26-04-2025
I spent three weeks with the new Radio 3 — and I'm smitten
My guess is Radio 3 bosses returned to work on Tuesday feeling rested but invigorated ahead of announcing the 2025 Proms programme. The station had a successful month. Its most popular presenter, Petroc Trelawny, made a seamless transition from Breakfast to the In Tune drivetime slot. The sunny Tom McKinney took over the day's start. Then the BBC heard that Radio 3 Unwind, the station's classical chillout offshoot, has been given the go-ahead by the media regulator Ofcom.
Alongside these schedule changes there has been some strong holiday programming: a day-long celebration of 30 years of Private Passions, the composer-presenter Michael Berkeley's revealing interview show in which well-known guests (including King Charles in 2018) share the classical music that inspired them. Fascinating interview excerpts