Why on earth has the BBC Iplayer (radio) been changed to an unfriendly user system by the name of SOUNDS? Why indeed one has to ask? Was it the brainchild of someone’s thoughtless mind and if you care to Google you will find out. The following is an excerpt on one of the Google’s page.
“You may have noticed that BBC iPlayer (for radio programmes) has been replaced this week with the new BBC Sounds platform. Instead of simply finding your favourite programmes on playback, BBC Sounds will offer you the chance to personalise your listening, discover programmes recommended ‘just for you’, catch-up with the latest podcasts. On Monday, James Purnell, director of radio and education at the BBC, talked up the new venture with Martha Kearney on the Today programme. ‘All of BBC audio will be at your fingertips,’ he promised. ‘We will do the hard work of getting the right programmes to you at the right time.’”
I expect the director of radio went home one weekend and twiddled his thumbs and sighed heavily out of sheer boredom and in that state of mind came up with this ludicrous, un-user unfriendly SOUNDS! Mr. Purnell your idea stinks. You may be the director of radio, but just like the government you have no idea what you have created. People don’t want to be shepherded like a flock of sheep to what you think people would want to listen to – they all have minds of their own. I personally find your new system of listening quite offensive, especially the words you had stated on “TODAY” programme: “BBC Sounds will offer you the chance to personalise your listening, discover programmes recommended ‘just for you’ and ‘We will do the hard work of getting the right programmes to you at the right time.’” Especially the words “Programmes Recommended”
Certainly a touch of BIG BROTHER looming and taking over our lives of what we, personally like to tune into and with this system we are bamboozled into hearing what the BBC want us to hear.
First and second generation IPads are not recognised by this new “SOUNDS SYSTEM” so not much thought or research went into finding out if this programme worked with all types of Ipads. Many persons will have to purchase new machines that will be compatible to “SOUNDS” and obviously not everyone has computers, let alone a network in their homes and also not everyone has an IQ to match the difficult programme produced. When it was the IPlayer on your Ipad it was a simple programme to operate, so why make it impossible for many people who may be lonely and was the only source of their enjoyment. James Purnell may be looking for an accolade for this unacceptable system and I give it “THE THUMBS DOWN AWARD” and he certainly knows how to lose listeners to the BBC Programmes.
To add to this there seems to be less choice of programmes for listeners who have the right sort of Android or Ipad – Where are the interesting programmes you boast of Mr. Purnell?
Correct me if I am wrong but wasn’t the whole idea of the Iplayer radio user was for people who would be at work and wouldn’t be able to hear the right programmes at the right time but to listen to them when they were at home in their time, and not yours!
The Government are usually the people that turn the world upside down with their controversial ideas and now the director of the BBC radio programme has joined their ranks!
The above is just my opinion and anyone who wants to write to me care of the newspaper regarding the content – please do so! Swear words are not accepted.
Just to set the record straight I do not get paid for writing this column – it is for the love of the job and trying to put right the things that are definitely wrong!