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 don't recognise it at all. Apparently we do phone-ins? We don't. 'We haven'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.'
Alan Davey controversially laid bare the difficulties of the station's top job . Was asked about changes to classical music knowledge over 30 years . Said 'modern audience might not be getting same education... in school'