BBC Director Of Music “steps back”

[Master Jacques]

Many thanks for the information provided here and in previous posts. Apologies to everybody else for veering off course (pun intended). I knew about the drones used on courses but much of the rest is great stuff to read. I've been following racing for many years and live 15 minutes walk away from a racecourse which is handy so thanks again for the info.

I'm glad you follow racing Petrushka, and it's a pleasure to add a tiny nugget to your knowledge. If some lives have been measured out in coffee spoons, mine has been measured out in Derby Days (I was born the day that Pinza - named of course after the great opera singer - won the race, with Gordon Richards up. This probably accounts for both my great obsessions in life!)

[Master Jacques]

I can remember the days when there appeared to be camera scaff at every furlong marker on the home straight at courses like Newbury. You need something like that to get relative perspective on who’s in the lead I guess. You seen to know a lot about it. Is Sim Harris still with us ? I think SIS emerged from Racetech.

That's precisely right, SIS and Racetech are pretty symbiotic, with Racetech wholly responsible for the "official" side of racing camera work (judges camera giving the front-on view of the final couple of furlongs, photo-finish equipment) while SIS get the material out to the clients, such as bookmakers shops. Racetech also provide some additional support staff, such as stalls handlers. Between the two companies, it's a very intricate network.

I haven't heard anything of Sim Harris for many years, and hope he's enjoying a happy retirement since his departure from Racetech in 2005, if I remember correctly. He'd be in his late 70s now, I guess.

[french frank]

I do agree with the comments about the coverage of Glastonbury but the majority of people prefer this to the Proms which keeps dumbing down to capture an audience, as noted by Ed Reardon !

I come back to an earlier point: people who prefer the Proms (and the general arts) pay the same amount for their licence fee but get precious little for it. Look at the online news website: where would the arts coverage be? What stories are there today? The Third Programme/Radio 3 was launched (by the then DG) precisely for the (small) audience which enjoyed the Proms, stage drama, literature and intellectually stimulating discussions. We now have saturation point Radio 3 - 24/7 - but less intellectual sustenance than when it was broadcast for only a few hours a day.

But junk culture, like junk food, is meant to be easy, enjoyable and addictive.

[LMcD]

I come back to an earlier point: people who prefer the Proms (and the general arts) pay the same amount for their licence fee but get precious little for it. Look at the online news website: where would the arts coverage be? What stories are there today? The Third Programme/Radio 3 was launched (by the then DG) precisely for the (small) audience which enjoyed the Proms, stage drama, literature and intellectually stimulating discussions. We now have saturation point Radio 3 - 24/7 - but less intellectual sustenance than when it was broadcast for only a few hours a day.

But junk culture, like junk food, is meant to be easy, enjoyable and addictive.

People who enjoy the Proms and don't have (or need) a TV licence can continue to enjoy them for free, of course.

[Ian Thumwood]

I come back to an earlier point: people who prefer the Proms (and the general arts) pay the same amount for their licence fee but get precious little for it. Look at the online news website: where would the arts coverage be? What stories are there today? The Third Programme/Radio 3 was launched (by the then DG) precisely for the (small) audience which enjoyed the Proms, stage drama, literature and intellectually stimulating discussions. We now have saturation point Radio 3 - 24/7 - but less intellectual sustenance than when it was broadcast for only a few hours a day.

But junk culture, like junk food, is meant to be easy, enjoyable and addictive.

I totally agree with this. My wife never accesses the news via BBC and is more likely to find the information through something like Facebook. She would never consider reading art and culture articles so you can understand why the BBCnews section is dominated by pop culture. You are dealing with a generation who largely believes culture is for the elderly and not for the young. It reflects the short attention span.

Ultimately you wonder if the BBC is viable long term. The direction I would like it to take would be make it more specialised to cater for dedicated audiences. However, traditional radio broadcast is fast becoming obsolete. Also have to say that I feel Radio will be looking for more digital content with pre mid 1980s records vanishing from air play over time.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I totally agree with this. My wife never accesses the news via BBC and is more likely to find the information through something like Facebook. She would never consider reading art and culture articles so you can understand why the BBCnews section is dominated by pop culture. You are dealing with a generation who largely believes culture is for the elderly and not for the young. It reflects the short attention span.

Ultimately you wonder if the BBC is viable long term. The direction I would like it to take would be make it more specialised to cater for dedicated audiences. However, traditional radio broadcast is fast becoming obsolete. Also have to say that I feel Radio will be looking for more digital content with pre mid 1980s records vanishing from air play over time.

I think I’m right in saying that traditional radio listening including DAB and online isn’t in recent decline let alone
“becoming obsolete.” The average person listens to a radio station for 20 hours a week.What is in decline is viewing to the main TV channels broadcasters.

[Petrushka]

I'm glad you follow racing Petrushka, and it's a pleasure to add a tiny nugget to your knowledge. If some lives have been measured out in coffee spoons, mine has been measured out in Derby Days (I was born the day that Pinza - named of course after the great opera singer - won the race, with Gordon Richards up. This probably accounts for both my great obsessions in life!)

And I was born three days after Lester Piggott won his first Derby on Never Say Die.

[Roger Webb]

..................What is in decline is viewing to the main TV channels broadcasters.

How can this be when the BBC gives us such thoughtful programming as that for BBC 4 tonight - Sunday night used to be 'culture' night - but after Test Cricket highlights at 19.00 we get two hours of repeats of Andy Pandy....and I'm not joking!

[Ein Heldenleben]

How can this be when the BBC gives us such thoughtful programming as that for BBC 4 tonight - Sunday night used to be 'culture' night - but after Test Cricket highlights at 19.00 we get two hours of repeats of Andy Pandy....and I'm not joking!

Given the performance of England over the last four days I think the BBC 4 scheduler has found something wittily appropriate.

[french frank]

People who enjoy the Proms and don't have (or need) a TV licence can continue to enjoy them for free, of course.

Which is why I added (and the general arts) by which I really meant and 'the arts in general'. Culture included popular culture, and as popular culture has taken over the world that's what 'culture' has come to mean: (contemporary) popular music and entertainment, and news of 'celebrities' which just means famous and infamous people in the news. No wonder people have become so thought-less and easily led

[Pulcinella]

Given the performance of England over the last four days I think the BBC 4 scheduler has found something wittily appropriate.

Should we give Suzy Klein (Head of Arts and Classical Music TV for the BBC) the Looby Loo award?

[Master Jacques]

Should we give Suzy Klein (Head of Arts and Classical Music TV for the BBC) the Looby Loo award?

I should think the Oblomov Award. Given the tiny amount of TV broadcasting Auntie devotes to Arts and Art Music these days, Ms Klein must spend most of her working day reclining on a couch while her minions peel the grapes. Nice work if you can get it.

[oddoneout]

How can this be when the BBC gives us such thoughtful programming as that for BBC 4 tonight - Sunday night used to be 'culture' night - but after Test Cricket highlights at 19.00 we get two hours of repeats of Andy Pandy....and I'm not joking!

I assumed it was to allow over-run of the sport, but if it's a highlights programme that wouldn't apply - unless there are/were, unexpectedly, a lot of highlights.

[Roger Webb]

Given the performance of England over the last four days I think the BBC 4 scheduler has found something wittily appropriate.

......although The Clangers might do too........giving away the advantage of the Toss being one dropped - along with the catches!

[LMcD]

I totally agree with this. My wife never accesses the news via BBC and is more likely to find the information through something like Facebook. She would never consider reading art and culture articles so you can understand why the BBCnews section is dominated by pop culture. You are dealing with a generation who largely believes culture is for the elderly and not for the young. It reflects the short attention span.

Ultimately you wonder if the BBC is viable long term. The direction I would like it to take would be make it more specialised to cater for dedicated audiences. However, traditional radio broadcast is fast becoming obsolete. Also have to say that I feel Radio will be looking for more digital content with pre mid 1980s records vanishing from air play over time.

They may well be right - I would guess that the average age of the audience at the local concerts which I attend is in the mid- to high Sixties.