Comments on On An Overgrown Path: The day the music died

This comment on the Friends of BBC Radio 3 website...

2007-10-02T09:31:27.214+01:00

This comment on the Friends of BBC Radio 3 website says it all:

It's probably understandable that the controller insists publicly there's nothing wrong with Radio 3's presentation. However, that needn't prevent him making changes when the evidence of listeners' negative reaction becomes overwhelming.

Just one more lost listener, after 40 years of listening to Radio 3: http://theovergrownpath.blogspot.com...usic-died.html

Deserters may not agree on every detail about current programmes but they do agree that the best action to take is to switch off.

Sounds like the Beeb is getting as bad as the so-c...

2007-10-02T07:39:53.700+01:00

Sounds like the Beeb is getting as bad as the so-called classical music station (the only one left) here in San Francisco, KDFC

I actually heard one of the announcers say "That Mozart, what a guy!"

We leave the radio on KDFC to entertain our parrots when we're not around. Stricly for the birds.

Click on the link above and listen for yourself. They will play the Haydn Trumpet Concerto at least once a day. No joke.

Thank goodness for internet radio!

David, thank you for that. You make some interesti...

2007-10-01T22:02:49.836+01:00

David, thank you for that. You make some interesting points, and here are my thoughts on them.

Radio 3 has become formulaic. The presentation style follows a formula (patronising, matey, etc) and the repertoire follows a formula (mainstream with lashings of 'cred composers' such as Shostakovich, plus regular outings for a limited number of approved contemporary composers, Adams, Glass, etc).

Most classical stations also follow a formula, although thankfully many of them are not as cringe inducing as today's Radio 3.

The Radeo internet player allows you to explore different formulas, and find stations that meet your own personal needs. Radio 3 with its restrictive formula has eliminated chance. The search and browse facilities on the Radeo put serendipity back into the listening experience,

I am very clear what I am praising. It is that the Radeo player is a search engine for music (and talk).

Think Google and websites, translate that to Radeo and internet stations.

Search engines revolutionised the web, applications like Radeo will revolutionise online radio.

The Controller of Radio 3, Roger Wright, thinks that he can still tell us what we are going to listen to, and how it will be presented.

The Radeo internet player empowers the listener. Now I can decide what I am going to listen to, and I can share my discoveries with friends and readers, and create communities of common interest - which is precisely what the readership of An Overgrown Path is.

The music may be the same. But control has switched from broadcaster to listener.

That is very important.

Email received:Divorcing Radio 3I hear you on R3.B...

2007-10-01T21:31:58.341+01:00

Email received:

Divorcing Radio 3

I hear you on R3.

But, when it comes down to it, what are we looking forin the radeo.net channels?

Music? We can get that anywhere now.

So maybe it is the randomness.

We probably don't know what is coming next. And there is perhaps more likely to be something interestingcoming than on R3, with less chat.

And we don't always understand the chat. An exotic voice introducing something can be attractive, and so can randomness.

But isn't that about it? The music is the same. Theonly thing which distinguishes a good radio channelfrom the civilised disc-jockey-delivered channels intons of places is the making of ... hushed silence ...programmes.

Programmes are still occasionally made on R3. I can think of one or two this year -- Elgar, Takemitsu, the Britten opera series. Nobody ever did that better than the Beeb. But who else ever does it?

So what are we praising with radeo.net?

D

Miss Mussel ditched CBCRadio2 about six months ago...

2007-10-01T00:30:38.924+01:00

Miss Mussel ditched CBCRadio2 about six months ago in favour of its arch-rival Espace Musique. There is a large variety of music on offer although you may have to overlook the occasional cheesy French pop song. There is great jazz starting at 4 or 5, leading up to a classical concert at 8.

I agree completely about the delights of the radeo...

2007-09-30T20:54:17.000+01:00

I agree completely about the delights of the radeo internet player. I've recommended it to a few people.

All is not quite skittles & beer just yet, however. Perhaps 10% of the stations I've tried give a "bad link" error, or can be played from outside radeo but not inside. Also, stations vary widely as to whether they'll let you know what is being played.

I'm in the same situation as you are; I'm in Canada, and have just given up on CBC Radio 2 as my default station.

Sometimes I connect my laptop to my stereo system, and if you'll permit a product recommendation, I'm very satisfied with the Xitel HiFi Link as my connection mechanism ... definitely better than than a simple y-cable connection. See http://www.xitel.com/USA/prod_hflpc.htm .

Mind you, at the moment I'm on my back deck doing some work and with radeo playing SR Klassiskt from Sweden through my small powered speakers. Blue sky, 21 Celsius, leaves starting to turn. Could be worse.

Oh ... my wine glass is empty. Excuse me ...