Roger Wright’s legacy at Radio Three – and his one big mistake

Roger Wright’s precipitate departure from both Radio Three and the Proms came as a surprise. At first the news was that he would go at the end of the season, but then it became apparent he was leaving at the beginning of it. Whatever his reasons may have been — and one sympathises with the idea of a carefree summer holiday after all these years — it brings Edward Blakeman, who becomes acting director of the Proms during the interregnum, deservedly into the limelight. Wright, meanwhile, will become the chief executive of the Aldeburgh Festival from September.

Wright has been the controller of Radio Three since 1998, and has been in charge of the Proms since 2007. Sixteen years in charge of planning at a major radio station is a long stint, and his decisions, inevitably, have not pleased everyone. Early in his tenure he raised hackles by timetabling more jazz and world music alongside the traditional classical fare, and was held to have reduced the number of live broadcasts.