Books on BBC Radio 4

[David181173]

The current BBC Radio 4 "Book at Bedtime" (quaint I know) is John LeCarre reading his latest, "Absolute Friends". Tonight is part three, but you can catch up with any episode for up to one week after broadcast via the R4 website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4
It seems promising.

On Sunday they are starting a twelve week long dramatised adaptation of Anthony Trollope's Palliser novels in the "Classic Serial" slot at 3 pm (repeated Saturday 9 pm and also available for one week on the website).

 

[fluffy bunny]

one station I'm enjoying listening to at the mo is bbc7 (digital radio/digital TV/web: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/index.shtml?focuswin )

By UK times, during the week they've got science fiction at 6pm- 6.30 (repeated at midnight- they've done Hitchikers guide, Day of the Triffids, Blakes7, Stephen King's pet semetary to name a few) . Bestsellers at 6.30, Crime at 8.30pm, comedy later on.

It's worth a listen at the very least.

 

[Ashlea]

Sounds v. cool. Here in the states we're lucky to have a few hours of National Public Radio with Garrison Keillor. Everything else is just Britney Spears and other such crap.

 

[David181173]

Originally posted by Ashlea
Sounds v. cool. Here in the states we're lucky to have a few hours of National Public Radio with Garrison Keillor. Everything else is just Britney Spears and other such crap.

Yes, we sometimes fail to recognise how lucky we are in the UK. You can share our luck by listening online through the radio player on the BBC website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio

 

[Stewart]

Originally posted by David181173
Yes, we sometimes fail to recognise how lucky we are in the UK.

Lucky!

We pay the BBC all this license money per annum and they repay us with loads of radio shows (and dull television) tailored to 'kiddie' music. When the kids start paying license money then that's when that crap should get airplay. Same with Top of the Pops; we'd have a better chart if the BBC started playing the stuff adults want to hear.

 

[Ashlea]

Go ahead, Mile, let the masses choose your radio. You'll have 10 stations of Britney, too.

 

[phil_t]

Oooooh, Britney!!!

Why is is that the really good bands never get in the top ten (top forty most times!!)

Phil

 

[Aiel]

Because they are really good bands.

 

[David181173]

Originally posted by Mile-O-Phile
Lucky!

We pay the BBC all this license money per annum and they repay us with loads of radio shows (and dull television) tailored to 'kiddie' music.

I was thinking more in terms of Radio 4 and BBC7. Its worth paying the licence fee for these stations alone. If the BBC were only funded by voluntary subscription then subscribing to these channels would probably cost more than the current licence fee.

Sadly, I can't see the licence fee being sustainable in the long term, and you're right that the BBC do seem to spend a bit too much time following their commercial competitors at the moment, particularly on its main terristrial tv networks.

 

[fluffy bunny]

Well, the BBC funding debate's still raging, (was even the topic of this weeks Panorama), and it's probably best left to another thread.

Even with a subscription service, I'd probably still sign up to the BBC's service. I still reckon it's better than a lot of the stuff available on a number of the other terrestrial and satellite channels over here despite losing its way a little over the last 5-10 yrs or so (3 years in a row now where I've not looked forward to a good proportion of the Christmas programming from any of the TV stations, partially due to this obsession with reality TV that's taken over).

As for the good bands never making the top 10, don't blame the beeb. Manufactured rubbish (along with a flash of good looks sells well all over the world with good marketing- I don't watch pop idol but my mum does - one of the arguements given by the panel to one contestant was 'You don't have the looks to make it big').

And the stuff produced by good bands tends to sell in album format rather than singles for the top 40. Notice how quickly the tat reaches the top of the album charts, then drops out in a very short space of time. Compare it to something like Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon which hovered consistently in the top 50 for over 10 yrs.