George Orwell lived long enough to know the Third Programme; he adapted his own Animal Farm for it. Language that is manipulative and deceitful is now for ever Orwellian. He would have undoubtedly recognised some of the ways in which the Third’s successor, Radio 3, has sought to neutralise hostility and influence reaction to its controversial new schedule, which began yesterday.

Its changes are many. Nine shows have been axed. Another five have been moved. Apart from the Proms and other special seasons, and the last act of some New York operas, there will be no live music after 7pm. Late Junction is reduced, Discovering Music extended. There will be a new weekday breakfast host, six new series and afternoon opera.

Well aware that some of this was attacked when partly leaked last November, the BBC has acted decisively. All the main Radio 3 message boards — forums for listeners to give their opinions and let off steam — will be closed from tomorrow. Radio Times and Radio 3’s official announcement of the changes carry not a word about the abolished shows. There was no explanation beforehand as to why they had to go, and no mention of them afterwards. They have just been swept away. Those who laboured on them are presumably now nonpersons. The fact that it was the final edition of all these shows was deliberately left out of all billings and press information. Roger Wright, the controller of Radio 3, has declined to appear on Feedback to defend himself, and ignored the changes in his monthly newsletter.

Chilling, and there is more. Mark Russell, who was the co-host, with Robert Sandall, of Mixing It, which for 16 years featured experimental and improvised music, says on his blog: “Some listeners wondered why Robert and I didn’t make a statement on air. The reason is because it wouldn’t have been broadcast. We recorded our final show yesterday, a few hours before it was broadcast. A BBC senior editor sat through the whole thing. I can’t ever remember that happening before.”

I asked Radio 3 a simple question: Why is Penny Gore being replaced as weekday breakfast presenter by Rob Cowan? The reply, in full, was: “Penny has been presenting Morning on 3 for over six years and will now be part of the team of presenters across Afternoons on 3”. Judge for yourself if that is an answer.

Two years ago, the Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint against Radio 3 for a poster campaign that promised “A live concert every night”. It now bills its recorded concerts “as live” or “live as live”. When will it stop using these nonsensical weasel words and acknowledge that a performance is either live or recorded, and that live means simultaneous?

Many Radio 3 shows remain the same, as does the overall seriousness and the mix of speech and music. Some of the innovations look terrific. Last week’s Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky season, though not always showing how the two were connected, was a joy. But why is Radio 3 so creepy in the way it treats presenters and listeners alike, and why is it so keen to highlight dissent if it is in a comfortably far-off place such as Turkey or China, while making every attempt to squash it when it is rather nearer to home?

paul.donovan@sunday-times.co.uk

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