Breakfast? No (or very little) comment!

[Guest]

I believe that most, if not all, radio channels attract their largest audiences between approximately 7.00 and 10.00 a.m. And yet, compared with the other boards on the Forum, this one has generated very few threads and attracted very little comment. Is this because (a) nobody has any views on the subject of 'Breakfast'; (b) everybody with a view has made it known and nobody expects things to change/improve (depending on your view); or (c) nobody's listening? I ask merely out of curiosity in the capacity of a former breakfast-time listener to Radio 3.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

.... i think the Moz Plague killed off the opportunity for comment [happened on Jazz forum too]

also that the Breakfast situation is not going to change anytime soon, and so comment is futile unless in response to a particular item or moment on the day's programme

[kernelbogey]

I'm pretty much in the B category. The station seems to have its sights firmly on a populist approach, and I don't think the programme is going to change. Or, possibly, respond much to criticism over here on these boards. I'm listening to it less than ever. I had a spell of insomnia this morning from about 3, soothed by TTN, which mostly broadcasts relatively soothing music. I don't want G&S at 7 (turned off) nor Stokowski's Night on the Bare Mountain (turned off after trying again). I don't like Today either. Silence seems, on the whole, preferable.

[Don Petter]

Is this because (a) nobody has any views on the subject of 'Breakfast'; (b) everybody with a view has made it known and nobody expects things to change/improve (depending on your view); or (c) nobody's listening?

As far as I'm concerned, (b) and (c).

[french frank]

Well, there's nothing very new to say. One of the reasons Breakfast never gets chosen for the Looking Ahead slot is that there's nothing to look ahead to, exzcept say 'Next week it'll be Rob/Sara or Sara/Rob or Martin/his stand-in'. Afterwards you can say, Ooh, they played a piece of music I liked, didn't like, or, Something happened.

It's basically an airspace filler while people are busy doing other things.

[Martin]

I've generally found the last hour to be slightly better than the rest. Perhaps because people have gone about their day by then, but it seems to have less tat in it than in the earlier hours. And there are no news bulletins at 9.00 or 9.30.

[Panjandrum]

Well, there's nothing very new to say. One of the reasons Breakfast never gets chosen for the Looking Ahead slot is that there's nothing to look ahead to, exzcept say 'Next week it'll be Rob/Sara or Sara/Rob or Martin/his stand-in'.

Be fair, FF, there is always Rob's "usual number of surprises" (sic) to look forward to!

[aeolium]

Yes, (b) and (c) for me too. I suggested in the thread about forum organisation that I thought there shouldn't be a dedicated Breakfast board, and there does seem to be a dearth of interest in the programme and/or board.

[Anna]

I never listen to Breakfast. The simple reason is that I cannot abide music in the morning. I tend to listen to Today on R4 otherwise it's total silence for me over the devilled kidneys. What, out of a matter of interest, are the listening figures for Breakfast and how do they stack up against the figures for cfm?

[Norfolk Born]

The most recent RAJAR figures, for the third quarter of 2010, for the breakfast period are as follows (these are the 'weekly reach' figures): Radio 3: 819,000, CFM: 2,733,000.

[Don Petter]

The most recent RAJAR figures, for the third quarter of 2010, for the breakfast period are as follows (these are the 'weekly reach' figures): Radio 3: 819,000, CFM: 2,733,000.

Well, the latter do keep claiming 'Now with more music!', which I can never understand. Surely their programmes were all music (by their definition) before, so how are they getting more in? Not by reducing the adverts, one would have thought. Perhaps they are playing everything just a tiny bit faster - has anyone checked the pitch lately?

[french frank]

The most recent RAJAR figures, for the third quarter of 2010, for the breakfast period are as follows (these are the 'weekly reach' figures): Radio 3: 819,000, CFM: 2,733,000.

Out of context, the figures mean little. That quarterly figure is, in fact, the highest that Breakfast has ever achieved - though still some way from the highest figure Mo3 achieved in its last two years (no earlier figures are publicly available), 839,000. This quarter coincided with a good Proms quarter and a lot of marketing with Rob's 'Step into Our World' trails across mainstream television. CFM's is not fully comparable because its breakfast programme didn't start until 8am and went through until noon, gathering a different slice of the available market.

We can expect some upsets to normal trends whenever Radio 3 has promotions getting a lot of publicity: e.g. the Mozartfest. The people 'sampling' the station will boost listening figures, however little they listen at a time and regardless of whether they ever return.

[John Wright]

the latter do keep claiming 'Now with more music!', which I can never understand. Surely their programmes were all music (by their definition) before, so how are they getting more in?

Possibly, ClassicFM are referring to an increased playlist, playing not just their Top 250 or Hall of Fame, or Most Wanted which they go on and on about incessantly

[James Wonnacott]

b

[Don Petter]

Possibly, ClassicFM are referring to an increased playlist, playing not just their Top 250 or Hall of Fame, or Most Wanted which they go on and on about incessantly

The opposite, it would seem. The last snippet I overheard was referring to a new Grand Hall of Fame, based on the results of other, normal, Halls of Fame. The whole thing seems self-generating.