Dear BBC Radio,
I started listening to BBC Radio online, from Vancouver, in 2005, at the tender age of 23. It started with Radio 4, which struck me as the platonic ideal of the broadcasters with which I’d grown up. One of its major differences was its wealth of drama – neither NPR nor the CBC had dramas at all regularly, and when one did appear it was usually dire. Radio 4’s schedule had an incredible range of dramatic offerings, in every genre, all tremendously well-produced and performed.
I was working in animation, which involved long stretches of tedious technical drawing, and I quickly formed a symbiotic relationship with Radio 4. A drama could keep my pencil moving uninterrupted for its duration, and my productivity soared. I consumed them compulsively, and was abundantly rewarded. Twenty years later I cannot count the number of literary works and histories I would never have come across but for the work of the Radio Drama Department, which have expanded my horizons, enriched my experience of humanity, and made me who I am. That’s not rhetorical: It was a radio drama that interested me in polar history, and I am now an Institute Associate at the Scott Polar Research Institute, making a series of graphic novels about Scott’s last expedition, in the course of which I have moved here and become a British citizen. Stories are powerful!
As I grew more familiar with the BBC’s programming, I noticed that many of my favourite productions fell under the banner of Drama on 3. These always seemed a notch above the rest, being more ambitious, stimulating, creative, or profound. As my job changed, and I began to spend more time writing than drawing, I had less time to lose myself in audio drama. When I was free to listen, I would go first to Dramas on 3, as those were the ones I would most regret missing.
So it was a great surprise to hear that the BBC intended to cut this drama slot entirely. Not reduce new commissions in favour of reruns, not move it to another station, but completely eliminate the feature-length drama from the programming slate. Drama on 3 is the best the medium has to offer, not just on the BBC but anywhere, and wiping it out is like Hollywood giving up on making Oscar bait. Many have argued that radio is a valuable training ground for up-and-coming writers and performers – Drama on 3 is where they really get to spread their wings and show us what they have in them. It’s also profoundly accessible: whether the listener is a North London pensioner, a Middlesborough decorator, or a trainee animator in Vancouver, Drama on 3 brings everyone, everywhere, an equal opportunity to enjoy great theatre, great literature, and great radio, regardless of whether they can afford a ticket, travel, or a university education. If that’s not what the BBC is for, then tell me what is! It informs, educates, and entertains, for a fraction of the cost of one episode of Doctor Who. I appreciate that budgets are under strain and cuts have to be made, but this? Really? Its loss will add only a little to the bottom line – is that worth what it will cost us all to lose it?
If low listening figures are behind this decision, I can only think this is a matter of publicity. I have Radio 3 and 4 on almost constantly; I scarcely ever hear a promo for Drama on 3. Its slot at dinnertime on Sunday means people are unlikely to catch it live, and they can’t look it up on Sounds afterwards if they don’t know about it.
The BBC ought to be proud of the gem in its audio drama crown, and draw attention to it, instead of hiding it under a bushel and then shrugging if no one listens. This age is voracious for audio. Streaming platforms are investing in audiobooks and podcasts, with dramas as prestige productions, often poaching talent from the BBC. My former animation colleagues, who listened to music while I was listening to Radio 4, are now all hooked on podcasts. Everyone I know is trying to ration their intake of news; what better alternative than something as enriching as Drama on 3? The audience is already there, it’s just a matter of letting them know what’s available. You will never know how much Drama on 3 could be appreciated if you cut it before they know it exists.
Please take a step back and look at radio drama in the wider context of the BBC’s remit. It’s a unique aspect of BBC Radio, and an art form in which Britain leads the world. Drama on 3 is the exemplar, not an expendable extra. It’s not just worth saving, it’s worth celebrating.
Yours sincerely,
Sarah Airriess