The Training Zone
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The Whole Truth
Some people still blame Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand for many of the rules and restrictions on broadcasting we now have which never existed years ago. If you worked in radio during that era – and claim that you never did any of the following, you either have a very selective memory, or you’re lying…
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It’s Rubbish Because I Say So. Fact.
In the last blog, I referred to the growing use of the internet to offer opinions, though message boards and blogs. And whilst I’ve had my fair share of run ins with the BBC Local Radio Forum, I thought it only fair to respond to their interpretation of BBC Local Radio’s new evening show, which…
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Local Radio, Nationwide
I’ve never quite understood why some people dismiss programmes they have neither heard nor seen. Perhaps the most memorable example in radio’s recent history was the furore over the Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand affair, with the actual number of complainants who’d heard the original broadcast could probably be counted on your fingers. What’s worse is when…
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Everything Everywhere. Sometimes. Perhaps.
There’s nothing like a glitzy launch of a new service to get those lovely people in the PR industry falling over themselves to clutter your inbox with interview offers, extra guests, last minute slots and – my favourite of all – localised stats to prove that you really must run the story. 2012 may yet…
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Interviewing The Master
He’s interviewed some of the most famous and influential people on earth, and once got mauled by an errant emu. So when you get to interview Sir Michael Parkinson, where do you start? In my case, back to basics. Journalism to be precise. Parky’s been in town to hand out awards for the National Council…
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Video Didn’t Kill The Radio Star
78’s, television, 45’s, reel to reel, cassettes, CDs, minidiscs and now, downloads. Whatever “the media” has thrown at the radio industry, it still survives. And on this ninetieth anniversary of the first radio broadcast, here’s one I made earlier, looking at the first days of broadcasting in Nottingham. Huge thanks to David Lloyd and Paul Robey.…
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Wanted : Journalist with balls.
There are certain moments in life when you will always remember where you are when big news happened. For me, the latest crisis to hit the BBC was accompanied by cheesy disco music in a gay bar in Manchester. “We just HAVE to go somewhere and watch the news channel,” said my mate, who also…
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Shooting The Messenger
It’s often the case that those with the most talent on air also come with the biggest egos. Any producer knows that all too well, where the presenter – who’s just dropped a huge turd into the show – washes their hands of all responsibility. It goes with the territory. But this week saw one…
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The Gold Rush
The late eighties marked a golden age for UK commercial radio, albeit in terms of formats rather than finances. The then regulator, the Independent Broadcasting Authority, had decided that stations must provide an alternative service on their medium wave transmitters or hand back the frequencies, a policy dubbed “use it or lose it”. Many stations went down…
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Anti Social Media
Advances in technology bring as many advantages as they do disadvantages, and Saturday afternoon at the conferences show both sides of this. I’ve opted to dip out of this session and rest after two days of serious debate and serious socialising, but my colleagues from BBC London provide a good summary of events. Firstly, the…
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