Classical records lose prime slot on BBC Radio 3

Among multiple changes announced today in the Radio 3 schedules, one will shed gloom and despondancy on the remnants of the international classical record industry.

For as long as anyone can remember, certainly longer than half a century, Saturday morning was where listeners listened to critical analysis of a classical work on record, along with other intimations of recording news. The timing was crucial since it was before many people pulled on their coats and went down to the high street to visit the record store.

But times have changed. There are hardly any records stores left. People buy online. So Radio 3, under new management, has dumped Record Review from its traditional spot and shunted it to sleepy time, 2 to 4 pm, on Saturday afternoon.

This amounts to serious loss of profile for the record industry. It may be the lowest branch of the tree before total drop-off.

The news-oriented Music Matters also moves to a new time and format, on Saturdays, from 1pm-2pm.

In other R3 changes, easy-listening Friday Night is Music Night, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, has been imported from Radio 2 and there’s a Round Midnight jazz programme five nights a week.

These importations will take time to bed in. None signifies an obvious pitch for a younger audience.

Two speech programmes, The Verb and Free Thinking, will move to BBC Radio 4.