BBC Radio 3 has unveiled its autumn/winter season programming, as well as schedule changes, new programmes and presenter signings.
The network has confirmed that Late Junction will be cut back to one show a week. The two-hour programme, fronted by Verity Sharp, will air on Friday evenings.
The move follows protests from hundreds of artists and organisations about the cuts to Radio 3's "flagship adventurous music show". The change to Late Junction comes in its 20th anniversary year, and follows the recent launch of the inaugural spin-off festival.
Radio 3 is adding new shows to the schedule - Night Tracks, Unclassified, a new jazz programme and Early Music Now.
Unclassified, Radio 3’s programme celebrating the increasingly popular ambient and neo-classical music genres, is to become a regular weekly programme, presented by Elizabeth Alker. Autumn highlights include Floating Points, with music from his new album, plus first plays from Erland Cooper, Shards and Portico Quartet.
Unclassified will air on Thursday evenings from 11.30pm to 12.30am, beginning October 3.
A re-revamped evening weekday schedule will showcase the first-ever late-night classical show for Radio 3, Night Tracks. Night Tracks will be fronted by BBC Radio 3 presenter Sara Mohr-Pietsch, with regular episodes hosted by the award-winning composer and performer Hannah Peel.
Launching September 30, Night Tracks will air Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11pm to 12.30am, and on Thursday evenings from 11 to 11.30pm.
In November, a new late-night show will air at midnight and focus on the new and adventurous jazz. A programme title and presenter is yet to be announced.
Alan Davey, controller of BBC Radio 3, said: “At Radio 3 we want to connect audiences with remarkable and adventurous
music and culture and to provide nourishment for inquiring minds; from classical at our core to new ambient and experimental music, jazz, sound art, electronica, Slow Radio and our breath of arts content.”
Beethoven Unleashed will be a year-long focus on Radio 3 in 2020, marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.
FOLLOW 
