Radio 3 ‘puts listeners to sleep’

BBC Radio 3’s controller has described the station’s content as ‘dangerous and edgy’ after listeners complained it had become like ‘bedtime cocoa’.

Station boss Alan Davey was responding to listener criticism about controversial changes to its late night schedules.

As part of the revamp, its ‘flagship adventurous music programme’ Late Junction has been cut from three nights a week to a single two-hour show. There were also changes to its jazz output.

But some listeners mocked the ‘desperate’ way the station has tried to market the new schedule as ‘dangerous and edgy’, with one saying the station had wrapped it in ‘schmaltzy packaging’. But Mr Davey, appearing on Radio 4 programme Feedback, defended the station.

He said: ‘I think we’ve always been dangerous and edgy. What we try to do in the after dark zone is set this tone that it’s dark and you’re going to listen in a different way.’

His comments came after a listener told the programme: ‘I’m wondering why Radio 3 has taken off all the interesting late night music... and replaced it with the musical equivalent of bedtime cocoa.’