perlmonger: (bleurgh)
perlmonger ([personal profile] perlmonger) wrote2004-12-08 08:50 am

Falling Standards

Elsewhere young [livejournal.com profile] sheepthief asks me what "the Third Programme" might be. How quickly the World forgets.

I well remember the shock in the Jordan family when that copy of the "Radio Times" arrived on our doorstep. An entire new programme devoted to the discordant janglings of popular beat combos at least removed their disturbance from the rest of the airwaves, but there could be no justification for replacing the proper, dignified names of the real broadcasting channels with some ugly and grammatically dubious system of numbering.

News readers on the Home Service don't even wear dinner jackets any more.

[identity profile] spride.livejournal.com 2004-12-08 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
The bedroom sound machine (from [livejournal.com profile] codepope) has user-assignable labels for its radio presets. Mine begins "Light Programme", "Third Programme", "Home Service"...

[identity profile] swisstone.livejournal.com 2004-12-08 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
Indeed. I went to a recording of that most excellent wireless programme I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, and only Mr Lyttleton was wearing a tie! Cryer is of course uncouth, and his polo shirt is all that can be expected, but I hoped for better from Mr Brooke-Taylor.

[identity profile] burkesworks.livejournal.com 2004-12-08 08:41 am (UTC)(link)
What, no Union Jack waistcoat?