Longitude on R4

[lustyd]

Just to clarify the young are not abandoning TV they are abandoning live TV because it's an outdated concept.

The TV licence thing is a separate issue in my opinion, and more related to the steady decline of the BBC in almost every aspect of what they do. I used to consider them a good source for news, but that has long ago been replaced by opinionated propaganda that just makes me want to de-fund them. They still make a few decent programs, but the way they try to monetise these in the population who paid to make them is an insult.

 

[mjcoon]

Just to clarify the young are not abandoning TV they are abandoning live TV because it's an outdated concept.

Agreed. I am happy for the BBC not to pay for any live sport broadcasts at all, for instance.

 

[mjcoon]

I think it's BBC4 tv BBC Four to become archive channel as cost-cutting drive continues

So even less relevant to In Our Time (or The Archers for that matter!)...

 

[lustyd]

Agreed. I am happy for the BBC not to pay for any live sport broadcasts at all, for instance.

That's an interesting one because traditionally the BBC would carry the less popular sports so I kind of am in favour of them continuing to do so via web channels. I definitely don't see a reason they should waste money on expensive content like football where audiences will happily go elsewhere.

 

[MADRIGAL]

It seems I got hold of the wrong end of the stick. It is in fact BBC 4 (TV) that will become an archive channel, not Radio 4. Thanks to the earlier post for that correction.
The In Our Time podcasts are great, and podcasts in general are a source of interesting information presented by interesting people - my daughter at university sent me a link to one on marine archaeology the other day. Nevertheless, I still like radio when I’m in the car, streaming it on the internet at home, and using BBC sounds to hear R4 programmes that were broadcast earlier in the day in my time zone. I’m not a particular fan of The Archers, but Any Questions is a must, as is the shipping forecast when I’m back in the UK (though not my only source of weather information).

 

[lustyd]

I can't imagine why you'd listen to the shipping forecast for any reason other than reminiscing about how obfuscated our country managed to make the weather information. The US system they just tell you the weather, although even that is not very useful in 2021 compared to pretty much any other option

 

[MADRIGAL]

I can't imagine why you'd listen to the shipping forecast for any reason other than reminiscing about how obfuscated our country managed to make the weather information. The US system they just tell you the weather, although even that is not very useful in 2021 compared to pretty much any other option

Yes, there’s definitely an element of reminiscing

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Back on topic. The first of the experts to speak has such an annoying style of speaking that I can barely stand to listen. I'm sure he thinks his affectation makes him sound interesting but he's wrong.

 

[johnalison]

Back on topic. The first of the experts to speak has such an annoying style of speaking that I can barely stand to listen. I'm sure he thinks his affectation makes him sound interesting but he's wrong.

I see what you mean, though he doesn't offend me and I have heard much worse, and the programme is unscripted anyway. I do admire Melvyn Bragg for stepping outside his own world of letters and embracing science as a subject worth including in his series. On the other hand, I am not sure that a discussion rogramme is a very effective format here, though it will have done its job if it encourages some people to look into it further.

When I last went to Greenwich, which must have been in about 1980, Harrison's timepieces were not exactly gathering dust, but, although working, they were not given any prominence in display. In spite of this, I looked at them with amazement, and bought a modest booklet about them, which was all there was then. I have looked at the novel but not read it. It looks grim to me, and represents a sort of sentimental approach that doesn't appeal at all.

 

[Babylon]

Radio 4 has been dying an agonising death for some years now. There do remain some very interesting slots (In Our Time, The Life Scientific, All In The Mind, etc) but it is the increasing proportion of lightweight drivel and heavily over-politicised content (Women's Hour, The Archers, The Afternoon Play, so-called comedy slots, news slots that are squeezed to make space for specialist social-issue items, etc, etc) that is causing its own self-inflicted decay.

A significant proportion of hitherto loyal, intelligent, and educated adult listeners don't wish to be hectored, lectured at, or insulted for their gender, colour, age, and cultural preferences - nor do they want to embrace the unmoderated and extremely variable world of podcasts!

So they listen to R4 less and less, selecting only those few still extant (intelligent and politically uncontentious) remnants of a once first-class station, and many have simply moved to R3. (A few tune in to R4 Extra but who really wants to listen to some panel-game from two decades ago?)

The whole sorry situation has less to do with the so-called habits and preferences of the younger generations (I was already listening to R4 in my late 20s) but much more to do with the arrogant, entitled, left-leaning, metro-centric echo-chamber of Broadcasting House. (I should know... I had a girlfriend for many years who was a R4 producer... who however terminated our friendship once New Labour were eventually voted out of office.)

As to the "Longitude" programme, I found it quite interesting - however I did wonder if the average listener (who doesn't understand anything about basic position-fixing let alone astro-nav) would have wondered why they needed a clock that kept accurate time! i.e. the component parts of the guest's contributions were not joined by way of any meaningful explanation.

 

[DJE]

This book on the subject is very good.
Longitude

 

[mjcoon]

This book on the subject is very good.
Longitude

Which is why I mentioned it in post #9. I also have her "Galileo's Daughter" , which isn't quite so relevant!

 

[mjcoon]

Back on topic. The first of the experts to speak has such an annoying style of speaking that I can barely stand to listen. I'm sure he thinks his affectation makes him sound interesting but he's wrong.

Now I've listened I know you refer to Simon Schama, who, as a historian of science, has been in many In Our Time episodes. I think he subscribes to the idea, common in academia, actors, poets and clergy, that you have to have a special style of speaking to be Significant.

He also came up with a good typo when he mentioned, in an unnecessary bit of detail, that ships used to measure their speed by throwing a "lead" overboard and counting the knots in the tether. I think Mark Twain would know better than that!