BBC Trust

Unsurprisingly, considering the age profile of participants, and the target age of the station, only a small number of participants listened to Radio 1 regularly, but of the three who did listen to the station, they were generally positive. The Saturday schedule was particularly praised and one participant said she often chose Radio 1 over Radio 2.

While the Radio 1 Newsbeat programme was appreciated, there were complaints about the levels of background noise. As one participant put it, “It feels like foreground music with background speech!”

There were no listeners to BBC Radio 1Xtra amongst the participants at the event.

BBC Radio 2 was the radio station of choice for many participants, with Chris Evans, and the lunch-time debates with Jeremy Vine eliciting a number of positive comments. For a number of those present, Radio 4 would be their first choice of listening but because of reception issues, they turned to Radio 2 as an alternative. Steve Wright was mentioned by a number of participants, with the Sunday Love Songs and ‘Ask Elvis’ slots particularly popular.

A key attraction of Radio 2 for many of those present was the mix between speech and music broadcast by the station.

There were a number of regular Radio 3 listeners amongst those present and a high number of comparisons with commercial radio station, Classic FM. There was high praise for the station amongst listeners, with one describing Radio 3 as “peerless”. Some participants commented on what they described as recent changes at Radio 3, with the station now being considered by some to have become too similar to Classic FM, with a perceived paucity now of whole operas or longer concerts broadcast. Other participants also considered the station’s output “a bit dreary and gloomy” first thing in the morning, and that the station’s schedule overall would benefit from more modern or experimental content. As a point of comparison, a higher number of participants listened to Classic FM than to Radio 3 with the main reason given being the higher number of “popular pieces” broadcast on Classic FM. However, Classic FM’s advertisements was considered by many a disincentive to listen.

There were no listeners to the BBC Asian Network or 6Music

Amongst the BBC’s Network Radio Stations, Radio 4 was a popular choice for speech radio, though a number of those present complained about FM reception difficulties with a number of participants using their computers or TV to access radio output. Returning drama, The Archers was a popular element of Radio 4’s schedule amongst regular listeners. A number of the participants were dismayed at the increasing absence of backlinks in the BBC’s speech radio, with the feeling articulated that it was deeply frustrating to start listening part way through an interview and then not to be informed at its conclusion, who the interviewee was.

Radio Cymru and Radio Wales were also popular stations amongst many participants though the recent Radio Cymru schedule changes had discombobulated a number of the station’s previously loyal listeners. Views were varied on the relative merits of music and speech content on Radio Cymru, with some of the view that music should have a higher profile, while others tuned in primarily for the station’s speech content. A key criticism was the perceived deterioration in the quality of the language of presenters since the introduction of the new schedule, with the 96 year old mother of one participant, having previously been a devoted listener, now having abandoned the station because “the language is disgusting”. On a more positive note, there was particular praise for Nia Roberts, Geraint Lloyd and Meinir Gwilym as presenters and wide-spread recognition amongst those present of the challenges facing Radio Cymru, having to “appeal to everyone”.

Several participants made reference to Commercial Radio station Heart FM and said that they tuned in to listen to music and as a result of reception difficulties with tuning in to other radio stations. A number made reference to difficulties they experienced with the FM/MW reception of Radio Cymru and Radio Wales. As one participant put it “I can get Radio Wales in my car all the way to Sunderland, but can’t get it at home in Minera”. Another said “I try to get it but then when I fail I give up”.

A number of participants from the same area of north-east Wales said they had also experienced deterioration in the quality of both the sound and image on their TV sets following TV digital switch-over.

There was wide-spread appreciation of the BBC’s news programmes on both radio and TV though not universal praise, with some of the view that Sky News was better than the BBC News channel. The main criticism articulated of the BBC News Channel was that stories were kept in the running order for too long a time and that they were dragged out, even if there was no more to say.

Drama and comedy was considered one of the strengths of the BBC’s TV output with period drama considered a particular strength of the BBC. The recent production of Jamaica Inn was criticised however for the poor enunciation and diction of the actors. There were numerous, wholly positive references to Y Gwyll / Hinterland with a high number of participants considering it “fantastic” and the majority having viewed either the Welsh or bi-lingual versions and the subtitles considered to have been “rather good”.  On the whole however, there was recognition that there was too little TV drama produced by BBC Cymru Wales. On the whole, the perception of the participants was that they were inadequately portrayed on the BBC’s output, with north Wales poorly represented.

The BBC’s factual TV programmes were also praised, with cookery programmes particularly appreciated, but criticised by other participants for not having enough “housewife appeal” and over-complicated recipes.

There were mixed views on the coverage of the countryside and agriculture in particular. Programmes like Jimmy’s Farm and Springwatch were praised, but Countryfile was dismissed by some participants as “nothing to do with the country – all about authors and manor houses”, though its five day weather report was considered required viewing for farmers. Other participants said they “love the programme”.

Sports was, as ever, a controversial subject with some participants complaining of the volume of sports coverage, while others identified a paucity. One radical suggestion was that BBC Four should be converted into a BBC Sports channel, though this did not attract wide-spread support. There was particular unhappiness at the displacement of Gardener’s World on BBC Two Cymru Wales by sports output. There was recognition that the area of sports broadcasting rights was becoming increasingly competitive.

Asked whether they considered the BBC Licence Fee represented value for money, the general though not universal consensus, was that at £0.40 a day it was good value for money and a recognition that there would be a “big void if the BBC wasn’t there”. Some participants said that they felt that the BBC was now “spread too thinly”.