Not impressed by new Classic FM schedule

Following the news that GCap Media are to scrap their theJazz and Planet Rock digital radio stations, it seemed that Classic FM, as an analogue station, would emerge unscathed. Unfortunately, the closures have had a knock-on effect that has changed Classic FM for the worst.

In the week, I’m only really able to listen to the station in the evening. Changes at this time of day include the scrapping of the 6:30pm Classic Newsnight programme. While this was not the best news programme imaginable, it was the only news bulletin I could catch after work, having usually missed most of Radio 4’s news. Instead, Smooth Classics at Seven has been extended by an hour, becoming Smooth Classics at Six. Smooth Classics, presented by John Brunning, was always one of my favourite programmes. Unfortunately, they have now pushed John out in favour of Margherita Taylor, who apparently used to present a programme called Easy Jazz at Six on theJazz. I’m afraid I am so far unable to get used to Ms Taylor’s voice. I don’t know if she’s supposed to be a celebrity because she’s been on TV; I’m not interested in celebrities. I liked John Brunning’s smooth voice presenting this programme. Margherita Taylor appears to have a “trendy” voice with an end-of-sentence intonation I don’t appreciate.

In turn, John Brunning has displaced Nick Bailey as the presenter of the Evening Concert programme, which has been renamed The Full Works. For around five years, Nick has presented the programme live, enabling him to read out listeners’ e-mailed comments as he received them (including several of mine over the years!) This gave the programme a much more personal touch, and meant it was better company for anyone listening alone. Early indications are that The Full Works is no longer presented live. Nick Bailey has now been pushed into the overnight slot, starting from 2am, displacing Mark Griffiths who has now left the station. I’m quite certain Nick isn’t happy about losing the Concert and having to present overnight.

One aspect of the new schedule that has proved most controversial is the introduction of two hours of jazz each night, starting at midnight. The programme is presented by Helen Mayhew, who is also a refugee from theJazz. Lisa Duncombe, the young violinist who was given a job after complaining that the station didn’t promote young artists enough, has also been given the axe. Classic FM used to promote itself as the country’s only 100% classical station, as opposed to rival BBC Radio 3, which has always played jazz. That distinction has now been lost. I should probably go to bed at midnight anyway, but I have to say that, despite my reservations, the jazz programme is the change I mind the least. The music is still quite relaxing, and at that time of night the music is only background to reading or whatever, rather than being for serious listening.

The station has responded to complaints about the introduction of jazz by claiming:

Radio stations periodically change their programming line-ups and our research shows that there is a very strong cross-over between listeners to classical music and jazz.

That is implying that they introduced the new schedule as a result of careful audience research. I would contend that they have done no such thing. The new schedule was introduced in a hurry after GCap decided to pull out of DAB. The evidence for this is clear. In the past, new schedules on Classic FM have been the subject of much fanfare and promotion for weeks beforehand. Now they are calling this the biggest change in 15 years, yet there was no mention of the new schedule until just before it started this week. In the just-released April issue of the Classic FM magazine, they have just managed to get the new schedule in there. But there is a detailed listing of the music that will be played on the Evening Concert in March, with an accompanying article by Nick Bailey who it says, “presents the Classic FM Evening Concert every weekday night from 9pm”. That shows these changes to the schedule weren’t carefully planned as the result of audience research. They were rushed through for commercial and contractual reasons as a result of theJazz closing, after much of the magazine had already been produced.

The jingle that accompanies the new programmes can only be described as naff. I don’t believe it was created by David Arnold, the composer of the famous Classic FM jingle, and of the many arrangements that are heard on the station. It was no doubt recorded in a hurry, again because the schedule change wasn’t planned very far in advance. And what on Earth is the slogan “We raise you up” supposed to mean?!

It seems GCap needed to find a job for Margherita Taylor as a matter or urgency. Perhaps she had some sort of contract that would have been expensive for GCap to terminate – more expensive than sacking Mark Griffiths anyway. Perhaps the contract also specified that Ms Taylor’s programme should be at a time when decent numbers of people are listening, not in the middle of the night. So to make way for her, they have shunted along two long-standing presenters on the station who had presented their respective programmes for many years extremely successfully. The same may be said for Helen Mayhew replacing Lisa Duncombe, although there the motivation is probably also an attempt to appease jazz fans: they can still listen to jazz, as long as they don’t mind staying up until 2am!

I am quite unimpressed with the changes to Classic FM’s schedule. Because of what are ultimately business decisions by the owners, they have spoilt my favourite station quite a bit. Now I can’t listen to the news, I can’t hear “Mr Smooth” present his classics, and I can’t enjoy listening to the concert with Nick Bailey. I hope some of these changes can be reversed when theJazz’s former presenters’ contracts expire. I know that other listeners are unhappy, particularly with the jazz programme. Yet they are unlikely to abandon the station as there aren’t many alternatives. Unless, that is, GCap’s own internet broadcasting strategy turns out to be the way forward, in which case people may well discover that there are many good classical music stations around the world (from countries without draconian copyright laws) and so they can consider abandoning the station that puts business before its listeners.

249 responses to “Not impressed by new Classic FM schedule”

Showing comments 241 to 249

  1. Another David

    We still have the appalling Margarita Taylor on ‘Smooooth Classics’.

  2. Josh

    Has Margherita left for good?

    The schedule seems to have returned to normal – except Karthi seems to have taken over from Margherita, & I don’t know if this is just covering for holiday or if her contract has expired

    Also, I was thinking today, what sort of dirt has Jane Jones got on the Classic FM management in order for her to have stayed this long? I don’t mind her too much, but how on earth is she still here after Jamie Crick & Mark Griffiths has been given the boot?

  3. Jonathan Rawle

    No, she’s still there on the Classic FM presenters’ page and under “Smooth Classics”. Must be on holiday.

    It’s not only Jane Jones, but John Brunning too, who represent the old guard of Classic FM presenters.

    As an aside, 2018 saw the passing of both John Julius Norwich and Richard Baker, who presented the Evening Concert in the early days of Classic FM (probably the first and second ever presenters of that programme from when the station launched). Jane Jones paid tribute to Lord Norwich in the run-up to Christmas with a broadcast of his “Twelve Days of Christmas: A Correspondence” featuring Joanna Lumley, with Norwich himself putting in an appearance at the end:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fqFtMPlNfw

  4. Josh

    So it’ll be that Lark again . . . I’ll be switching off after my beloved Rach 2 finishes playing.

    At least there’s no video game soundtracks in the Top 100

  5. Jonathan Rawle

    Nice to see Elgar make it into the top 3, though!

  6. Roman

    A new weekday mid morning schedule with Alexander Armstrong taking the helm from John Suchet. Personally I like him (Alexander), I like him a lot and he makes a good replacement to a very informative and great broadcaster to John. I wish him all the best but how will I adapt to putting my Christmas Tree up on the first weekend of December to Alex’s dulcet tones if he is no longer there?.

  7. Josh

    That damn Lark again! (Prob anti-Russian sentiment going against Rachmaninoff, though I doubt he’d’ve been pro-Putin had he been alive today, having moved to America an’ all)

    And Debbie Wiseman at No.4??!! What is this world coming to?

    Pure guess that Wiseman needed about 40k supporters’ votes to get to no.4; no.1 prob needs about somewhere approaching 180k votes – numbers totally pulled out of my bottom!

    In no other European country would the Lark even make it into the Top 300.

    I’ll be back next year with another rant, I expect 🙂

  8. Jonathan Rawle

    David Mellor let slip a couple of months ago how many people voted in last year’s Hall of Fame, which I suspect he was not supposed to as they never give such statistics as far as I’m aware. It was far fewer than I would have thought, although I’ve forgotten what number he actually said!

    I don’t get the “Lark”, either. If I was going to choose a piece by Vaughan Williams, it would be “Dives and Lazarus” or “Tallis”.

    I must admit, I haven’t been listening today as I’ve had Scala Radio’s movie music day on instead…

  9. Jan

    I must confess that this year I haven’t listened much to the HoF. I don’t wish to offend, but I find it unbelievable that even Glass and Gerschwin get into the top 300, much less the composers of Games music or lightweights like Debbie Wiseman. As for RVW, I agree with both Josh and Jonathan: Lark is ok, but nowhere near his best piece. Its continued success must be the result of an obsessive cult or simple ignorance. It would be nice to have different works at the top for a change.

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