Leading figures in the arts have defended the BBC’s classical music programming following accusations that the broadcaster’s attitude towards the genre shows “negativity verging on hostility”. A letter to the Guardian signed by 18 prominent figures said the accusations took a “wholly inaccurate and unbalanced” view of the record of the BBC’s longstanding head of music commissioning, Jan Younghusband. The classical music documentaries broadcast during her tenure are a testament to her desire to find fresh narratives in the genre, and reach new audiences. Gavin accused BBC television of virtually ignoring classical music today, following Burton’s comments in his autobiography urging the BBC to take risks with new music programming and offer a “counterweight to all the cooking programmes”. A BBC spokesperson said last week: “The BBC is home to an unrivalled range of classical music on TV and is the biggest commissioner in the UK.

Source: The Guardian May 21, 2021 15:56 UTC