JEREMY PAXMAN launched a scathing attack on BBC colleagues last night, questioning the leadership of Radio 4 and calling for two shows to be axed.
The Newsnight presenter expressed incredulity at the decision by Mark Damazer, the Controller of Radio 4, to get rid of the station’s morning theme tune and went on to call for You and Yours and VegTalk to be scrapped.
Mr Paxman sent an e-mail to campaigners fighting to save UK Theme, the medley of tunes played on Radio 4 each morning, deriding senior executives and the shows.
“I’ve no idea what they think they’re doing. When you think, they could have done something useful. Like murdering You and Yours. Or VegTalk,” he wrote.
On Newsnight the previous evening, he said of the plan to scrap the medley: “We’ve no idea what the head of Radio 4’s playing at — we’re thinking of using it every night.” Last night a smirking Paxman signed off with the medley.
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John Waite, one of the You and Yours presenters, defended You and Yours as one of the “most listened-to radio shows, with four million listeners”. He said: “Jeremy isn’t the first and he won’t be the last to criticise You and Yours. I’m quite used to the programme being criticised but it does hurt and it does disappoint.”
The afternoon consumer affairs programme has long been the target of ridicule from script writers on Radio 4 comedy shows such as Dead Ringers.
VegTalk, the Friday afternoon show presented by two grocers who discuss vegetables, is a more recent addition to the schedules.
Mr Paxman’s comments about Mr Damazer and, by implication, his management team, are likely to cause consternation and anger among the BBC hierachy.
Mr Damazer defended axeing the UK Theme on the Today programme yesterday morning. The music has marked the switch-over from the World Service to Radio 4 and Today at 5.30am each day.
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Within minutes of his going off-air listeners were e-mailing the BBC to demand that the tune be kept. By lunchtime a protest website, www.savethe radio4theme.co.uk, had been set up by Tim Hatton, a Guildford-based web-designer.
Mr Paxman was unavailable for comment last night.
Sue MacGregor, a former Today presenter, told The Times: “If people are that desperate for news, can’t they go on the website? Much as I admire Today, my old employers, I hope this isn’t the thin end of the wedge, with Today starting at 5.30am instead of 6am.”
Libby Purves, also formerly of Today, said: “Music on non-music radio has an emotional power — it gets in deeper. It’s a tiny thing but a lot of people will care.”
Among the protests logged on the BBC’s web message board was: “That is my alarm call! How will I get the blood flowing without Rule Britannia, Men of Harlech, The Hundred Pipers and Danny Boy? Far from rejecting it, it should be issued as a single.”