BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Bernard
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 06:35 PM

Now we have...

Folk Programme Axed!...

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Bernard
Date: 14 Mar 06 - 05:49 PM

Oh dear... so no programme on Monday 20th, it would seem.

We've still not been told anything, yet...

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Rasener
Date: 14 Mar 06 - 05:16 PM

Bernard
So sorry. The Villa let us both down.
I have phoned Doug Ellis and asked for his resignation and I told him to sack O'Leary.

Any good news on your side yet?
Les

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 14 Mar 06 - 03:25 AM

Ali - I trust you have forwarded those 500 emails to John Ryan and clogged his mailbox up?

I think it's great that you've had so many people getting in contact.
Whether it will make any difference or not, time will tell.

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Bernard
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 06:03 PM

Terrific! You're a good 'un, Les!!

Let's hope David comes up with the goods - and that nobody suspects a thing...!!

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Rasener
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 05:12 PM

Oh well I will order the Villa to win

Goes off to ring David O'Leary.

David said that he will do his best for you Bernard LOL

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: GUEST,Bernard (at BBC GMR Studio)
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 04:56 PM

Well, here's interesting...

If Manchester City beat Aston Villa tomorrow (Tuesday 14th), we have no programme next week...

Bummer...

Watch this space...

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Rasener
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 02:03 PM

He hasn't replied to me. Bad show.

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Alio
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 01:58 PM

I'm here at the BBC with 500+ emails....but nothing from John Ryan about the show's future! Considering that all the changes take effect in 3 weeks, it's just appalling!
And re Bernard's email, someone here has just told him that it's not going to be BBC GMR anymore!!
Ali

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Bernard
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 12:21 PM

I'm only guessing, but... I suspect that from April 3rd, 'BBC GMR' will be a thing of the past. There's a lot of talk about the 'new sound', but also the corporate mumbo-jumbo about a 'branding transitional phase' - which to me suggests a change of name for the station.

From its inauguration in 1970 until 1987, the station was called 'Radio Manchester', but local authority boundary changes resulted in the appearance of 'Greater Manchester', so the station was re-named GMR (Greater Manchester Radio) to reflect this.

One clue is 'Manchester's Changing. And So Are We. BBC GMR. 3 April 2006'. Also consider that a few months ago the station was being referred to as 'Manchester's BBC GMR', and more recently 'GMR: BBC Radio for Manchester'... tautology, but perhaps an indicator that the 'Greater' is being removed... in more ways than one!!!

Maybe we'll know more this evening...?

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 07:35 AM

Refresh

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Alio
Date: 12 Mar 06 - 10:31 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Alio
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 09:19 AM

Thanks Mark - I'll probably know more on Monday.

Ali

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Bernard
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 08:15 AM

Thanks, Mark! Unofficially, of course!!

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Rasener
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 05:24 AM

Well lets hope he gets inundated with e-mails :-)

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 05:17 AM

No it's not official but it sounds good as a headline.

At the risk of sounding like Sir Humphrey Appleby:

Officially we still don't know anything.
Unofficially it's very likely that Ali will have a slot in another programme so it's not that far from the probable truth that the programme called Sounds of Folk will no longer exist.

To which Jim Hacker would reply "Why don't you speak English, Humpy!"

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Rasener
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 05:00 AM

Is that official Mark?

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 10 Mar 06 - 04:35 AM

The Folk North West website is now back online for me to upload stuff - The Banner on all pages reads "BBC GMR AXES SOUNDS OF FOLK - EMAIL JOHN.RYAN AT BBC.CO.UK TO COMPLAIN

Cheers
ark

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: John J
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 03:57 AM

I still haven't received a reply after more than 3 weeks.

JJ

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Alio
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 03:18 AM

I'm here!! (in sunny Oldham!)

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 09 Mar 06 - 03:09 AM

This is the reply I got from BBC information:


Dear Mark

Thank you for your email regarding BBC GMR.

I appreciate your concern in the decision of the above station taking their community based programmes off air; however we at BBC Information do not have any details regarding this. You can check the BBC Press office site in the near future to see if there are any details posted regarding this matter:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/

(I've checked and there's nothing there about this)


You can also visit the following bbc.co.uk website were you can find contact details for the station if you would like to contact them directly:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/gmr/presenters/folk.shtml

(No mention of it on there either! Does anybody know how to get hold of the presenter!!)


Thank you once again for taking the time to contact us.

Regards



Hmmmm. Not too informative then.

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 01:22 PM

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/complaints/handle_complaint.pl

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/complaints/handle_complaint.pl

This seems to be the route to something

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Alio
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 01:07 PM

Happy Birthday to us.... Let's hope it's lucky!!

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Leadfingers
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 06:46 AM

'Comments are read by Senior management' - Maybe READ , and then totally ignored !!

Oh and by the way , 100 !!

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Alio
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 06:24 AM

Oops, thanks Bernard.

Would I have been saying the right things to the wrong people, or the wrong things to the right people??!!

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 05:09 AM

I've just sent a comment via the BBC information website mentioned previously.
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints

It's a bit longwinded to get to the part of the site that you want but stick with it and you'll get there. Apparently comments get read daily by senior management.

A reply is not guaranteed but somebody reads your comments

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Bernard
Date: 08 Mar 06 - 04:46 AM

Correction... the Time Bandits are guesting on March 20th - March 13th includes song trio Wench All...!

The Time Bandits website wasn't working at the time of writing...

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Alio
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 01:57 PM

Still heard nothing...and only 3 programmes to go before the changes take effect!
And in the next programme we've got locals the Time Bandits in the studio, plus Clive Gregson popping in, and the Fureys via a telephone line!
Ali

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Rasener
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 01:32 PM

I have re-sent it. See if I get a reply.

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Rasener
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 01:23 PM

OK I will re-wing it back to him then.

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Dave Wynn
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 12:19 PM

I got a reply to my mail over a week ago. Pretty bland but thanked me for my time to write and my opinions would be considered type of thing.

Considering I didn't expect any I was surprised.

Spot the Dog

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Bernard
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 11:21 AM

We've heard nowt...

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Rasener
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 11:14 AM

Well John Ryan should be back now. So I will await a reply back from my e-mail that I sent on 24/02/06.

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 07 Mar 06 - 11:04 AM

Let's get back on track - any more news from Ali or Bernard about the fate of the programme? Are we going to have a glorified diary spot or a proper programme?

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 03:36 PM

It is a distraction so I won't go into ................. ok I won't

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Rasener
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 02:54 PM

Oy oy oy, nobody can do it as bad as the labour councils. Pay massive increases and get half as much back. The country is going to the dogs.
That reminds me I have a duo called Gone2TheDogs on at my club on Friday - I wonder if it is Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Whoever's fault it is, it just ain't good enough.

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Raggytash
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 02:45 PM

Much as I empathise with the comments regarding the Lewis Museum, I think it detracts from this thread. I am no longer surprised by labour councils doing what I would once have expected from tory councils. This is our history and our heritage that is being denied to younger generations and only adds to the great globalisation (Americanisation) of our culture. I can only hope that there will be a protest against the closure from the good people of Blackburn.

I know such a word as Americanisation is, in itself, an Americanisation but if they can bastardise our langauage, why can't I

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 02:34 PM

As a Labour Party loyalist I would like to say, in fact I will say, it is a short sighted disgrace

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Bernard
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 10:54 AM

Money talks, my oh my!

I heard it once... it said 'Goodbye!'...

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 07:12 AM

If we don't keep half an eye on the past then we go blindly into the future.

From the article:

Coun Hollern told detractors: "If there is a cheaper way of providing something, we have to do it.

"Times change and those who criticise have to accept that. We don't have a hangman anymore either, because it's not something we do.

"Nor do we employ a gas lighter-upper because we don't need him to light up our street lamps anymore. We can't stay in the past.

"I don't believe there will be any loss of service or facility.

"We aren't selling the Lewis building, but we will lease it out. Councils have to continually find more cost-efficent ways of running.

"It will continue to be an asset to the borough, as it was intended to be when it was given to us as a gift."

Tory leader Council Colin Rigby said: "It is a classic case of the council putting up tax and reducing services.

"It does not send a very good message to people that not even the council is preserving history."

Lib Dem leader Coun Paul Browne said: "They never told us they were going to open it again, and now they're shutting it on the quiet.

"It's a disgrace that the history of the town's industry now does't deserve its own museum according to the Labour lot.

"That building was a gift to the borough as were the exhibitions. They should remain that way. They weren't given to us to make money from."

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: andrewq
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 07:00 AM

OT but on related NW folk culture cleansing:

Any of you interested in the part that cotton played in the development of Lancashire towns should try to get along to the Lewis Textile Museum in Blackburn this month. The wreckers at Blackburn with Darwen Council are closing the museum down for good on April 1st to save £23,000pa. The museum was gifted to the town to be a perpetual record of King Cotton and has interactive displays and remeniscence material about workers' lives in the cotton industry. Legions of school children and visitors to the town have benefited from the museum over the years and its closure is a very sad prospect.

http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/2006/3/1/887615.html

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 06 Mar 06 - 06:34 AM

No programme tonight - Wigan Athletic v Man Utd is more important!

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Alio
Date: 04 Mar 06 - 08:07 AM

Agreed - they've been going for over 20 years. The national Irish Post are NOT impressed, and have made their views quite clear!!

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 02:23 PM

It is vey difficult to see how GMR is doing something better by cutting The Parlour to 30 minutes.

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Alio
Date: 03 Mar 06 - 04:59 AM

The Parlour (the show before mine) have accepted a 30 min. slot in Drivetime, but it sounds very prescriptive. They've been told that they can do interviews and have live music, but they're not to play tracks.

Admittedly they are a Community magazine-type programme, but they do play plenty of tracks at present. I wouldn't want to be bound by those conditions I'm afraid - I play tracks from CD's of artists appearing in the area.

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Rasener
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 02:42 PM

Well I was on Radio Lincolnshire last night for their Folk broadcast (25 minutes at the end of drivetime)with Tom Lane. It was very tight and Tom ran out of time.
Started with a number from The Harbour Lights and a little conversation about them.
Then a quickly about Graham Moore & Gill Redmond coming to my club and a song from Graham.
Then Tom had a telephone interview with a lady singer (name slips my mind) about a ladies choir that was setting up.
Tom was supposed to play a number of hers, but didn't have time, as Mark Addison had to do the diary.
By the time that was finished it was too late to put a tune or song on.

I thought it was a real shame. I think it should be an hour so that justice could be done.

So I guess I am saying that you should be fighting to keep the hour. 30 minutes is not enough.

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 01:31 PM

Our posts crossed Les.

Unfortunately the Folk North West magazine has just been published for this quarter and the news broke too late for anything to be mentioned in it but I'm sure something will be said in the next edition in June albeit too late.

I'm trying to upload something about it onto the website but the server won't let me get on there for some reason at the moment which is very frustrating. When I do get access there will be banner headlines on it!

Perhaps a letter to member clubs from Dave Jones (Chairman) would be an idea. I'll talk to Kath Holden about that.

We need to see what's going to happen in April when the new regime is supposed to start. If Ali gets a half hour slot in someone elses show we need to make sure we make that presenter aware of our presence by writing and emailing to him/her after Ali's been on. Let them know there's an audience out there that want folk music and not traffic reports. (although a traffic report would have been handy on Monday before I got stuck on the M62 going to the studio.)

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Alio
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 01:27 PM

What's wrong with my face? (please don't all answer at once!!!)

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 01:19 PM

Bernard said "I wouldn't have thought 'Sounds of Folk' was a particularly expensive programme to produce... after all, our studio guests don't get paid..."

That explains why the cheque hasn't arrived!

Seriously though it was great to be on the programme on Monday with John Howarth of the Oldham Tinkers - it was a good programme with some reminiscing of the old days, a track from Harry Boardman, a couple of tracks from John and the Tinkers and a couple of track from me (including the original version of "At Rawtenstall Fair") as well as a load of other stuff. I don't know how it all fits in to 55 minutes! Mind you the panic on Ali's face says it all when time's getting on and she has to get three things into five minutes - good job it's not the telly.

The BBC are making one hell of a mistake to take programmes like this off. Whether writing in will make a diddly squot of difference I can't say but we need enough people to write in anyway to make bosses aware of the feeling out here. Perhaps we can get a petition round our local folk club or just tell people to write in - different letters are probably better than a lot of signatures on a piece of paper in one envelope.

There isn't much time left so do it now! (I could add a few expletives a la Bob Geldoff here but my mother might be reading this)

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: BBC GMR Axes Community Programmes!
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 02 Mar 06 - 01:09 PM

I guess any kind of reasonable communications:

letters
petitions
e-mails
posts on BBC websites
phone ins

Couldn't this be organised through the Northwest Federation of Folk Clubs, the EFDSS, the Camping and Caravan Club, the Morris Ring, People who run festivals - all these organisations have keep us all on e-mail the must have massive data bases through which support could be roused?