Read this: Radio 3 Shake Up and The Now Show No More

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts hello and welcome, it's been the season 4 schedule shake ups, what is happening to Radio 3 presenters infiltrating a revered classical music station mixtape spreading.

It's all a man to the pulling dumb and controller some Jackson is here to explain what he's hoping to achieve on the station in fantastically not trying to create classic FM without the ads.

I want us to offer something and the night show is now a thing of the past however so missed another icon hits the dust after 25 years radio Force topical comedy staple food last week presenters, Steve punt and Dennis join me to mark the moment it may well, be that I never never able to.

More from Stephen King later.

Sun Jackson is radio freeze relatively new controller he's been there for a just a year and up 40 his much younger than most of the stations listeners earlier this month.

He took the plunge and introduced a raft of changes to the station schedule to long-running speech programs and moving to Radio 4.

There is a new 3-hour weekday program, and and you tonight Lee jazz Show Friday night is music night as finding you home on Radio 3 after it was scrapped by Radio 2 last year while some of the biggest is I've taken place at the weekend with more new programs new presenters and the long-standing Record Review moving slot hear some of your thoughts BBC Radio 3 the home of classical music from Garstang in the Yorkshire Dales

Play Welcome to record review in its news Saturday afternoon.

Thanks and help me to Radio 3 and Andrew McGregor relegated to the presenters infiltrating a revered music station mixtape spreading.

It's all a man to the pooling dumb and down and Michael Thornton-Cleveleys Lancashire and I'm hi.

It's Chris from Devon really enjoying Saturday morning and first the Breakfast Show and now the Love remix at home services offering us music by Kevin puts jisoo jang was the marimba soloist in the first movement of his Concerto Marin Alsop conducted.

Music night oh dear it.

Just doesn't fit a toilet even if you put people like Petroc Trelawny in front of it.

It doesn't work train from Devon under the new version.

We have lost the most intelligent broad-minded enjoyable programme from Radio 3 evenings and play the key role in the coronation of King Charles last year the Stone of Scone is freethinking best most entertaining informative programme which has been shuffled off to once a week on Radio 4 at the time when one is almost inevitably doing something else the general dumbing down of Radio 3 continues.

Hello Jennifer Kavanagh and I live just around the corner from Broadcasting House in London

Very concerned at the dumbing down over the past few years exemplified by the growing amount of light music.

I welcome extended breakfast and essential Classics that will encourage longer serious pieces under lighted to say about the controller of radio 3 Sam Jackson is joining me night in the studio some welcome to feedback.

Thank you.

Give me a summer nights in schedule.

Changes is a perilous moment for any controller and you don't need me to tell you had dedicated the listeners of Radio 3 on how much they care the station and we've had some very positive comments there, but one constant theme seems to be a concern that there is a shift from serious content to dumbing down some do you take that seriously that has been used for decades about every other.

Who is the role that I'm very fortunate enough to hold now? I was reading to earlier today and article from the Guardian 12 years ago in which was right was accused of dumbing down Radio 3 so I take listen back incredibly seriously but I don't believe that we are dumbing down Radio 3 far from it.

I believe that what we have is an utterly distinctive station that offers the kind of music and the breadth depth of repertoire and programming that you simply don't hear anywhere else and I'm sure we will get into the detail of the answer in relation to what that means for the new schedule, but I I would say emphatically that I don't know that description of Radio 3 some let's look at the big picture.

You've been in post for a almost exactly a year.

You've made some Brother Big changes particularly at the weekends itching to change the schedule for the moment you arrived.

No I wanted when I came in to understand the audience to really take on board all of the data that we have in the BBC about who the

3 listeners are and the kind of things that they want and to understand where we sit within the BBC more broadly so I look at the average hours per listener.

Spent listening to Radio for 12 hours per week Radio 2 and 6 Music around 10:10 and 1/2 hours per week the average Radio 3 listening meanwhile only listens for 7 and 1/2 hours per week.

I think it is a common misconception that the Radio 3 audience is comprised entirely of people who listen for a very very long time and no the radio station Inside Out don't get me wrong.

There are people who do and I'm very very grateful to them for giving us so much of their time but again the reality is at present half of the existing Radio 3 audience do not listen at all at the weekend so the reason for wanting to reshape our weekend output is about having more impact for the audience is encouraging people to listen for longer because if they give us more of their time.

They're getting more value from the life.

No Friday night is music night that radio to store what has been relaunched on Radio 3 was that your decision it was and it was it as has been reported in the press a move to to boost Ealing listening figures Radio 3 has lost 227000 listeners in September last year 11% many people will worry that this is a direction of travel that they don't want to say for the shouldn't worry.

I was saying terms of the listening figures addressing that point directly Andrea clearly somebody in my role needs to look very carefully audience figures for the network that they run and it is undoubtedly the case that in recent years Radio 3 has had some challenging numbers with paid for licence fee payers and if some people are turning off.

I need to ask why that is and I need to look at how we can draw them back in crucially without diluting what we offer and without undermining what the

The audience want the case of Friday night is music night is really interesting because this is music.

That is not heard anyone else on the BBC I believe that Radio 3 is the time for that program will everybody enjoy it.

No, but then not everybody enjoys many of the other programs that we broadcasting I've had a number of Direct emails letter from listeners.

Who are really chuffed that Friday night is music night now has a home the world champion in the BBC Concert Orchestra and that we are playing repertoire as I say, you don't hear elsewhere not just from the BBC be anywhere on UK radio.

Let's talk specifically about some of the schedule changes that have been filling our inbox and I suspect yours to the loss of three thinking and the two speech-based programs than I gone to Radio 4 white a number of reasons so firstly I wanted to make some changes to the evenings on Radio 3 to better serve the audience say.

Having been here a year was very clear from the data and audience research which is expensive that I have seen is that far away people come to Radio 3 for music about anything else? That is not the speech program is not a part of what we do a course.

It is we have interview programs.

We have documentaries.

We have a rafter different speech programmes on the station, but actually that evening audience by and large.

I wanting something different from Radio 3 at the same time free-thinking and the verb are really special programs that I believe in an ideal world.

We should still be finding a home for the BBC and so early on when both me and motorbike either BBC director of speech and does he will know Andrea the control of radio for when we were both looking at changes on our networks.

We had a conversation about those programs know he has been brilliantly supportive and said look actually.

I think we can find a home for these on Radio 4 where I should point out.

To be heard by more people I appreciate I really do that for those listeners.

Who are used to those programs on Radio 3 at a particular time that is somewhat discombobulated.

They need to listen to Radio 4 instead, but what I would ask people to understand is that in order to bring about some change and introduce new program so round with night on your jazz programmer night tracks to 10 or moving the essay forward to 9:45.

You can't fit everything in some things do need to move and I'm genuinely very pleased that we've not have to remove this present ideas simply pass them on to Radio 4.

Where are they now? Have a new home and it is difficult to please all the listeners some feel that there's too much jazz on the station on others and of course underscored by that infectious grooves.

I really love nails soulful vocals this is round Midnight on BBC Radio 3 and I'm Soweto kinch.

Hi Sam it's Greg Sadler from Stratford-on-Avon Radio 3 still own jazz.

It still feels like it's a very very small part of your output and the missed opportunity to capitalise on a massive Resurgence of interest in the genre, Soweto kinch.

Show is fantastic by the way, did you say contemporary Charles seems far too little I agree with Greg it's a really exciting time for jazz in the UK and I therefore wanted to do something to really Mark celebrate that on Radio 3.

We have doubles hours devoted to Jazz on the network and again.

It's an example of something that only Radio 3 can offer we have live sessions with every Friday night different British jazz artist coming on and performing for for the Radio 3 audience.

I appreciate that you are needed to earlier.

Not everybody loves jazz equally not everybody loves other forms of Anna beautinow of the way in which we work is that anybody can listen to BBC sounds and they can choose a programme that they would like to give into if a whatever reason.

What is on live on Radio 3 in that.

Is not there after know one thing that listeners regularly get in touch about it is the station sign the trails the idents Adrian shooter says this.

I don't need to be listening to Radio 3.

It's annoying because it breaks a mood that is special to Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 the home of classical music for short excerpts of popular pieces when I'm busy but more of this brings us closer to classic.fm some what would you say to Adrienne are you free classic FM without the ads classified cm without the out.

I want us to offer something utterly different at Radio 3 and actually I thought this question might come up regarding FM giving that I used to work there and I just had a look at their breakfast programme last Friday and compared it to radio Three's to say actually are we hoping what they do which is the kind of lazy assertion that some in the media have made.

On Classic FM bar one piece of music from Andrew Lloyd Webber the entire breakfast programme was music by deceased white male composers on Radio 3 meanwhile on Friday we played choral music by Jennifer Higdon we had no casualties by Doreen carwithen.

We had a rich tapestry of music of a Kind that classic FM simply does not offer you so of course.

No, I'm not looking to turn into any of the radio station on the specific question that Adrian raises about trails.

I think this is a really careful balancing out so where we are Radio 3 at the moment.

Is that if we will not play any more than one trial in any given our I don't believe that in the context of 60 minutes devoting 34/42 to tell people about something they might enjoy later in the week or they might be able to listen to On Demand on BBC sounds is too much and actually the evidence would suggest that when we get it right.

It does really connect with audiences last.

We celebrated so Neville marriner and his centenary the late great conductor and we do that all day on Radio 3 we run quite a lot of trials about it in the run-up it was the biggest Monday for lives on BBC sounds in a very long time coming from there is too many of them too much messaging too much repetition of course it can drive people mad.

We need to be really careful there were balancing.

Please of the heavy H listeners and most people living in again.

It comes back to value for the audience if they hear about something that they wouldn't otherwise listen to and then enjoy it.

They're getting more than the BBC I know that you'll have had loads of listeners get in touch with you to tell you what they think about this new schedule as indeed.

We have you said that you take feedback very seriously.

Have you been minded to change any of the decisions? You've made because of what you've heard from listeners.

I think it's very early days at this stage the new schedule hasn't even been running for a month and so we do need to let it settle down.

And to see how things sound and to move on from this of the initial hiatus about a schedule change to say actually, what is the feedback that we now getting but that could sound dismissive in it absolutely is what I'm not saying is how we seen a feedback but we don't really take it on board.

We absolutely do and Weed Everyday that passes we are asking questions about the the output on on Radio 3 so listen very carefully to our audience the caveat.

I would add is that from personal experience those people who shout the loudest at times like this.

I'm necessarily representative of the broader audience so absolutely we take on board the very Direct feedback from people who are those heavy H listeners have been with us for many years.

We've already do my job is also to balance that with the people who are getting in touch and saying I'm listening to Radio 3 for the first time.

I can't believe you've brought back Friday night is music night.

Thank you.

The beauty of the world in which we live is that there's no one right answer people are allowed to have those different opinions what we absolutely try best to do is make sure that there's something for everybody and that'll listens feel welcome and thank you so much for joining us on feedback.

Thank you for having me well.

If you'd like to share your thoughts on anything you hear on BBC audio.

Please do get in touch in fact many of you have been views about changes to local radio across England and on next week's feedback.

I'll be talking to Chris Burns who's Behind Those changes, so do please get your questions in and I'll try to as many of them to her as possible.

You can leave us a WhatsApp voice note on 0330 333 4544 you can also ring us direct on the same number and leave a voice message or email is feedback at bbc.co.uk and it is at BBC R4 feedback on social media.

No last Friday so the end of an era Radio 4 satirical comedy programme The Night show is no more and no it's presenter Steve punt and Hugh Dennis I'm going to be back on Radio 4 with a new series in October the boys shows Demise has sad and many listeners.

My name is Ken Jones and I live in Luton which is near Warrington so it better fond farewell to the no-show presumably cancel because they failed to dumb down so shortly to include younger audiences.

I should have to think what will replace it.

My name is Duncan Robinson from York one of the pleasures on a Friday evening was listening to the Now Show I perceived that the engineers was too much for BBC Radio 4 photos of the third in line to the throne surfaced.

They were met with a sigh of relief because at least he wasn't in a nutsy uniform.

My name is Janet Phillips in Hertfordshire I know that you and Steve are going to do something you missed another icon hits the dust the Now Show is just the rest up little starter and has had some amazing contributors over the years.

We will really miss them.

This is Margaret from Bournemouth why is the Now Show coming to an end it is for the best and cleverest of the news comedy programme.

And even handed I do hope this is the choice of the Now Show presenters and not have BBC cut staying in the same job for to hello by Martin from Essex and profoundly disappointed to hear of the decision to cancel the Now Show there's a reason it lasted 25 years and my strongly held opinion is that this was misguided well? I'm delighted to say that with me night is Hugh Dennis and Steve welcome both of you to feedback.

Thank you a lot of disappointed listeners there and they all want to know is why is the night show coming to an end we don't really know ourselves.

I think it's it's been on for a quarter of a century and I think the BBC thought that's how did you find out that the night she was going to end after 25 years we were taken to lunch nice lunch when you get taken to lunch while thinking this isn't just about.

What is going on in addition to languages, but that was a statement from Julia McKenzie who is caused the commissioning editor of Radio 4 comedy as we reached this milestone.

No feels like the right time for you and Steve to turn their legendary comic to a new Radio 4 show we are so proud of everything that the Now Show has achieved as a farmer producer of the show as well as the current commissioner.

I'd like to thank you and Steve for their passion and commitment to audio comedy and the audience was a bit odd isn't it when we celebrate your parrot commitment by cancelling your show that wasn't decision but I don't think we ever ever pretended that it was but equally we have been in and around BBC comedy you long enough to know the things.

Don't think don't.

Last forever you know it's been great for 25 years, but there are other things we want to do so it's sort of disappointing and freeing all of the same time as a result of mixture of the things that you do have to make room for other people do you get the feeling with you that you do think it was reasonably sensitively handled we were very fairly treated we could have had a slightly nicer lunch.

I mean it's almost like an archetype.

Isn't it of of the modern world? This is where your called into an office and I'm afraid with letting you go and it's never easy for anyone whatever you do for a living because you're effectively being told you know you're you're too old for this now and I sort of feel that the up the odd thing with with topical comedy is I feel no it's actually experiences useful.

I wonder what was it like for you recording that's fine.

Right up until the red light went on I was so busy with with the shower as normal you know and getting script ready in rehearsing and all that and it was only really once we've started that it really starting to Dawn on me.

You know this is the last time will do this.

So it was a little bit emotional was the homework has got in touch to say this a weekly topical comedy show that's got to be one of the toughest gigs.

You can get your only got a few days to think of some really good jokes and the matter is pretty limited.

So you've done a great job over 25 years and more has the way that you were approached topical comedy actually changed over 25 years.

Yes, I think it has the me the Landscape has is one of the biggest changes in social media.

Bulletins at particular times and you get a newspaper in the morning and where is now used as a continuous bombardement of united-man going off and there are 24-hour channels if you want news, it is absolutely everywhere.

It's it's hard to keep up with and it sort of slightly harder to to use a word that I don't like correct unused trump has in addition to other charges.

He's been charged with bringing disrepute into disrepute.

I would say the Odyssey actually I would say it's all got a little bit more tighter on things like that.

Do you think you've been on a Titleist over the years with BBC impartiality as you know why Lynn by jealousy is an important balance is very important all the rest of it when you're looking through the news.

You can't possibly do it.

You know he's going to do 6 jokes about this and then 6 jokes about.

Because there are just some things that people have read and are funny so you have to go for those yeah, I've been your highlights of the last 25 years.

Can you remember any moments that really stick with all the way through covid site where very proud of having done is at home and worked out how to do it and still you know made the week's news hello and welcome to the Now Show which this week like everyone else we're doing via conference call you when I'm in there are instances where reality about pieces anything you can think of I think it 2009 when we had MPs claiming expenses for cleaning out there note.

I didn't realise I wish I had that sort of imagination who know short words for exchange explained.

Had to tell him to watch his mouth out with soap and water Timpson Cardiff centres.

This he wanted you can't speak for the BBC but in your personal opinion.

Do you think that political satire is still playing is bigger role the BBC post night and I honestly don't know but we don't know what this is the now so I don't know what comes next hour but I would hope I would hope that the little sets are in satires fine and still in the schedule of that comedy is the BBC is slightly threatened species are there because it's difficult to do you know is expensive to make but I think that the you know you remember moments from comedy shows more than you've never met me many different types of shows like you are concerned about the future of comedy at the BBC I don't fundamentally fear fear 4 comedy or fear full set.

Just think it goes in it.

Just goes into of waves and Report around about sort of 2004/2005 ordered.

He wanted more satellite and there's a whole space of pilots made in there was a new to the topic of shot on a three network at one stage then so it will go in and out under how long is going to take you or if you ever going to be able to really listen to news programs without thinking in your head high am I gonna satirise this so I think it'll be a long time if I may well be that I never able to listen to the news and not go global box is sorted approved.

It's actually is that people don't listen to things or watch things and quite the way that you think they do right so if you're watching the news of abuse going.

Terrible story in the UK finding the whole time you're finding funny little quirky things about what your what channel is actually people people can see medium or interactively than you think so in fact what we've been doing for 25 years is shouting at the telly.

Isn't it really and you and Steve will be back in October with their new series route for now if you miss the last series of The Night show.

It's all available on BBC signs and the course every episode of feedback is also on signs if you press the subscribe button program will appear in your personal feed every week.

Thank you so much for listening and for giving us your feedback given with the new series of the Infinite Monkey guide.

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