Is Radio 4 dumbing down?

[Etino]

Very unscientific but I find myself switching off a lot atm. Lots of podcasty chatty content, yesterday in the space of a 2 hour drive there were 2 half hour chatty, contentlite progs. (I’m on 1% so will check and repost what- utterly un memorable)

Oh, Death of a Cosmonaut was amazing.

The news is increasingly tabloid.

fascists reply Brilliant! I can't bear to listen.

The sheer patience of the Any Answers presenters has long been an inspiration to me

Agreed! Anita Anand is amazing in that regard.

Any Answers is one of the many, many reasons I avoid R4 on Saturdays!

Actually I misrepresented myself above. On weekdays after 12.pm I flit between 3 and 4, with 3 as default unless there’s something I specifically want to hear on 4. You and Yours is an abomination. The Listening Project is painfully worthy. More or Less is great!

The sheer patience of the Any Answers presenters has long been an inspiration to me

I once saw Anita Arnand described on twitter as executing inhumanly ninja politeness in the face of ranting and depressingly often, simple bigotry. It was spot on.

At this very moment, I am trying to listen to The Food Programme.

The content is very interesting - but why the hell do we need the constant music and sound effects?

They've really gone OTT with the music this week

This will out me to anyone I know (hence NC), but Any Answers is known in our house as Fascists Reply.
It's Any Bigots in our house.

Today’s Afternoon Drama is fantastic.

Amazing writing.

I also like the discussions with artists. I like Count Arthur too.

It's time for Melvyn Bragg to grump off.

I like Evan a million times better than Eddie Mair, who I found a bit smug and sneery.

The listening project is a pain in the bum. It's people just 'performing' doing the listening project rather than having a proper conversation. I hate it enormously.

I think it's good if it's updating a bit. Things like Brain of Britain do my nut in, and the stupid music at the end of the day.

Oh GOD, Any Answers. Really, it's intolerable.

The best person on Radio 4 is Evan Davis - always well informed and interested in the response he gets - the only interviewer I’ve ever heard say ‘That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought of that. ‘ with the impression he would check it out and remember it.

Ah yes, I forgot about Evan. He is good in The Bottom Line.

I love File on 4 too. Excellent reporting.

God, Anita Anand deserves a medal for her patience and restraint on Any Answers.

Can we have a vote for The Shipping Forecast too? I’d like that broadcast at my funeral.

For those of you who just love the Grace Dent style - tonight's Dead Ringers features Grace and her show

Radio 4 is definitely suffering from lack of investment. I Listen mainly for the drama, books and comedy and find there is so much repeated from years ago.

The plays are all dystopian or sci fi (not my thing) and I know it’s is popular to sneer at crime and thrillers but do the commissioning editors not know that a huge amount of books are sold within this genre.

I now find less and less to listen to and therefore my Audible subscription has increased.

I mostly listen to 4extra but as this consists of radio 4 leftovers I still find it infuriating.

I didn't find the GD bit on Dead Ringers really captured it.
The programme I can't stand is Something Understood. It's always delivered in a 'soothing tone' and pi**es me off. Not only that, but I am usually subjected to it twice. I expect that I'll miss it when it's gone.

Just listening to The Reith Lectures. R4 at its best.

I enjoyed Vanity Fair despite thinking I wouldn't.

I caught the Food Programme on listen again. I lasted a few moments as the music was so annoying.

From our own correspondent, In Touch and More or Less are always engaging.

The Reith Lectures are superb

I switch over when drama is on but love the in-depth scientific programmes

What bugs me is the lack of time for interviews, it’s always people interrupting each other

What bugs me is the lack of time for interviews, it’s always people interrupting each other

Absolutely.

Ive lost count of the number of times Ive tuned in to what promises to be a fascinating programme, only to find that each participant only gets a minute to speak in the most general terms, before the presenter moves things along to a swift conclusion to avoid running over, into a programme about hill walking or hipsters. I often wonder why they bother.

Let people speak on their specialism, have guest with truly opposing viewpoints and allow them to debate vigorously for an hour or more. At the moment, they run the risk of churning out interviews of the quality and depth normally seen on the ITV Breakfast Show.

Favourites:
Jim Al Khalili - The Life Scientific
More or Less
Saturday Review but do get annoyed that it’s so London centric
In Our Time - can be brilliant, but occasionally not.
Evan Davies is excellent.
We switch off after the Any Questions repeat on Saturday although Anita does a good job - DH always says he’s no desire to listen to the rascist, homophobic, misogynist opinions (if he wanted that, he’d ring his Dad......)
Comedies - News Quiz, Deadringers (has been brilliant this season), John Finnemore, although nothing is as good as Cabin Pressure and David Sedaris.
Reith Lectures, the very antithesis of dumbing down.
Some of the book readings are excellent - I really enjoyed ‘The Doll Factory’.
Our household has a love/hate relationship with The Archers!

Detest:
The Listening Project - 99% navel gazing drivel
Short Cuts - as someone upthread said, too podcasty and Josie Long gives me the irrits.
The Untold - very rarely ok, and I do not understand why Grace Dent is even on it - her contributions must total approx 3 minutes per episode.
The programme where they pick a postcode to find a story - again, too much like a podcast.

I agree that much of the factual output as mentioned by previous pps is excellent.

Often the 15 minute^ programmes that are on at 1.45 are interesting, I really enjoyed last week's series called Naturebang.^

I have no background in or knowledge of science but I hugely enjoy The Life Scientific - Jim Al Khalili is fantastic.