The Demise of Music on UK TV

[anniemouse]

Listened to Tom Robinson on BBC 6 Music and he mentioned that the reason we have only one semi regular music TV show left on national tv is that through in depth audience research. UK audiences do not want one. Am I alone in finding this state of affairs baffling. Whistle Test; TOTP's and The Tube opened my eyes and ears to all forms of music.

[Mook]

Is the show you mentioned Later with Jools Holland? That's the only one I can think of.

I think things have changed with YouTube, 24/7 music channels & the likes of BBC4, which dedicates quite a bit of airtime to music.

Having said all that, I miss the types of show you mention, you would think channel 4 would have an equivalent.

[Brigante]

Channel 4's The White Room used to be their equivalent to Later.

Some great performances on there in the 90s: Lou Reed, Nick Cave, Pulp, Sparks, Iggy Pop.

I remember Iggy doing Lust For Life, shirtless in opaque white pants, trying to get a reaction from a girl directly in front of him in the front row by unbuttoning the pants and gradually opening the zip right on her eye-level.

The girl just stood there with her arms folded, totally deadpan and unresponsive: hilarious!

Channel 4 eventually killed the White Room with overexposure, by having it on so frequently they had to lower the standard of the bands just to fill it.

Viewing figures dropped as a result and that was that.

Shame.

[anniemouse]

Mook that was the show I was referring to in my post and I also remember The White Room. Like I mentioned in my post I just cannot get my head around the fact that new audiences feel there is no need for music to be part of the national TV output.