Radio Me

[Billy O Driscoll]

I don’t know if anyone listened to Peter Day’s Radio Me (R4) about the evolution of radio listening habits, but I think R4 is signing it’s own death warrant with all these mp3 downloads. The presenter is becoming redundant.

Christopher Berthoud spoke on Feedback several months ago about how ‘Listen Again’ had changed his listening habits – clearly radio presenters don’t mean much to him. Inspection of message boards (including all R4 boards, QQR and DID board) relating to radio can only lead one to the conclusion that the radio listening habit is dying. Anyone recall that scene (towards the end) in American Graffiti when one gets a brief glimpse of Wolfman Jack? Sadly no Wolfman Jacks to be found within R4.

[Captain Nudnick]

Billy said:

The presenter is becoming redundant.
Sadly no Wolfman Jacks to be found within R4.

I visited WABC New York in the early 70s. They told me that personality presenters were a thing of the past. That was over thirty years ago, so perhaps we are just catching up... There never were any Wolfman Jacks on R4 - the nearest BBC thing would have been R1's Emperor Roscoe.

[Billy O Driscoll]

Thank you for such a prompt response.

I visited WABC New York in the early 70s. They told me that personality presenters were a thing of the past

Perhaps, you’ll certainly struggle to find anyone below the age of 50 in the UK with a profound love of listening to the radio. The only way that R4 can recruit new listeners is via comedy (and I don’t believe they’ll stay) – most of which I don’t find too amusing.

There never were any Wolfman Jacks on R4

Well I don’t know, John Peel and John Walters came quite close! They used to make me laugh when pretending to be mad Americans! Also David Simmons (or was it David Symonds?) read the news on R4. I loved David Symonds’ jingle: ‘put kettle on mother’ on Radio 1. His single ‘Here is the news’ was also a good record to sing along with (hee-hee).

I’ve often got the feeling that Peter Donaldson and Susan Rae read the news wearing denim jackets. Peter Donaldson’s has got: ‘Blue Oyster Cult’ embroidered on the back of his.

the nearest BBC thing would have been R1's Emperor Roscoe

Oh yes and what an outcry when he joined R1? The nice thing about Emperor Roscoe is that fellow broadcasters always speak about him with great warmth. Couldn’t agree more.

[Captain Nudnick]

The WABC setup was a two sided desk, with presenter on one side and engineer on the other. No headphones, when the mic was opened the monitor volume was dropped automatically. Rick Sklar, the station manager said "It's so simple a chim pansy could run it." I later realized he meant chimpanzee... No turntables, the playlist all on spotmaster cassettes - the Number one played every 60 minutes, Number 2 every 75 minutes and Number 3 every 90 minutes.
They were the biggest Top 40 station in the country. But dull...

[dulcinea]

Billy said:

I don’t know if anyone listened to Peter Day’s Radio Me (R4) about the evolution of radio listening habits, but I think R4 is signing it’s own death warrant with all these mp3 downloads. The presenter is becoming redundant.

Christopher Berthoud spoke on Feedback several months ago about how ‘Listen Again’ had changed his listening habits – clearly radio presenters don’t mean much to him. Inspection of message boards (including all R4 boards, QQR and DID board) relating to radio can only lead one to the conclusion that the radio listening habit is dying. Anyone recall that scene (towards the end) in American Graffiti when one gets a brief glimpse of Wolfman Jack? Sadly no Wolfman Jacks to be found within R4.

i haven't heard any of this.. but i know that i recently spouted off on CIY that scheduling really does not need to be discussed any more in light of the advent of listening à la carte... as i said then - a topic to large for me to discuss sensibly, but i know that my habits changed through the intervention of ivan the terrible and it is astonishing how easily one can slip into a different mode of doing things...

if nothing else stuff found uninteresting, annoying or naff in any way never gets another look-in... thus depriving the programmes of ever being considered again [should they miraculously turn into magnificent offerings - i am probably just mean]...

sorry if this is completely beside the point...

[Crusoe]

Billy said:

I don’t know if anyone listened to Peter Day’s Radio Me (R4) about the evolution of radio listening habits, but I think R4 is signing it’s own death warrant with all these mp3 downloads.

Unfortunately, I missed this programme: it sounds like it was very interesting. I think that all media are being changed by changes in technology: the spread of the internet and widespread availability of computers is a large part of it but there are other things, as well, such as videos, DVDs, digital, satellite and cable broadcasting and so on.

This makes things very odd: whilst there seems to be a growing conservatism in the mainstream, the ability to create and distribute things really quite cheaply has led to a growing diversity of material being produced. Resonance104.4fm, for example, has some fascinating programmes and, thanks to broadcasting on the internet, it is available the world over. The only problem with all of the new material that is available is trying to work out what things you might like and where to find them. Within this sort of fragmented, diverse environment, there is bound to be more competition, leading to a reduction in listening to the traditional networks.

One of the things which I think made Radio 4 less viable is the change that occurred under James Boyle, when this “banding” was introduced, so that the same sort of programmes are broadcast at the same times each day. Most people (particularly during a working week) will only have the opportunity to listen to the radio at certain times of day: usually the same times and so they will always hear the same sorts of programmes, whether they like them or not. The “Listen Again” and “Podcasting” facilities do at least allow people to have access to the more of the programmes than they would otherwise have and could be a lifeline, rather than a death-warrant for Radio 4, albeit that the majority of listening to Radio 4 may, in time, not be done using a radio.

Billy said:

Christopher Berthoud spoke on Feedback several months ago about how ‘Listen Again’ had changed his listening habits – clearly radio presenters don’t mean much to him.

You may be right but I don’t really see why the use of “listen again” and the like should mean that presenters become less important. The first Radio 4 programme to be available as an MP3 was “In Our Time”, which is heavily dependent on Melvyn Bragg.

I think that one of the things which will suffer in the new world is the tendency to hear an unexpected gem on the most unlikely of subjects. With the radio permanently on and little choice available you would listen to things which did not, initially, sound particularly promising from their descriptions. With the vast choice of media, this is less likely to happen but that is something that Radio 4 can’t be held responsible for. And at least, now, if you do hear of one of those gems, you can listen to it online, later.

Billy said:

Perhaps, you’ll certainly struggle to find anyone below the age of 50 in the UK with a profound love of listening to the radio.

I’m not sure you’d find too many people who claimed to have a profound love of any particular medium because there is such a diversity and they have been brought up with that diversity. It is far more likely that people will have a profound love of certain programmes or performers.

[Billy O Driscoll]

webb said:

Unfortunately, I missed this programme: it sounds like it was very interesting. I think that all media are being changed by changes in technology: the spread of the internet and widespread availability of computers is a large part of it but there are other things, as well, such as videos, DVDs, digital, satellite and cable broadcasting and so on.

Yes this is true Crusoe, but I think one has to be careful about concluding that there’s an increased interest in radio as a consequence of the revolution you describe.

This makes things very odd: whilst there seems to be a growing conservatism in the mainstream, the ability to create and distribute things really quite cheaply has led to a growing diversity of material being produced. Resonance104.4fm, for example, has some fascinating programmes and, thanks to broadcasting on the internet, it is available the world over.

Strange you should mention Resonance104.4fm, since I’ve dipped into this station (via the internet, but only on dial up) quite a lot lately and do find some of the programmes attract my attention. Heard an interesting interview with a Liverpudlian musician last Friday night, with some evocative sea sounds in the background. Your reference to the increasing conservatism amongst the mainstream is so accurate. R4 is a major culprit here and I can’t believe that listeners are still having to put up with programmes such as Loose Ends, Just A Minute, Mid Week and Quote Unquote. The station is unadventurous and never changes or leads. An example: do you recall how Woman’s Hour and The Food Programme jumped on the Jamie Oliver school meals bandwagon? Well just as this story had burned itself out, both The Independent (headline on front page) and Guardian ran major articles on the cost of wasted food in this country. The Independent quoted a figure of £16bn and the Guardian figure ranged between £8bn-£20bn. I didn’t hear one reference or discussion about this on any of the major R4 programmes. R4 reminds me of an old-style university where all the university lecturers are granted tenure, irrespective of their teaching or research abilities. One should substitute presenter for lecturer. I believe it’s fundamentally wrong to grant R4 presenters tenure.

The only problem with all of the new material that is available is trying to work out what things you might like and where to find them. Within this sort of fragmented, diverse environment, there is bound to be more competition, leading to a reduction in listening to the traditional networks.

Yes, and this reminds me of Dulcinea’s inspirational ‘Choice’ posting on QQ. There are times when I’d like someone else to suggest an interesting radio itinerary. Listening to some of the DAB channels, though, doesn’t lead one to conclude that there’s a great deal of diversity amongst these new channels! I really do wish that an independent station could take on R4 and produce some interesting conversational programmes. I nearly switched off Loose Ends a few weeks back with all its cliquey upper-class twaddle. I longed for the days of Stop The Week – always discussing interesting, stimulating and varied topics.

The “Listen Again” and “Podcasting” facilities do at least allow people to have access to the more of the programmes than they would otherwise have and could be a lifeline, rather than a death-warrant for Radio 4, albeit that the majority of listening to Radio 4 may, in time, not be done using a radio.

Well I’m not totally opposed to banding, since programmes such as Analysis do cover diverse subjects. The problem for me is that both the content and broadcasting style just don’t appeal. Why don’t we hear any new Mary Goldrings on R4? I’m afraid I still get a real buzz out of live radio which ‘Listen Again’ kills off. I like it when a continuity announcer makes it clear they’ve been listening to a radio programme! There was a lovely example last year on R4 when one of the studio managers left the mike on and we all heard her conversation with another T/O (was it Duncan?), prior to the Alistair Cooke tribute programme on the AH. One wag requested to hear this on POTW, but stuffy and humourless R4 never responded to this person’s posting.

I think that one of the things which will suffer in the new world is the tendency to hear an unexpected gem on the most unlikely of subjects.

Agreed and there was a classic example of this on R4 recently, with the programme about solitary shoes (will try and post about this).

I’m not sure you’d find too many people who claimed to have a profound love of any particular medium because there is such a diversity and they have been brought up with that diversity.

Well I suggest you sit down and compile lists of songs with references to radio listening, together with those relating to listening via Ipod or PC. No substitute for the romance of the ether!!!!!!