R2OK! Forum Index R2OK!
Contact R2OK! admin

Click here for R2OK! Website


 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

MPs attack Radio 3

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    R2OK! Forum Index -> Radio 2 - what's happening?
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Scott Nelson
Guest





PostPosted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 9:08 pm    Post subject: MPs attack Radio 3 Reply with quote

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6191277.stm

Is Radio 3 'dumbing down'? Why haven't such things also been raised by MPs regarding Radios 2 and 5 Live?
Back to top
John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 9:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One reason might be that less people have written to their MP's about R2 and R5.

And that might be because the dumbing down of R2 has only affected Saturday and possibly drivetime, while the 'live' issue at R3 affects every afternoon and every evening. Curiously the new policy means that more live music will be recorded for later broadcast, but less broadcasts will be 'live' live. Musicians' jobs are not under threat.


John W


Last edited by John W on Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:13 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Scott Nelson
Guest





PostPosted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 9:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What are Lesley Douglas and Roger Wright up to?
Back to top
Toggy tea slurper
Guest





PostPosted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John W wrote:
One reason might be that less people have written to their MP's about R2 and R5.



So should we start writing to our MP's about radio 2? not that they will do anything but I have written to mine before and he was surprisingly helpful.
Back to top
John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Toggy tea slurper wrote:
John W wrote:
One reason might be that less people have written to their MP's about R2 and R5.



So should we start writing to our MP's about radio 2? not that they will do anything but I have written to mine before and he was surprisingly helpful.


Yes, but writing to MPs does sometimes produce action, but not always end results.

If the subject is the BBC, however, it would be nice to see some high-level discussion about the fate of R2/R3 just to see if it mirrors OUR discussions Smile

Scott wrote:
Quote:
What are Lesley Douglas and Roger Wright up to?


Well, I see no evidence that they are up to anything, together that is.

No indication that R2 might rescue the axed Brian Kay and give him an hour or two in the schedule. No indication that the axed jazz programmes might come to R2. And really if R2 WERE to take them on then other evening/weekend genres/listeners would suffer. Personally I would put them on late Saturday, currently the lowest listened-to hours of R2 (except twilight zone).


John W
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
gfloyd



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 4861
Location: Here, There, Everywhere.

PostPosted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well if you want to know what the stations "are up to" you could do worse than read the service licences of the stations which were recently published. Radio 2's is an interesting document [ perhaps worthy of a separate thread].

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/framework/bbc-service-licences/radio.html

A couple of highlights from it:

1. Remit
The remit of Radio 2 is to be a distinctive mixed music and speech
service, targeted at a broad audience, appealing to all age groups
over 35.

3. Service budget
Radio 2 has a service budget of £37.4 million in 2006/07.

Radio 2 should encourage the take-up of DAB and other digital
technologies, in particular by promoting BBC 6 Music and making high
quality content available on digital platforms.

Radio 2 should:
· Broadcast a broader range of music than any other major UK
radio station, with over 1,100 hours of specialist music
programmes each year
· Broadcast over 60 hours of musical theatre and film music each
year
· Broadcast over 100 hours of arts programming each year

Curiously there is no mention of the types of "specialist music" to be broadcast apart from the reference to "musical theatre and film music" which seems to be a bit of an obsession of Ms Douglas.
_________________
His name was ernie ........ and he drove the fastest milk cart in the west.....
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Behind Geddon's Wall



Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 1553
Location: Kingston Upon Hull/ The Cloud Factory

PostPosted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I noticed the word "distinctive" in the remit.

Is the station becoming less distinctive with the recent acquisition of certain celebrity names?

For example, can a station be said to be distictive when the same person is broadcasting on R2 and C4 at the same time?

I am not having a pop at any one presenter, but the direction of the station shouldbe opened up for debate.

Geddon
_________________
Geddon

You simply mustn't blame yourself -- the days were perfect
And so were exactly what I was born to spoil
For I am the Rider to the World's End
Bound across the cinder causeway
From the furnace to the quarry
Through the fields of oil
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
gfloyd



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 4861
Location: Here, There, Everywhere.

PostPosted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the word "distinctive" would generally refer to being different from other radio stations. I suspect that Russell Brand, etc have signed to work exclusively for BBC radio but are free to work for other non-radio media outlets as they wish.
_________________
His name was ernie ........ and he drove the fastest milk cart in the west.....
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Lord Evan Elpuss



Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 3417
Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

PostPosted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

John W wrote:
Personally I would put them on late Saturday, currently the lowest listened-to hours of R2 (except twilight zone).
John W

Funny you should say that! Time was when Saturday night had some of the best programmes on! Stuart Maconie's original Critical List, Bob Harris, a good documentary and / or concert. Worth staying in for. This would be late 1990's / early 2000s.
That's not to say that the mid week late nights / early mornings aren't very good too.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Behind Geddon's Wall



Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 1553
Location: Kingston Upon Hull/ The Cloud Factory

PostPosted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the comment, as usual, it is the fact that discussion is taking place that matters.
_________________
Geddon

You simply mustn't blame yourself -- the days were perfect
And so were exactly what I was born to spoil
For I am the Rider to the World's End
Bound across the cinder causeway
From the furnace to the quarry
Through the fields of oil
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ern, Geddon,

The numbers are very familiar. I still have the early L Douglas SOPPs 2004/2005 which say things like:

Quote:
>> Radio 2 will broadcast over 600 hours of news and current affairs programming in 2004/2005, including hourly news bulletins.

>> increase the time committed to core arts programming to over 100 hours.

>> to broadcast over 60 hours of musical theatre and film music

>> broadcast the broadest range of music in the UK with 1,000 hours of specialist music programming including Big Band Special, Bob Harris Country, Paul Jones’s blues show and the BBC Jazz Awards

>> broadcast over 150 hours of religious output, covering the broad range of faiths



So then they were giving examples of 'specialist music'.

Is nothing changing ? Rolling Eyes


John W
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
gfloyd



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 4861
Location: Here, There, Everywhere.

PostPosted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

John W,
If I was of a suspicious nature, I would suspect that Radio 2 will still play the same number of hours of "specialist music" but will gradually drop the less "trendy" ones, for want of a better word, and put more emphasis on things like Chill out music.
_________________
His name was ernie ........ and he drove the fastest milk cart in the west.....
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, can "specialist music" on Radio 2 mean anything other than the 'playlist' Confused ?

R3 on the other hand DO seem to be deliberately reducing specialist music, if the leaks from Roger Wright are to become reality, with a reduction in World Music, a reduction in the rock-fusion stuff, reduction in Jazz, reduction in choir music, and removal of Light Music.


John W
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
gfloyd



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 4861
Location: Here, There, Everywhere.

PostPosted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 5:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John W wrote:
Yes, can "specialist music" on Radio 2 mean anything other than the 'playlist' Confused ?



Not sure if they include SOTS 60's & 70's or POTP as specialist, but I would assume that everything 7-10 and Sundays is deemed specialist.
_________________
His name was ernie ........ and he drove the fastest milk cart in the west.....
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The changes to Radio 3 have been announced officially. The new news is that Rob Cowan will take over brekfast (replacing Penny Gore/Sandy Burnett, Penny was the main presenter).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/12_december/21/radio3.shtml

I'm very happy with the changes, more classical in the evenings giving a much wider repertoire than ClassicFM's Evening Concert. Friday night jazz show looks good though listen again will likely be used.

I'm not too concerned that I'm going to be listening to more 'recorded live' rather than actual live music - the actual live concerts tend to have delays and too much presenter waffle and tuning breaks etc. <smiley>

Guardian opinion:

http://media.guardian.co.uk/radio/story/0,,1976154,00.html


No word yet on the fate of Brian Kay.


John W


.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Scott Nelson
Guest





PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John,

I thought Brian Kay was a regular on Friday Night is Music Night?
Back to top
John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scott,

He presents about 10-15 FNIMN shows a year I think, that's only about 30 hrs.

At R3 he's had a weekly Light Programme and a weekly 1.5hr request show on Sunday, 3 for All, so that's about 125 hours a year that he's losing (a choral programme is replacing his request show).

John W
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
mark occomore



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 9955
Location: UK

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scott Nelson wrote:
What are Lesley Douglas and Roger Wright up to?



The station in the charter provides light entertainment, specialist shows, live music & news and current shows etc? I just think it's becoming a station to dump celebritys on, and the real DJ's or broadcasters ( how ever you want to call them ? ) are being moved to the side, and know wonder a lot of them are heard on commerical radio or BBC local? It's how the station is going to be run now, and bascially how much we might like or hate it, it's going to revolve around this type of presentation.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
John W



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK

PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mark,

We've had these celeb discussions before. Celebs are nothing new at Radio 2 or Radio 3 for that matter.

I'm sure others will add to the list of celebs who have worked at Radio 2 sometime during the last 40 years:

Sam Costa
Jack Jackson
Humph
Derek Nimmo
Paul Jones
Pam Ayres
Derek Jameson

but seems all new appointments since 2004 have been celebs?????

John W
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Scott Nelson
Guest





PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I cannot see Brian Kay being offered a slot on Radio 2, not unless Sunday nights are under scrutiny from January 2007. Could Sheridan Morley, Richard Baker and David Jacobs be on their way out? Hopefully...

Maybe this is what we could expect:

7.00 Elaine Paige
8.30 Sunday Half Hour
9.00 Brian Kay's Light Programme
10.00 - 12.00 Alan Titchmarsh
Back to top
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    R2OK! Forum Index -> Radio 2 - what's happening? All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group. Hosted by phpBB.BizHat.com