Tom announces in pants-wetting mode that the BBC are releasing Radio 4′s In Our Time in unencumbered mp3 format, which is great news for all the reasons he gives, but it’s got me thinking.
The first R4 program to get the mp3 treatment was the 2004 Reith Lectures (no longer available I see, but I have them if anyone is desperate) which was presumably justified because of the public service angle of getting this material out to the widest possible number of people. I find it interesting that the next program they’ve chosen is possibly the most heavily intellectual 40 minutes put out on their entire network (with the possible exception of some late-night Radio 3 things). While incredibly worthy and important, and also very good indeed, there is nothing out there to compete with it. It’s not highbrow in an elitist way but you have to pay attention and think while listening to it. It’s intellectual. And that means it has no worth in the media world so the BBC can release it with no worries about it being further distributed around the net because who really cares?
As more and more radio programs are released in mp3 format it’ll be interesting see which ones are chosen. I suspect it’ll be those that have a solid public service educational agenda and that are as far away from the commercial networks as possible, the sort of things that are the BBC at its best but which are ignored by the wider media, political and general world as being necessary but not that interesting. When something mainstream and populist is released (say Radio 2 shows) then things will really kick off. In the meanwhile I’m happy though.
Unencumbering In Our Time is probably the only way they can create any kind of buzz about it. I was overjoyed when the Beeb finally gave Melvin the boot from Start The Week. Perhaps people would actually be allowed to talk without Melv butting in with one his “for the benefit of those less brainy than myself (ie everyone), could explain that again” interruptions.
Bragg is, plainly, very brainy indeed. And he likes to let everyone knoe. Thus editions of In Our Time dealing with philosphy and literature are always steered in areas Melv knows about. Science on the other suffers rather, because he is woefully ignorant about even the most basic schoolboy science, and thus always pulls the discussion back to trivialities. Not that he’d admit it, of course. His questions are always phrased to express his concern that things might be going over “the listeners’” heads.
Discussion programs chaired by Melvin Bragg must die.
He’s also woefully ignorant on even the most trifling matters of science,
I agree that Melv’s science knowledge is poor; He is of a generation where ‘educated’ means ability to speak Latin and order Beer in Early Norse.
On the other hand, he is charming and brilliant in arts, philosophy and most history; precisely the topics a scientist like me yearns to learn more about.
I think it’s sad that these programs seem to be deleted from the R4 site so quickly.
I read your comment about making BBC programing available on Mp3 formant, and I whole heartedly agree. Just recently have I discovered the treasure of Radio 4. There are so many programs I would like to listen to on my Mp3 player, but the BBC links seem to be broke or discontinued.
Any idea where I can get “Plants of Power”?
PLEASE PLEASE if possible coulde anyone send me the mp3 files for Mill, Marx, Hobbes and as secondary interest send me sartre and the program on freedom from the “in our time” series to” embourgeoisement@btinternet.com” and if not a link i could get them from. once again PLEASE, i would be indebted. from a hungry philosopher student Joe.