The battle for Test Match Special: How a BBC institution is confronting an existential crisis
At a time when more diversity is being encouraged, the BBC is battling to maintain its core cricket audience

By
Thom Gibbs,
SENIOR SPORTS WRITER
1 June 2021 • 7:00am
The battle for Test Match Special: How a BBC institution is confronting an existential crisis
CREDIT: TELEGRAPH

Daniel Norcross is about to upset the loyal listeners of Test Match Special.. “I’m not really a cake man, I’m more of a savouries person. I wish they’d send more samosas.”

In the land of the lovingly-baked Victoria Sponge, delivered in person to the commentary box, this is sacrilege, a betrayal of tradition. Then again, these are standard accusations for TMS, a BBC institution whose most vocal - and frequent - critics are also those who love the programme the most.

Norcross, a relative newcomer to its commentary team, created upstart internet rival Test Match Sofa in 2009. Shortly after graduating to TMS Snr in 2016 he read a complaint letter about himself which claimed that he had “destroyed” the programme. “There is so much emotion attached - people feel a sense of ownership,” he says.

But like other BBC Radio institutions which elicit strong reactions - think Desert Island Discs, Today and The Archers - TMS now faces an urgent question: who, exactly, is it for? Seemingly irreconcilable forces are at work - the BBC’s relentless desire to modernise and diversify, and TMS’s traditional familiarity, which underpins its appeal to many of its listeners. Throw in the perpetual worries about the future of Test cricket itself, and it is not an exaggeration to say that this is a moment of existential crisis.

Read more at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2021/06/01/battle-test-match-special-bbc-institution-confronting-existential/

RH

RH

On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 10:48:25 AM UTC+1, RH wrote:
> The battle for Test Match Special: How a BBC institution is confronting an existential crisis
> At a time when more diversity is being encouraged, the BBC is battling to maintain its core cricket audience
>
> By
> Thom Gibbs,
> SENIOR SPORTS WRITER
> 1 June 2021 • 7:00am
> The battle for Test Match Special: How a BBC institution is confronting an existential crisis
> CREDIT: TELEGRAPH
>
> Daniel Norcross is about to upset the loyal listeners of Test Match Special. “I’m not really a cake man, I’m more of a savouries person. I wish they’d send more samosas.”
>
> In the land of the lovingly-baked Victoria Sponge, delivered in person to the commentary box, this is sacrilege, a betrayal of tradition. Then again, these are standard accusations for TMS, a BBC institution whose most vocal - and frequent - critics are also those who love the programme the most.
>
> Norcross, a relative newcomer to its commentary team, created upstart internet rival Test Match Sofa in 2009. Shortly after graduating to TMS Snr in 2016 he read a complaint letter about himself which claimed that he had “destroyed” the programme. “There is so much emotion attached - people feel a sense of ownership,” he says.
>
> But like other BBC Radio institutions which elicit strong reactions - think Desert Island Discs, Today and The Archers - TMS now faces an urgent question: who, exactly, is it for? Seemingly irreconcilable forces are at work - the BBC’s relentless desire to modernise and diversify, and TMS’s traditional familiarity, which underpins its appeal to many of its listeners. Throw in the perpetual worries about the future of Test cricket itself, and it is not an exaggeration to say that this is a moment of existential crisis.
>
> Read more at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2021/06/01/battle-test-match-special-bbc-institution-confronting-existential/
>
> RH
>
> RH
Note: O for the days of a resolutely non-diverse TMS with Brian Johnston (Eton) , Henry Blofeld (Eton ), CMJ (Marborough) , Jon Agnew (Uppingham ) and Trevor Bailey Dulwich ) ......... RH

In message <82e91821-236c-47e2-9f93-4ec0d42a7e37n@googlegroups.com>, RH
<anywhere156@gmail.com> writes
>Note: O for the days of a resolutely non-diverse TMS with Brian
>Johnston (Eton) , Henry Blofeld (Eton ), CMJ (Marborough) , Jon Agnew
>(Uppingham ) and Trevor Bailey Dulwich ) ......... RH

Presumably you didn't approve of Jon Arlott. Don Mosey or Fred Trueman
then. TMS was never as "resolutely non-diverse" as you seem to believe.
--
John Hall "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
pays off now." Anon

On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 3:07:17 PM UTC+1, John Hall wrote:
> In message <82e91821-236c-47e2...@googlegroups.com>, RH
> <anywh...@gmail.com> writes
> >Note: O for the days of a resolutely non-diverse TMS with Brian
> >Johnston (Eton) , Henry Blofeld (Eton ), CMJ (Marborough) , Jon Agnew
> >(Uppingham ) and Trevor Bailey Dulwich ) ......... RH
> Presumably you didn't approve of Jon Arlott. Don Mosey or Fred Trueman
> then. TMS was never as "resolutely non-diverse" as you seem to believe.

Arlott and Mosey were long gone by the time Agnew arrived. and the six names I listed were regulars in the 1990s. Trueman was allowed to join them as an unwitting court jester... RH

> --
> John Hall "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
> pays off now." Anon

On Tue, 1 Jun 2021 14:57:33 +0100, John Hall <john_nospam@jhall.co.uk>
wrote:

>In message <82e91821-236c-47e2-9f93-4ec0d42a7e37n@googlegroups.com>, RH
><anywhere156@gmail.com> writes
>>Note: O for the days of a resolutely non-diverse TMS with Brian
>>Johnston (Eton) , Henry Blofeld (Eton ), CMJ (Marborough) , Jon Agnew
>>(Uppingham ) and Trevor Bailey Dulwich ) ......... RH
>
>Presumably you didn't approve of Jon Arlott. Don Mosey or Fred Trueman
>then. TMS was never as "resolutely non-diverse" as you seem to believe.

Not content with being unable to say what he actually can see, or mean
what he actually says. Henderson has added being unable to say what he
can hear as well.

max.it

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

On Tue, 01 Jun 2021 16:04:50 +0100, max.it <max@tea.time> wrote:

>On Tue, 1 Jun 2021 14:57:33 +0100, John Hall <john_nospam@jhall.co.uk>
>wrote:
>
>>In message <82e91821-236c-47e2-9f93-4ec0d42a7e37n@googlegroups.com>, RH
>><anywhere156@gmail.com> writes
>>>Note: O for the days of a resolutely non-diverse TMS with Brian
>>>Johnston (Eton) , Henry Blofeld (Eton ), CMJ (Marborough) , Jon Agnew
>>>(Uppingham ) and Trevor Bailey Dulwich ) ......... RH
>>
>>Presumably you didn't approve of Jon Arlott. Don Mosey or Fred Trueman
>>then. TMS was never as "resolutely non-diverse" as you seem to believe.
>
>Not content with being unable to say what he actually can see, or mean
>what he actually says. Henderson has added being unable to say what he
>can hear as well.

His amazing inability to classify players' accents anywhere near
accurately has long been a source of great hilarity. His contact with
reality isn't even fleeting these days.

Cheers,

Mike

On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 4:20:13 PM UTC+1, Mike Holmans wrote:
> On Tue, 01 Jun 2021 16:04:50 +0100, max.it <m...@tea.time> wrote:
>
> >On Tue, 1 Jun 2021 14:57:33 +0100, John Hall <john_...@jhall.co.uk>
> >wrote:
> >
> >>In message <82e91821-236c-47e2...@googlegroups.com>, RH
> >><anywh...@gmail.com> writes
> >>>Note: O for the days of a resolutely non-diverse TMS with Brian
> >>>Johnston (Eton) , Henry Blofeld (Eton ), CMJ (Marborough) , Jon Agnew
> >>>(Uppingham ) and Trevor Bailey Dulwich ) ......... RH
> >>
> >>Presumably you didn't approve of Jon Arlott. Don Mosey or Fred Trueman
> >>then. TMS was never as "resolutely non-diverse" as you seem to believe.
> >
> >Not content with being unable to say what he actually can see, or mean
> >what he actually says. Henderson has added being unable to say what he
> >can hear as well.
> His amazing inability to classify players' accents anywhere near
> accurately has long been a source of great hilarity. His contact with
> reality isn't even fleeting these days.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Mike

Oh, the irony.....RH

On 01/06/2021 15:32, RH wrote:
> On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 3:07:17 PM UTC+1, John Hall wrote:
>> In message <82e91821-236c-47e2...@googlegroups.com>, RH
>> <anywh...@gmail.com> writes
>>> Note: O for the days of a resolutely non-diverse TMS with Brian
>>> Johnston (Eton) , Henry Blofeld (Eton ), CMJ (Marborough) , Jon Agnew
>>> (Uppingham ) and Trevor Bailey Dulwich ) ......... RH
>> Presumably you didn't approve of Jon Arlott. Don Mosey or Fred Trueman
>> then. TMS was never as "resolutely non-diverse" as you seem to believe.
>
> Arlott and Mosey were long gone by the time Agnew arrived.

Mosey wasn't. He retired from commentary in 1991, the same year that
Agnew started. There's a photo here that includes both of them:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1155770/Charles-Sale-Museum-Sport-fund-tops-whopping-40m.html

The caption says 1994, but that's clearly wrong as Brian Johnston died
on 5 Jan that year.

--
David North