines, or the designer of the Lysander and the Canberra?

No - mea maxima culpa! (He must have been a clever chap to design a plane and a great big cruise liner!)

LOL! I thought you'd be impressed! EWP also designed the English Electric Lightning and the Folland Gnat.

Unfortunately not connected to my branch of the family, as far as research has chased it back.

[Word]

It was remiss of me not to have noticed how you spelt your name, apologies for that.

(The aircraft were impressive, particularly the Lightning (sorry to be so predictable with my admiration), but as for the idea of burning 'heavy oil' in an internal combustion engine... .)

[Paul Sherratt]

One of 'Percy's '

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMAk5TTKUjs