Death by a thousand cuts

David Elstein says the near-invisibity of the Proms on BBC TV is a symptom of the collapse of public service broadcasting in Britain

“NEVER MISS A BEAT! THE PROMS! ON IPLAYER AND BBC SOUNDS!” Through July, August and September, this promotional message was ubiquitous on BBC Television. But it was subtly misleading. Every one of this season’s 73 Proms from the Royal Albert Hall was indeed broadcast live on Radio 3, and can be heard again on BBC Sounds. But on the iPlayer, you will find just 26 of them. Only one concert — the Last Night — was televised live. Another half dozen were recorded on the night and transmitted after a delay, allowing the interval to be excised. The others were recorded for later broadcast — days or weeks after the event, some even after the end of the season. Just six Proms featured on BBC One (part of the Last…

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The Critic (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2024

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