RIP Mixing It

I've been vaguely aware of it for a while, but had it confirmed recently: Mixing It (Radio 3) will be finishing in February.

I've been a fan of this show since just after it started, when I first heard 'Porcupine Tree' on it. In the early '90s I slavishly taped most shows and made compilation tapes (I think I have 15 or so) and, in the late '90s moved on to MiniDiscs. I've followed it from Monday to Friday to Sunday and back to Friday with varying degrees of loyalty, but have always managed to come back to listening to it regularly.

It played a great mix of unusual music, or even just new music than you couldn't hear anywhere else (including Peel & Kershaw). I first heard the likes of PT, Squarepusher, PanSonic, Anti-Pop Consortium, Tom Waits, Raymond Scott, Karamasov... Hell, all kinds of stuff. Admittedly, I think it has become too reliant on laptop programmers splicing up sounds, but that's just a fad, IMO.

Apparently there's been a campaign against the likes of MI and Kershaw for a while now. Since I don't listen to much of Radio 3, I haven't caught any of this 'discussion', but there have been a few thoughts here, most of which I agree with.

I think the description of MI (by FoR3) as 'pop' is baffling. Surely Radio3 is about more than just classical? The Jazz (what little is played these days) will be next, to leave a competitor for Classic FM. Yippee. Jazz FM (although it hadn't played serious jazz for ages) has just become smooth fm. This must be what is called 'dumbing down' and I hate it.

There are rumours that Mark Russell and Robert Sandall will present Late Junction occasionally (however long that lasts), but that clashes with Mark Radcliffe's R2 programme, and I won't miss that.