Bragging about arts 

9 January 2004 tbs.pm/738

Bragg: BBC4 a ‘fig leaf’ for arts coverage

Lord Melvyn Bragg’s comments yesterday are interesting to see. I don’t think they are right. Yes, BBC 4 is certainly a place where the arts programming is now placed rather than BBC 2, but the BBC is changing and BBC 4 is much more than arts. It is a rich blend of performances, documentaries, higher brow comedy and current affairs. In the field of arts it may indeed be “brochure broadcasting”, but for those of us who can receive it and regularly enjoy its features, it is a further brilliant use of the licence fee. Perhaps Lord Bragg should watch past the operas.