Broadsword Calling Danny Boy,

In my opinion, and in the opinion of many others, BBC 6Music should not be employing George Lamb. His initial employment was dubious; he first worked a slot on the station that although low-profile had potential. There is always potential in a 10pm until late slot when a DJ has a passion, intelligence and some freedom; one only has to listen to the output of Lamb’s successor in the 2200-0100hrs slot, Gideon Coe, their rival, Colin Murray on Radio 1, or remember the work of Mark Radcliffe in the past to realise what can be achieved in that slot. DJs can form a special bond with a night time audience, that bond can even extend to the BBC playback audiences of the modern day. George Lamb did not achieve this bond whilst he was in charge of his first BBC 6music slot, and I’d even argue that one of his failed predecessors, Joe Mace, almost managed to create a bond with the night time audience, at least, he came closer than George Lamb. George Lamb repelled.

The merits of initially offering him a contract at BBC 6music were at first unapparent, the issue now is the honouring of that contract. I’d say he is monumentally lucky to still be employed; he has committed offence after offence as a DJ at a music-driven station. He is utterly repulsive. His lack of commitment to the records is intolerable. His lack of knowledge is intolerable. His lack of respect to guests and listeners is intolerable. His speech is intolerable. He plays 18 songs in 3 hours. KEXP can play nearly 50 in the same period and their DJs speak amply, although efficiently.

BBC 6music controller, Lesley Douglas, was called up by BBC Radio 4’s Feedback programme to answer listener complaints. She pulled a huge smokescreen to divert the nation’s attention away from the fact that she has committed a major blunder herself in employing Lamb by claiming that his introduction is due to the fact that women and men listen to music differently – women listen emotionally, men listen intellectually. This debate has received many column inches without even referring the reason for its existence – GEORGE LAMB IS INAPPROPRIATE. I’ve just watched BBC Reporting Scotland, the evening news bulletin on our local BBC television station, where this listening style nonsense was given a small report. Lesley Douglas was not named but referred to as “an expert” in the report which also filmed two customers in Ripping Records, Embra, they both disagreed with our expert, Lesley. The final remark of the report was “music is music”.

Lesley Douglas has cast her web of spin very far on this issue. The BBC is the one media outlet that we should be able to trust in this country thus I find this ssssssickening. BBC 6music has several great DJs: Marc Riley, Gideon Coe, Guy Garvey and Tom Robinson. They deserve to be backed up by competent colleagues and not fools.

I include the text from BBC Radio 4's Feedback's correspondence page as it will be deleted come next week:

In last week’s Feedback Lesley Douglas, controller of 6music, discussed The George Lamb Show, which has replaced Gideon Coe in the mid morning slot. Her remarks about the different relationship that male and female listeners have with music incensed quite a lot of you:This is feedback about Feedback!

I was very disappointed to hear the Radio 6 controller display such casual gender stereotypes in her defence of a new DJ. She said that men have a more intellectual reaction to music while women have a more emotional reaction, and she justified the inclusion of talk sections on fashion as an attempt to attract women to the station. This is utterly offensive to me as a woman, as it suggests that I am likely to be un-intellectual and more interested in fashion than serious music, and also offensive to my husband through her statement that he is less likely to 'feel' the music because he is supposed to be more interested in what studio it was recorded in. This is sexism pure and simple and should not have been left unchallenged.

RMW

Lesley Douglas is way out of touch with 6 music listeners. I am an avid music listener and am appalled that she assumes females aren't interested in the minutiae of music and all things related to music. I was appalled when 'mint' was dropped from the schedules a while back. Daytime radio on 6 music is pretty much unbearable at the moment, George Lamb being the most moronic presenter to date. Interesting to read the 6 music message board, it seems I am not alone. Leslie Douglas should take a long hard look at it!

From Marnie Giddings

Dear Feedback,

I have just listened to the controller of 6Music (who I think I heard is also in charge of radio 2 - I don't see how one person could effectively control both) trying to defend George Lamb's breakfast show, saying that the focus of the show had not moved from music to 'chat'. She implied that one of the reasons that George was selected for 6Music was to encourage more female listeners.I was one of 6Music's female listeners. I loved the station so much that I bought 3 DAB radios for my house and went to the expense of having one fitted in my car. This was at the time when Phil Jupitus was doing the breakfast show, Andrew Collins had his own show - in which I might add there was a lot of chat, but it was entertaining, political, very funny and intellectual - and all the DJs on the station I respected. Since the arrival of George Lamb who sounds like a stand in for the appalling Chris Moyles and 'The Queens of Noise' - or Noize as I suppose its spelt - who seem to think if you say something in a stupid voice it becomes funny; I no longer listen to 6Music. I know Mark Riley is still there and a few other note worthy presenters but it has become obvious that the station IS changing its remit. And I can tell you one thing for certain, as a female, George Lamb offends me greatly. His formulaic programme with his 'friends' chipping in every second as if they are just there for the fun and not getting paid (a formula which is well suited to R1 eg. Moyles and sometimes R2 eg Chris Evans) is not suitable for the 6Music that many loved.6Music used to have many many listeners who loved the station; I should imagine that is no longer the case. 6Music as was is dead.

Emily O'Shea

So "women relate emotionally" and "men relate intellectually" to music? I don't normally listen to R6, preferring R3, R4, or my own collection of a variety of musical styles, but babble versus intellectual comment always loses me, instantly: and I'm a woman. Lesley Douglas's false, ignorant dichotomy categorising male and female responses to music ties in neatly with shari'ah: strict fundie Islam also thinks women aren't really as intellectual as men. Shame, shame, shame: how can the BBC justify spending my license fee hiring anyone as stupidly ill-informed about society as Lesley Douglas?

Katherine

Is there really any point in interviewing people like Ms Douglas? If even one of the stream of controllers, editors or whatever who come on the programme to justify themselves would say "Your listeners could be right, I'll think again...", then perhaps so. Fat chance. What they do say, in effect, is "This is the way I'm going to do it, I know best, your listeners can get stuffed."John BushIn your article in today on 6 Music in was suggested that it had in fact become Radio 1 1/2. Too late, that title fell to Radio 2 when it was mangled by Lord Moyle (Moyles?) If anything the stations would be more aptly entitled; Radios 1a, 1b, 1c. Some months ago your contributors suggested that more should be available for the older audience perhaps with 50s music or in the manner of the old Radio 2 days of Jimmy Young, Gloria Hunniford & Stewpot. A trend that passed into oblivion after only two airings. Pop was the backbone but interspersed with light classical and film music also. Not these days. Apart from Wogan and to a lesser extent, Ken Bruce the station is plagued with 'modern music' and format as delivered in the afternoons by someone called Stephen Team. In the discussion regarding the demise of certain digital stations, another of you correspondents suggested the BBC buy one to play jazz. A better acquisition would be for use in reviving the old Radio 2

Terence Basting

Andover