Radio 3 might be ‘dumbing down', but annoyingly it's working
Earlier this month, the BBC's veteran war correspondent Lyse Doucet said that she has been 'turning away from the news and listening to Radio 3 instead of Radio 4'. Doucet's reason was that the news has been so unremittingly depressing of late; Radio 3 was a sanctuary.
She is far from alone – last week's Rajar figures showed that Radio 3 is on the up, with 2.15m tuning in, the station's best for many years. To add to the sense of achievement, almost every other BBC station had lost listeners in the same period. And before Radio 3 controller Sam Jackson could finish his first celebratory glass of fizz, someone was pouring him another, as Radio 3 won Station of the Year at the prestigious Audio and Radio Industry Awards (Arias).
It is a vindication of sorts for Jackson, who has been fighting accusations of 'dumbing down' since he arrived two years ago. His predecessors would sympathise, going right back to George Barnes when he kicked off the Third Programme in 1946 and, two years later, was fighting accusations of 'vulgarisation' from EM Forster. The crime? Playing 'light' music concerts, including Bizet, Strauss and Mozart).
Radio 3's gift and curse is that it emerged (or perhaps descended) from the Third Programme, which was set up to be strenuously high-minded, mixing classical music with poetry, philosophy and debate. Its mission wasn't simply to educate, inform and entertain, but to expand, refine and civilise. There are many Radio 3 listeners who still believe this is the station's mission – no wonder they bristle at the loss of Free Thinking and Drama on 3, at the perceived 'therapisation' of classical music, or at the existence of Jools Holland (the boogie-woogiefication of classical music).
Those purists would suggest that Radio 3's recent resurgence isn't despite any 'dumbing down', but because of it – further evidence that it is slumping inexorably towards Classic FM territory.
Is this fair? In response to the heartening Rajar figures, Radio 3's press release trumpeted their more highbrow content, from the Pierre Boulez centenary celebrations to 25 for 25: Sounds of a Century, 25 new commissions from contemporary composers. We don't know if it is this specific programming that is bringing the listeners in – specific figures were not provided – but it is encouraging to see the station take pride in its more challenging offerings.
EM Forster may not agree, but when it comes to the music it's hard to make a strong case that Radio 3 has dumbed down. Classical Live, Radio 3 in Concert and Composer of the Week still offer a variety that the commercial stations wouldn't dare, while jazz, new music and opera are ring-fenced by dedicated programming. A push for 'diversity' (female composers!) has only broadened the station's offering. There is no doubt that in recent times the station has fallen into the trap of trying to attract listeners who like their classical music to be 'calm, soothing and mindful', and often accompanied by birdsong and lapping waves, but this is hopefully something that will be redressed by the launch of new 'mindful' digital station Radio 3 Unwind.
However, it is in the spaces in between the music where Radio 3 has undoubtedly grown more populist, and this is something unlikely to be reversed. Listeners long ago got used to the audience interactivity that was once the preserve of Radio 5 Live, but it is the presenters who seem to stir up the most passion. The likes of Tom McKinney, Katie Derham, Jess Gillam and Linton Stephens lean more into being informally enthusiastic than tweedily knowledgeable, while the inclusion of Holland and newsreader Clive Myrie suggest a safety-first approach. 'Don't be scared! We love classical music and we're not going to be stuffy about it!' As someone who is a far-cry from being a classical music buff, I am a good test case – and I have found the station to be more approachable and accessible of late. That will likely send shudders down the spines of the purists.
While Jackson did not begin the jettisoning of spoken word programming, it does seem he is keen to finish the job and create a purely classical music station. Some decisions are financial – on Radio 4's Feedback he said that budget cuts forced him to choose between live classical music and drama – but there is the sense of brand-building here too. Not Classic FM, but the anti-Classic FM. A classical music station with highbrow aspirations, but, crucially, a classical music station. If you want wider culture, off you go to Radio 4. It's understandable, but it's a pity – and I eye the superb Sunday Feature nervously. Yet, if the listener numbers are rising, then it can only be that Radio 3 is successfully bringing classical music to new audiences, dumbed down or not.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
35 minutes ago
- BBC News
The Tooney & Russo Show Inside Their Homes: Comforts, Cooking & Decor Secrets
Vick gets personal with Ella Toone and Alessia Russo, uncovering their home essentials, fridge must-haves, and signature dishes - including Tooney's go-to meal. Vick also shares why her childhood teddy, 'Snowy,' still means so much to her. The trio reveals their very different approaches to home decor, plus a nostalgic look back at the time Ella and Alessia shared a house in Manchester - where Tooney's obsession with Eton Mess truly began!
Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Campaign begins to save Turner oil painting
A campaign to bring one of the earliest works by JMW Turner back to Bristol has begun. The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent's Rock, Bristol, had remained tucked away in private collections since it was last exhibited in Tasmania, Australia, in 1858. Last year, it was authenticated as a pivotal early work by Turner after the artist's signature was discovered during cleaning. The piece, depicting the Avon Gorge before the Clifton Suspension Bridge was built, was the first oil painting exhibited by Turner at the Royal Academy in 1793, when he was 18. Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is now keen to acquire the work, believed to be the only Turner oil painting of the city. Bring Turner Home It has launched a one-week public fundraising campaign, called Bring Turner Home, to raise £100,000 towards the purchase of the painting, which will go under the hammer at Sotheby's on July 2. If the bid is successful, the piece will become part of Bristol's public collection and go on display this summer. Philip Walker, the head of culture and creative industries at Bristol city council, said: 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring a lost masterpiece back to Bristol, a painting that connects our city to one of the greatest artists in history at a defining moment in his life. 'Turner painted this scene when he was just 17, inspired by the dramatic beauty of the Avon Gorge. Now, over two centuries later, we have the chance to bring it home where it can belong to everyone. We want this painting to be part of the city's story, accessible to all and inspiring to future generations. 'We know this is a hugely ambitious fundraising campaign, with a ridiculously small window to raise the money – but Bristol is internationally renowned for its art and culture, and we just can't miss the opportunity to try and go for it. It would be an absolute travesty if Bristol's lost Turner is sold to a private or overseas buyer.' The council is believed to be the only public bidder attempting to secure the piece, which has an estimate of £200,000 to £300,000. Public ownership Bristol Museum and Art Gallery aims to exhibit the piece in as early as August before it travels to Tate Britain for its major Turner and Constable exhibition in November. A council spokesman said: 'No council funding will be used to buy the painting. Instead, the museum is turning to the people of Bristol and supporters of art and heritage across the country to help raise the funds needed to ensure the painting remains in public ownership, rather than entering a private collection.' Turner painted The Rising Squall during a visit to Bristol in 1792. It is based on an on-the-spot drawing found in Turner's Bristol and Malmesbury sketchbook, which he used on a tour of the West Country in 1791, and a watercolour the following year. The piece was bought by the Rev Robert Nixon, an early supporter of Turner, with whom the artist used to stay. Early biographies of Turner record that the artist painted his first oil piece in Rev Nixon's house. Rev Nixon's son, the Rev Dr Francis Russell Nixon, Lord Bishop of Tasmania, inherited the painting before it was acquired by publisher Joseph Hogarth in the early 1860s. It went up for auction at Christie's in London in 1864 before going to a private collection in Northamptonshire, until it was anonymously sold in April last year. During that auction, at Dreweatts in Newbury, the piece was wrongly attributed to 'follower of Julius Caesar Ibbetson', an 18th-century artist. Restoration work then took place, revealing the signature 'W Turner' on the lower left of the canvas. Until that point, it had been believed that Turner's earliest exhibited oil painting was a piece known as Fisherman at Sea, which he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1796.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
What you need to know for Chalke History Festival
Bringing everything from living history exhibits to traditional crafts and a soldier's march, the week-long Chalke History Festival kicks off again from 23 to 29 June it incorporates more than 175 experts, including big names like Kevin McCloud, Al Murray, Michael Palin and Ian exhibits and displays increase as the week goes on, including the chance to see armoured combat, all from a working farm in Broad Chalke, deep in the Wiltshire countryside near open at 16:15 BST on Monday and Tuesday, and 09:15 BST the rest of the week. What's on? From talks, living history and hands-on experiences to live music, children's activities and vivacious historians - organisers say there is something for everyone. There are also some new features this year, including a speakers tent that hosts 900 people and a new After Dark programme in a tent appropriately named 'The Henge' for its Wiltshire visitors will find music, but also speakers on monsters and are 158 events in the main programme four places for talks, they often happen simultaneously and range from ancient to modern history. Followers of history podcasts will recognise Tom Holland, while avid readers of historical fiction will recognise names like Kate Mosse and Tracy will also be Romans meeting World War Two soldiers in the living history, where people can see anything from smelting to cooking and are also numerous food and shopping stalls. How do I get there? The site is along Bury Lane in Broad Chalke near Salisbury, and its narrow roads means there is a one-way system in recommend allowing extra time for those driving and following the signs to the festival rather than a nearest railway station is Salisbury and it is about a 45 minute drive from number 29 bus has the nearest stop - at the church - leaving a third of a mile walk to the festival. It does not run on the Sunday however. How do I get tickets? Previous visitors will notice a change in the way tickets are issued this year. Instead of being for individual talks or just for going onto the site itself, they include everything except some extras like the wild west are day, evening, weekend and full week tickets, with the weekend usually the a whole week pass is £200, evening tickets (for after 16:15 BST on weekdays) are £29 and full day tickets are £58. There are discounts for students and children can get in are available online with some available on the day subject to availability, with camping and glamping an option too.
