I received very sad news from Alyn Shipton this morning. The BBC World Service has decided to end their weekly jazz program, Jazzmatazz after many years. For those who don't know, this program was the only worldwide jazz program, reaching many millions of listeners across the globe. [The weekly listenership for the BBC World Service is 150 million people.] Alyn Shipton presented a wide variety of jazz styles, bringing to his programme an unequalled knowledge of jazz history with a characteristic concern for detail and balance. Jazzmatazz brought recognition to scores of deserving jazz artists around the world, who otherwise might never have been able to find their audience. Many brilliant careers have been built with Alyn's help, and many careers will suffer now that Alyn has lost this invaluable forum. This is a tragic day for the jazz world.
I urge all concerned to write to the BBC World Service at [email protected] to express your dismay. If enough people write, perhaps the BBC will change its mind. Please write--you could make a difference.
Luke Kaven President Smalls Records
Alyn Shipton adds:
The best route is to ask people to write c/o the website.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice
click on email us and select World Service Radio from the contact box.
Also, if people can copy their letters to Write On in the same website selection box, it will reach the on-air feedback programme for World Service. There's also a UK service programme on BBC Radio 4 called Feedback. The address is [email protected]. Jazzmatazz goes out on Radio 4 during the night, so I think it's worth trying them too, as this is what they say about themselves:
PROGRAMME INFO
Friday 13:30-14:00
Sunday 20:00-20:30
Feedback is the BBC Network Radio listeners' letters programme, produced for Radio 4 by an independent production company, presented by Roger Bolton. Feedback's content is entirely directed by the letters, emails and faxes it receives from listeners.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
