Page 235 - ASMF Marriner 100 Coverage Book

Discs/The Reunion is the more seamless follow-on from Broadcasting House. Still the carping

comes. On last weekend’s Feedback, Alison Winter, the BBC’s head of audiences, radio and

education, further explained some research around R4 Sunday morning listening habits. She

said: “Audiences were strong first thing, then we would lose them and they weren’t finding their
way back. We get people switching on for The Archers, and we get people switching off. What

we were seeing, over time, was that switching off was more and more intense.”

My feedback from Jackson is that a similar pattern of listener drift as days progressed —

especially at the weekends — has informed his changes. Both networks’ listeners start the day
wanting information, but quite soon (news fatigued?) go seeking more comforting fare (a switch

from R4’s Today to R3’s Breakfast, for example). Radio 4’s new Café Hope, with Rachel

Burden hearing inspirational stories weekdays at 9.45am, feels a little too obvious an effort to

assuage audience angst — while keeping them tuned in.

Overall I enjoyed R3’s first Saturday Morning. Tonally, R4’s Saturday Live seems a model, but

Service stays anchored in the classical world: guests included the superstar pianist Lang Lang

and mezzo Joyce DiDonato. Initially, I was more sceptical about Jools Holland’s boogie-woogie

leanings having a place on Radio 3. But then I was beguiled by his first episode’s interview with

the violist Anna Phoebe, her music choices and improvisations.

For all the excitement about podcasts and digital (mine included), the UK remains a nation of

radio listeners: 88 per cent of UK adults tune in every week. Certain programming marshals my

day, but my greatest joy remains stuff stumbled upon serendipitously because the radio just

happened to be on. Last week this included the exemplary The Everest Obsession (BBC Sounds;

R4 Mon-Fri) and Anna Phoebe’s musical sketches. When the scheduling is right, we stay tuned.