The Radio 3 menu

It’s a familiar experience to be driven by some tosh on Radio 4 to turn over to Radio 3 only to be infuriated by what’s on offer there. Now Radio 3 is to have a new controller, Sam Jackson, who once ran Classic FM. While there he blamed Radio 3 for aping it by playing video-game music. It’s not the only problem. Should Radio 3 broadcast more jazz and more drama? Or less? Should it play more music by women and ethnic minorities? As for listeners aged 15-24, they should not be chased to the detriment of the channel. You could say that, for the greater good, they should not be allowed to listen to Radio 3 at all; proof of age should be required. It’s not that we don’t learn from Radio 3: its Record Review and Building a Library are tremendous assets. But Radio 3 is there to meet aspiration, not a menu to be limited by untrained palates.