Why do sports broadcasters on radio feel the need to crank up the microphone and start howling the moment someone scores? I’m mainly thinking of the Radio 4 Today programme sports round up which is otherwise measured and informative. Yet at roughly half past the hour between 6 and 9 am you almost need to shove the radio under a pillow to escape the sudden shrieks when Real Madrid score against PSG or a snowboarder crashes out of her heat.
I follow sport myself, particularly tennis, so it’s not a lack of interest. What I struggle with is the volume and the breathless hysteria. The result can be conveyed perfectly well without sounding as though civilisation is ending. There is something faintly jarring about moving from a calm interview on fiscal policy or foreign affairs to what feels like an audio assault.
Part of the appeal of Radio 4 is its restraint and clarity. Even when one disagrees with its editorial tone, the delivery is usually civilised and thoughtful. The exaggerated shouting cuts across that atmosphere. It feels imported from commercial sports radio rather than suited to a programme that trades on composure and analysis.
Excitement is understandable. But must excitement always be expressed at full volume?