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WELCOME HOME, MRS RADIO
Jenny Abramsky's appointment as BBC director of radio last November spawned two quite distinct, unusual reactions. One was surprise; she was a very late tip for the job, which was expected to go to Radio 4 controller James Boyle, 5 Live controller Roger Mosey- or even then BBC 2 controller Mark-Thompson. But the second — even more unusual — reaction was genuine delight. People were pleased. The most cynical, disenchanted BBC radio staff were to be found admitting grudgingly that it was a "good appointment".
That a good choice for a senior job should be so surprising speaks volumes.
Having triumphed, however unexpectedly, she is thrilled. She is also aware that many people see her as radio's knight in shining armour. For a medium constantly paranoid that it is seen as the poor relation to flashy, whizz-bang telly — and all too often justifiably so — Abramsky is something of a Godsend. She is. and it is always said of her, deeply, forcefully and energetically passionate about radio. She began her radio career as a programme operations assistant (now called a studio manager) on a traineeship straight from university because she hoped to end up directing plays. She found herself creating effects and was trained in the use of sound; a training that clearly hasn't left her because she speaks eloquently about the value of texture, voice and words when creating good radio.
She has been there and done most of those jobs: edited Today, The World at One, PM, been a controller, launched a network or two. Similarly she doesn't accept many excuses for poor performance and demands high standards both editorially and technically.
It's tempting to view her dedication to radio as an example of her defiance rather than the other way round. As if she sticks with radio when so many others have moved on just to be perverse. "There were a number of occasions when the possibility of going to television was mooted and I felt very strongly that I wanted to stay in radio.
"Once, in the mid-80s, I was editor of the World at One at the time, I was sitting next to a BBC executive who informed me that radio was dead." Abramsky was, unsurprisingly, furious. "That really fired me up to make sure that within the BBC, radio remained absolutely at the core.
"I think there are lots of people in the BBC who feel passionate about radio Of course, that's not to say that there aren't people who don't". She welcomes the advent of media stars such as Kelvin Mackenzie at Talk Radio and Chris Evans at Virgin into the radio arena.
It emphasises that radio is at the core of our national life. Extremely helpful. Have we got a fight on our hands? Of course we have. Kelvin MacKenzie is the most brilliant publicist and marketeer out. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll run a good radio station, but he'll make a big noise while he's doing it".
One of her aims is to be able to ensure that her networks deliver the quality that the audience expects. Part of that, she says, is "we have to stand up when something is not good enough. It's quite easy to lose the audience's trust. It's far more difficult to keep it".
"Sometimes people think that making radio is easy because it's not as technically difficult as television. It's not easy". And neither is her job.
"The job ahead of her will take all of her energy," says one BBC insider. Certainly while Radios 1 and 2 seem reasonably stable, Radios 3 and 4 are. to put it gently, challenging. (Radio 5 Live, though Abramsky's baby, falls under news and current affairs, so is no longer her responsibility.) Next month's Rajar quarterly listening figures are crucial for Radio 4, which hit an all-time low last quarter. Radio 3, meanwhile, is gradually disappearing (with declining listeners and declining profile) and, worse, no one seems to care very much.
Then there are the questions of digital radio, staff morale, producer dissatisfaction, and, just to add to the fun, last Friday she found herself fielding criticism from the drama establishment about the lack of quality radio drama around and Tariq Ali threw his oar in on the Today programme claiming he will set up a station to trully cater for discriminating ears. (The implication being that Radios 3 and 4, having, dumbed down beyond recognition, no longer do. It's going to be called, apparently. Radio Einstein.
She acknowledges straight away that Radio 3 has a problem with audience expectation. When listeners turn on Radio 4 they expect "quality, intelligence and perhaps to be surprised", but they don't have the same clear expectations with Radio 3. Rectification of that problem is an early and urgent mission, not necessarily to actually raise audience figures but "so people know how their licence fee is being spent".
The Guardian. Monday January 18 1999
WORD STUDY
I. Match the words and explain the meaning of the expressions:
|
to speak to be (remain) whizz-bang disenchanted to spawn staff to field audience poor to set up to deliver to throw in |
quality expectation a station at the core performance criticism volumes telly morale one's oar reactions staff |
II. Translate the sentences into Russian:
1. The most cynical, disenchanted BBC radio staff were to be found admitting grudgingly that it was a "good appointment".
2. She began her radio career as a programme operations assistant on a traineeship straight from university because she hoped to end up directing plays.
3. Similarly she doesn't accept many excuses for poor performance and demands high standards both editorially and technically.
4. It's tempting to view her dedication to radio as an example of her defiance rather than the other way round.
5. "That really fired me up to make sure that within the BBC, radio remained absolutely at the core."
III. Give English equivalents from the text:
1. говорить красноречиво
2. искренняя радость
3. цифровое радио
4. неотложная задача
5. количество слушающих
6. отвечать на критику
7. быть лучшим доказательством
COMPREHENSION
IV. Explain the meaning of the words and phrases in italics:
1. She was a very late tip for the job.
2. She is also aware that many people see her as radio's knight in shining armour.
3.There are lots of people who feel passionate about radio.
4. Radios 3 and 4 have dumbed down beyond recognition.
5. BBC insider
V. Mark the following statements as T or F. Prove your idea:
1. Jenny Abramsky is a successful TV presenter employed to save radio.
2. Jenny Abramsky's appointment was no surprise to people.
3. She has got enough experience in radio-related jobs to be appointed as BBC director of radio.
4. J. Abramsky is notorious for her slapdash management.
5. She is very dedicated to radio.
6. Her urgent mission is to actually raise audience figures.
VI. Answer the questions:
1. Why is Abramsky viewed upon as a Godsend?
2. What are audience expectations with Radio 3 and 4?
3. What are J. Abramsky's aims and objectives?
4. Why is radio called a poor relation to TV?
5. What makes people think that radio is dead?
FOLLOW-UP
VII. Act out a radio programme on the topic "Radio is Dead". Bring up the ideas mentioned in the text and those of your own. Give opposite points of view.
VIII. Role-play a press-conference with Jenny Abramsky and her deputies on tlie future of the BBC radio (goals, reforms, new programmes, new strategies, etc.)
IX. Act out a meeting of the board of directors of the Belarusian National Radio. Some directors who have just been appointed are enthusiastic, full of new fresh ideas, want to reform the whole system, to raise audience figures. Others have been directors for quite a time and are satisfied with the present state of things, they don't think any changes are necessary. Come to a compromise. Make a plan of action for the near future.