BBC Radio 3 - live and let die


In February I ran the story that the new BBC Radio 3 schedules meant there would be no live music in the important 7.00pm programme slot, other than during the Proms and other special seasons. My concerns over this development were echoed in The Times and by fellow bloggers.

Since I published the story the new Radio 3 schedules have been introduced, and all the weekday evening music is now broadcast from recordings. As I wrote at the time, this will affect the commissioning and performance of contemporary music from around the world, and will put the livelihood of many fine musicians at risk.

This week the Royal Philharmonic Society presents its annual awards which the Society's website says: 'honour a broad sweep of live music making including categories for performers, composers, inspirational arts organisations and education'.

The awards are being made in London tomorrow (Tuesday 8th May). The Society's 'media partner' is BBC Radio 3, and they are using the evening slot from which they banished live music to broadcast an awards ceremony which 'honour(s) a broad sweep of live music '. And just to underline their policy of 'live and let die' the BBC are recording the live music awards and putting the programme out the following evening (Wednesday 9th May).

Now read how a BBC Radio 3 historic recording was a fraud
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