In a letter to the BBC, Alexander Robinson takes issue with the broadcaster’s coverage of opera and asks why the media can’t be a spirited advocate for the arts.
Dear Ms. xxxxxxx
I'm a great fan of the BBC, I really am, but it pains me to say that its coverage of the arts on TVoften leaves a great deal to be desired. A case in point is Sarah Montague's recent (29 July)HARDtalk interview of opera singer Thomas Hampson, which I watched via the HARDtalk YouTube page yesterday
Should opera companies receive public subsidy? Could they do more to diversify the demographicsof their audiences? How can opera be made to appeal to modern listeners? These are all valid questions which have been posed before, from Yes Minister to the BBC News website, and which will no doubt continue to be asked. Reasoned debate is warranted. Unfortunately, this interview failed to provide anything of the sort. I'm a placid type, not given to complaining (except among friends), but this shoddily-researched, aggressive and misleading interview angered me enough that I'm writing to the BBC for the first time ever.
Dear Ms. xxxxxxx
I'm a great fan of the BBC, I really am, but it pains me to say that its coverage of the arts on TVoften leaves a great deal to be desired. A case in point is Sarah Montague's recent (29 July)HARDtalk interview of opera singer Thomas Hampson, which I watched via the HARDtalk YouTube page yesterday
Should opera companies receive public subsidy? Could they do more to diversify the demographicsof their audiences? How can opera be made to appeal to modern listeners? These are all valid questions which have been posed before, from Yes Minister to the BBC News website, and which will no doubt continue to be asked. Reasoned debate is warranted. Unfortunately, this interview failed to provide anything of the sort. I'm a placid type, not given to complaining (except among friends), but this shoddily-researched, aggressive and misleading interview angered me enough that I'm writing to the BBC for the first time ever.