“To educate, stimulate, and entertain at the highest level”.
Speaking at the launch of the Radio 3 at 50 season, controller Nicholas Kenyon revealed the positive steps the station intends to take in continuing to bring listeners the “best of twentieth century culture”. Mr Kenyon commented on how since the Third Programme began on September 29th 1946 the world of broadcasting has been transformed almost unrecognisably through the arrival of television and development of commercial radio – an important point of consideration for Mr Kenyon as he now looks to the progression of the station from its Fiftieth Birthday onwards.
As the successor of the Third Programme, Radio 3 has no intention of losing the wide range and scope of the original broadcast, and this is clearly reflected in the diverse programme set out for the anniversary, running from September 29th to October 31st . As Mr. Kenyon points out, Radio 3 cannot “just exist in its own world”, it must continue to reflect cultural expansion and move forward. In this way he hopes the Anniversary broadcasts will reflect both the path Radio 3 has followed, as well as a positive focus on the future demonstrating the very best of what Radio 3 has to offer in speech, drama, music, comedy, and poetry.
Anniversary day itself (Sunday September 29th) will feature Humphrey Carpenter, a frequent Radio 3 broadcaster and also author of a specially commissioned history of the network, guiding listeners through a mix of programmes: from reflections on the development of the station and gems from the archives to several live broadcasts including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the main concert of the day, a live relay from the Royal festival Hall in London, in which the BBC Symphony Orchestra performs Renewal, a new BBC Commission from Colin Matthews.
Mr Kenyon’s obvious enthusiasm to recognise the importance of the Third Programme’s cultural features, which in terms of range and scope he describes as “extraordinary”, is marked in many ways throughout the Anniversary season, in particular with a new production of George Bernard Shaw’s play, Man and Superman, the first drama to be broadcast on the station. Directed by Sir Peter Hall (himself a schoolboy listener of the original production) it features a cast including Ralph Fiennes, Juliet Stevenson, Judi Dench and Paul Merton, known for his appearances on Have I Got News For You, Whose Line Is It Anyway, and Just A Minute, and now making his Radio 3 debut.
BBC Radio 3: 0171 765 4934
