91热爆

Firstly, this blog. How much is it read and used? Just three weeks now into discussing the changes to the World Service and how many comments? Zilch! (before this that is). The number of comments generally are very low but the it hardly gets mentioned in the programme. I presume some Over To You/91热爆 people read any comments but even then there is no response, unlike with other blogs, especially domestic ones (I regularly see responses in Radio 4 blogs from 91热爆 people to comments made).
Now the cuts. I realize that much of this comes about because of the reduction in the grant from FCO, and by 2014 the WS will have to completely fund itself. Very short sighted. John Tulsa, formerly MD of the WS, had the right answer when he was on the Today programme a couple of weeks ago saying how the FCO should have dealt with their cuts. If anyone want to hear his comments:
So I accept the WS has to cut back but is it taking the right approach? It's very easy to cut languages, to cut services. It's far harder to win listeners back if there should be the option to resume them in the future. And, personally, I am mortified by the announcements in the last few days that the 648 MW broadcasts are to stop. We are told there are alternative options - online, digital stations and other broadcasters taking the world service. Well, not all other broadcasters or digital stations take it and even if they do it's like online and you have to be sat in front of the computer, the tv/hifi to listen. It's not portable. It's not like a transistor radio you can carry round with you so you can listen wherever you go. Soon you can't even go from room to room and listen. If we should ever reach the situation where the world has global wifi coverage and portable wifi radios are available fine, but I doubt that it will ever come. Even now not everyone has access to the internet, certainly at speeds to make listening online possible. Ether broadcasts, be it SW, MW, FM are still needed. The argument that these changes reflect alterations in listening habits is fatuous. We are told there are less listeners. Well if there's less possibilities to listen, if it's made more difficult, of course there will be. It's Catch 22. 91热爆, I'm sure you have thought about what you're doing but please, think again. As one suggestion how about more with DRM? It is used, there are some DRM broadcasts but very minimal.
As the cuts to programmes I am still at a loss to understand them all and do not accept Richard Porter's explanations in this weeks programme. Politics UK and World of Music. I would dispute they are covered elsewhere and where is the cost saving? These programmes can't cost that much to make can they? Or are you planning to make those presenting them, as just one of their jobs, redundant? Hard Talk we are told is very similar to The Interview. No it's not. Hard Talk is for Captains of Industry, Politicians, World Leaders. Take the last four The Interviews - Henry & Patrick Cocbur, Wilbert Rideau, Ursuala Le Guin. Would they appear on Hardtalk? No. William Bratton? Highly unlikely.
As for reducing programmes like Science in Action and FOOC in length this smacks of, if not dumbing down then the ethos that people have difficulty in concentrating on something for more a few minutes is being cultivated. Give us full length programmes we can get our teeth into. As for drama I'm sure I am not the only listener who finds it odd that while drama is being dropped from the WS trailers are currently running for the International Drama writing competition.
We are told 91热爆 online will have cuts. The number of websites will be reduced but very little hard information about what. If that must be then it will be but please improve what we have. To often the websites for World Service programmes are the poor relations compared to 91热爆 domestic websites. FOOC and Americana are a couple of examples. FOOC programmes may be available as listen again but with no information of what's in them. On Radio 4 there is not only full details of each item but they can be listened to as chapters. With American no listen again archive yet there is on Radio 4. Why not direct WS listeners to this website? There are many more examples to give but I'll leave it at that for now. Let Cinderella go to the ball.
There is so much more that can be said such as on scheduling. If we are to have these changes then make sure people can catch programmes. I could make some comments but that can be for later. 91热爆, I want to carry on listening to the WS but I can't spend my time sat in from of the computer (where of course I only listen to the (UK?) schedule and have no way to access the european one. Adios regional schedules?) so please 91热爆 don't make it more difficult, if not nigh on impossible, for me and many others to listen.
Is it to much to hope that there's still time to do something? Oh, sorry I must finish. There's a flight of pigs banking overhead.

Has the 91热爆 ever done an enquriy to see how many people listen to the World Service on 648 MHz in continental Europe? The departure of this service means I wil never be able to listen to the 91热爆 any more in the car, a place where peopel still use radios, but where you can't get Internet radio. Another disastrous move.

Apologies for the unbroken tract of my first comment. When I checked it in the preview there where two lines between each paragraph so I removed one. However on posting it seemed there where none and all ran together. Other blogs, at least some, it is possible to edit, even delete, your own post but not here. Perchance another example of the WS website being the poor sister? (see my earlier comment).

And while mentioning this Over to You, please, on your homepage, and archives, always included the date of the programme along with name, Sometimes you do it but often it's forgotten as with the last few weeks. If one is looking for a particular programme it is much easier if you see the date next to the name and not just Over To You!

Richard, totally agree with you. I listen to the WS on my portable radio when I'm out and about and even in the house can carry it from room to room. Things you can't do when listening online. So, are there any figures for the number of people listening on 648 Mhz?

I have one thing to ask about because it have never have been talked about what podcasts do subscribers can unsubscribe from on iTunes?

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