Alan Davey controversially laid bare the difficulties of the station 's top job in an interview on Radio 4 's Feedback programme . The controller of BBC Radio 3 has branded audiences ignorant and claims broadcasting classical music has become more challenging as a result . Alan Davey controversially laid bare the difficulties of the station 's top job in an interview on Radio 4 's Feedback programme . Mr Davey was asked about changes to general classical music knowledge over the last 30 years . He said : 'If you look back at the Third Programme ( the original name for Radio 3 ) , they were bringing high culture to a relatively mass audience but they could assume that their audience knew everything . 'They did not need to have the ins and outs of classical music explained to them . 'The modern audience might not be getting the same education in music in school as they might have done a few years ago – not consistently so , anyway . 'We have to perhaps offer more explanation and context for works . 'It 's not lowering the standard , it 's not making the content simple . It 's about how we present it . ' Mr Davey , who until January was chief executive of Arts Council England , added : ' I believe there are different ways to draw people into music . 'There 's the Classic FM way , and they 're very good at that . 'We 'll be presenting more longer pieces and greater variety of composers , and we also provide the additional different kinds of music and the cultural commentary throughout . ' The station has been accused of 'dumbing down ' in the past , especially after a drive in 2011 to make it more 'accessible ' to a broader audience . Last year Mr Davey 's predecessor Roger Wright ( above ) dismissed as 'complete nonsense ' claims that the station was dumbing down . With just two million listeners , Radio 3 is the least listened-to of the BBC 's main stations . Last year Mr Davey 's predecessor Roger Wright dismissed as 'complete nonsense ' claims that the station was dumbing down and said there were distinct differences between the stations . He said : ' I just do n't recognise it at all . Apparently we do phone-ins ? We do n't . 'We have n't had a request show for a long , long time . You do hear one listener voice on the breakfast show suggesting a piece of music — that 's not exactly a phone-in . So it 's complete nonsense . '
Said controversially laid bare the difficulties of the station 's top job . Was asked about changes to classical music knowledge over 30 years . Alan Davey 'modern audience might not be getting same education ... in school '