Will TV producers stop polluting the airwaves with background music? - Yorkshire Post Letters
From: Stuart Dron, Whitton, North Lincolnshire.
Why, oh why, do we viewers have to endure the background (so-called) music to pretty much every programme on television? It drowns out all conversation and is now one of the worst noise pollutants imposed upon us.
It is as though over the past few years all TV media studies university graduates have been let loose to use ever louder ‘background mood music’ to enhance what we are watching on most channels.
The irritating tinkling rubbish is now drowning out all conversation to the point where viewers are unable to hear what is being said.
Goodness knows what the cost of all these musical backgrounds is, especially as most of it will be specially commissioned to match the programmes.
As a licence fee payer (yes, we do pay the BBC wages, etc) can I suggest that we challenge the BBC to a say 50 per cent reduction of all background music on all programmes over the next year.
I know this will be a real upset, and even challenge, to the producers and editors as it cuts down their daily meetings and discussion lunches; can they just ask ‘do we really need this background music?’
Commercial channels can lobby the paying advertisers for their opinions and I am sure they will find a move away from expensive background music will be a winner with all viewers and therefore paying advertisers.
Will the ‘action music’ become a constant background to all news programme items on TV in future? Is it just a matter of time when we will only have music and picture subtitles on our screens?
I will be interested in any response from anybody who is responsible for this polluting TV background music; do they recognise that it is patronising to imply that we the viewers are unable to weigh up a plot or action on the screen without the ever louder tinkling rubbish background noise?