Jazz & The BBC
An invitation by John Petters
19/08/09 - Greetings Folks,
You may be fed up of hearing me bang on
and on about BBC Radio 2 and the disgraceful situation with regards to its jazz
and indeed, popular music output.
‘Just Jazz’ invited me to write the guest
editorial on the subject last month.
Malcolm Laycock, the station's expert Big Band presenter was replaced by singer,
Clare Teal. Mr Laycock went public in the Mail on Sunday last week and Radio 2
has gone into panic mode.
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1206803/A-parting-blast-BBC-Radio-2-s-voice-big-band.html
I lodged an official complaint with the BBC Complaints Department, who sent a
grammatically poor response in an attempt to fob me off. The complaint, their
response and my further response is at the moment on the Radio 2 Message board .
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbradio2/F14126215?thread=6839844
– but I don’t expect it to be there
long.
I have seriously got right up someone’s nose and they are now censoring every
message I post and refusing more messages than they publish.
So pernicious is this paranoia that they have pulled messages I posted to the
Radio 3 and Radio 4 Message Boards. This is an attempt by Radio 2 to prevent
free speech.
Fellow complainers, John Wright and Barry McCanna are also being censored. This
is the BBC we are talking about, not some third world fascist dictatorship!
What’s more as Licence payers, we are paying their wages.
The BBC Trust, which represents us, chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, is statutorily
responsible for Radio 2’s Service Licence, many of the conditions contained
therein are being breached by the arrogant management of the station.
Its rock and pop tracks amounts to about 50 percent of its output. Guess how
much Jazz has?
5 percent and that includes all forms of jazz. If you look at Traditional and
Swing my guess is under 1 percent.
I have sent a long letter of complaint to Sir Michael Lyons pointing out with
reference to the Royal Charter Documents and the Licence, where R2 is in breach
and I have demanded that he brings it back within its legal framework. At
the moment, I contend, it is acting illegally and must therefore be a Pirate
Radio Station!
“Guardian Writer John Plunkett asked “Is BBC Radio 2 sacrificing too much
for popularity?
Former BBC Radio 2 DJ Malcolm Laycock says the station is losing touch with its
older listeners. Is he right?”
There is a very good message board on which I have posted my letter to Sir
Michael. You can read the articles, the letter and the comments here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2009/aug/17/malcolm-laycock-bbc-radio-2?commentpage=2&commentposted=1
There are several things I would like you to do.
The future of jazz on radio and therefore the method by which younger people can
hear it, is in the hands of the BBC.
You can make a big difference. Our biggest enemy is apathy
Please help – act now to keep hot jazz live and swinging in the decades
to come.
John Petters
John Petters is appearing in the North West on Friday 18th September at Warton Village Hall