In article ,
Rodney Blackall writes:
Has anyone here timed the forecast at 7:57 am on Radio 4 recently?

My impression is that they are getting very short and rushed. If "The
Met Office has issued a severe weather warning" there is hardly time for
any forecast after the warning has been read out!

One problem us that the "Today" presenter often has trouble getting the
person being interviewed just before the forecast to stop talking, so
that the forecast often starts 30 seconds late. And of course the minute
or so of programme trailers after the forecast is apparently sacrosanct.
So the forecast is often reduced to only about 90 seconds.
--
John Hall
"Think wrongly if you please,
but in all cases think for yourself."
Doris Lessing

Oh, for the good old days, when the forecast was at 5 minutes to the hour,
prompt.

The format was a sensible span across the country in logical steps, was
concise (and usually accurate), and lasted about 4 minutes. At the end of
this time, your particular area had been included, and you had a pretty good
idea of what to expect. There were no ridiculously overkilled warnings, no
silly comments, and no trails for sporting events. We weren't treated as
educationally sub-normal beings, nor were we told to "wrap up warm" or drive
carefully. It was obviously considered that we were well able to make those
judgements for ourselves, without any assistance from the BBC.

We aren't encouraged to think for ourselves any more.

So sad.

CK
"John Hall" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Rodney Blackall writes:
Has anyone here timed the forecast at 7:57 am on Radio 4 recently?

My impression is that they are getting very short and rushed. If "The
Met Office has issued a severe weather warning" there is hardly time for
any forecast after the warning has been read out!

One problem us that the "Today" presenter often has trouble getting the
person being interviewed just before the forecast to stop talking, so
that the forecast often starts 30 seconds late. And of course the minute
or so of programme trailers after the forecast is apparently sacrosanct.
So the forecast is often reduced to only about 90 seconds.
--
John Hall
"Think wrongly if you please,
but in all cases think for yourself."
Doris Lessing

Oh, for the good old days, when the forecast was at 5 minutes to the hour,
prompt.

The format was a sensible span across the country in logical steps, was
concise (and usually accurate), and lasted about 4 minutes. At the end of
this time, your particular area had been included, and you had a pretty good
idea of what to expect. There were no ridiculously overkilled warnings, no
silly comments, and no trails for sporting events. We weren't treated as
educationally sub-normal beings, nor were we told to "wrap up warm" or drive
carefully. It was obviously considered that we were well able to make those
judgements for ourselves, without any assistance from the BBC.

We aren't encouraged to think for ourselves any more.

So sad.

CK
"John Hall" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Rodney Blackall writes:
Has anyone here timed the forecast at 7:57 am on Radio 4 recently?

My impression is that they are getting very short and rushed. If "The
Met Office has issued a severe weather warning" there is hardly time for
any forecast after the warning has been read out!

One problem us that the "Today" presenter often has trouble getting the
person being interviewed just before the forecast to stop talking, so
that the forecast often starts 30 seconds late. And of course the minute
or so of programme trailers after the forecast is apparently sacrosanct.
So the forecast is often reduced to only about 90 seconds.
--
John Hall
"Think wrongly if you please,
but in all cases think for yourself."
Doris Lessing

Oh, for the good old days, when the forecast was at 5 minutes to the hour,
prompt.

The format was a sensible span across the country in logical steps, was
concise (and usually accurate), and lasted about 4 minutes. At the end of
this time, your particular area had been included, and you had a pretty good
idea of what to expect. There were no ridiculously overkilled warnings, no
silly comments, and no trails for sporting events. We weren't treated as
educationally sub-normal beings, nor were we told to "wrap up warm" or drive
carefully. It was obviously considered that we were well able to make those
judgements for ourselves, without any assistance from the BBC.

We aren't encouraged to think for ourselves any more.

So sad.

CK
"John Hall" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Rodney Blackall writes:
Has anyone here timed the forecast at 7:57 am on Radio 4 recently?

My impression is that they are getting very short and rushed. If "The
Met Office has issued a severe weather warning" there is hardly time for
any forecast after the warning has been read out!

One problem us that the "Today" presenter often has trouble getting the
person being interviewed just before the forecast to stop talking, so
that the forecast often starts 30 seconds late. And of course the minute
or so of programme trailers after the forecast is apparently sacrosanct.
So the forecast is often reduced to only about 90 seconds.
--
John Hall
"Think wrongly if you please,
but in all cases think for yourself."
Doris Lessing

Oh, for the good old days, when the forecast was at 5 minutes to the hour,
prompt.

The format was a sensible span across the country in logical steps, was
concise (and usually accurate), and lasted about 4 minutes. At the end of
this time, your particular area had been included, and you had a pretty good
idea of what to expect. There were no ridiculously overkilled warnings, no
silly comments, and no trails for sporting events. We weren't treated as
educationally sub-normal beings, nor were we told to "wrap up warm" or drive
carefully. It was obviously considered that we were well able to make those
judgements for ourselves, without any assistance from the BBC.

We aren't encouraged to think for ourselves any more.

So sad.

CK
"John Hall" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Rodney Blackall writes:
Has anyone here timed the forecast at 7:57 am on Radio 4 recently?

My impression is that they are getting very short and rushed. If "The
Met Office has issued a severe weather warning" there is hardly time for
any forecast after the warning has been read out!

One problem us that the "Today" presenter often has trouble getting the
person being interviewed just before the forecast to stop talking, so
that the forecast often starts 30 seconds late. And of course the minute
or so of programme trailers after the forecast is apparently sacrosanct.
So the forecast is often reduced to only about 90 seconds.
--
John Hall
"Think wrongly if you please,
but in all cases think for yourself."
Doris Lessing

In article ,
CK writes:
snip
There were no ridiculously overkilled warnings, no
silly comments, and no trails for sporting events. We weren't treated as
educationally sub-normal beings, nor were we told to "wrap up warm" or drive
carefully. It was obviously considered that we were well able to make those
judgements for ourselves, without any assistance from the BBC.

We aren't encouraged to think for ourselves any more.

Further to this point, have you seen this news release on the UKMO's
website:

'Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office Ewen McCallum said: "With such a
prolonged cold snap people have to make sure they are warm during the
day and at night. And also wrap up well when they travel. Check on any
elderly or vulnerable relatives or neighbours."'

I don't want the elderly to come to any harm, but surely this sort of
stuff shouldn't be a matter for the Chief Meteorologist.
--
John Hall
"Think wrongly if you please,
but in all cases think for yourself."
Doris Lessing

In article ,
CK writes:
snip
There were no ridiculously overkilled warnings, no
silly comments, and no trails for sporting events. We weren't treated as
educationally sub-normal beings, nor were we told to "wrap up warm" or drive
carefully. It was obviously considered that we were well able to make those
judgements for ourselves, without any assistance from the BBC.

We aren't encouraged to think for ourselves any more.

Further to this point, have you seen this news release on the UKMO's
website:

'Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office Ewen McCallum said: "With such a
prolonged cold snap people have to make sure they are warm during the
day and at night. And also wrap up well when they travel. Check on any
elderly or vulnerable relatives or neighbours."'

I don't want the elderly to come to any harm, but surely this sort of
stuff shouldn't be a matter for the Chief Meteorologist.
--
John Hall
"Think wrongly if you please,
but in all cases think for yourself."
Doris Lessing

In article ,
CK writes:
snip
There were no ridiculously overkilled warnings, no
silly comments, and no trails for sporting events. We weren't treated as
educationally sub-normal beings, nor were we told to "wrap up warm" or drive
carefully. It was obviously considered that we were well able to make those
judgements for ourselves, without any assistance from the BBC.

We aren't encouraged to think for ourselves any more.

Further to this point, have you seen this news release on the UKMO's
website:

'Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office Ewen McCallum said: "With such a
prolonged cold snap people have to make sure they are warm during the
day and at night. And also wrap up well when they travel. Check on any
elderly or vulnerable relatives or neighbours."'

I don't want the elderly to come to any harm, but surely this sort of
stuff shouldn't be a matter for the Chief Meteorologist.
--
John Hall
"Think wrongly if you please,
but in all cases think for yourself."
Doris Lessing

In article ,
CK writes:
snip
There were no ridiculously overkilled warnings, no
silly comments, and no trails for sporting events. We weren't treated as
educationally sub-normal beings, nor were we told to "wrap up warm" or drive
carefully. It was obviously considered that we were well able to make those
judgements for ourselves, without any assistance from the BBC.

We aren't encouraged to think for ourselves any more.

Further to this point, have you seen this news release on the UKMO's
website:

'Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office Ewen McCallum said: "With such a
prolonged cold snap people have to make sure they are warm during the
day and at night. And also wrap up well when they travel. Check on any
elderly or vulnerable relatives or neighbours."'

I don't want the elderly to come to any harm, but surely this sort of
stuff shouldn't be a matter for the Chief Meteorologist.
--
John Hall
"Think wrongly if you please,
but in all cases think for yourself."
Doris Lessing

CK wrote:
Oh, for the good old days, when the forecast was at 5 minutes to the
hour,
prompt.

The format was a sensible span across the country in logical steps,
was
concise (and usually accurate), and lasted about 4 minutes. At the
end of
this time, your particular area had been included, and you had a
pretty good
idea of what to expect. There were no ridiculously overkilled
warnings, no
silly comments, and no trails for sporting events. We weren't
treated as
educationally sub-normal beings, nor were we told to "wrap up warm"
or drive
carefully. It was obviously considered that we were well able to
make those
judgements for ourselves, without any assistance from the BBC.

We aren't encouraged to think for ourselves any more.

So sad.

CK

I agree absolutely and remember those days, which now seem like a
Golden Age. But we have become a hysterical infantilised country in so
many ways and this is just a symptom. I feel in some senses we are
witnessing a decline of our culture, despite the many changes for the
good. Better stop there.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.