Despite having spent most of my grown-up life in London, and most of my childhood in a mixture of Ghana, South Wales, and in and
Category: Media
The Chris Moyles Show will reign until September
In early 1997 I blogged about Chris Moyles, saying: Must say a word or two about Chris Moyles’ Late Bit on Capital 95.8 FM in
The broadcasting pioneers didn’t have Media Degrees
People end up being where they are more by accident than design. A lot of the people who are the living success stories around us
Why are there news programmes on BBC1?
I don’t understand why there is a news sequence on BBC1 television. They have a news sequence starting at 1pm then 6pm and another one
8 out of 10 fat-cat celebrities
I like Jimmy Carr. He mainly makes me laugh. His comedy is a little bit close to the edge, yes, but that’s much better than
Where are the real Radio Caroline ‘fans’?
Once upon a time radio audiences were measurable in their millions. This would include the audiences for offshore radio stations like Radio Caroline. Certainly during
The first law of Tony Blackburn
There are some things in this world that are scientific constants. Night follows Day follows Night follows Day. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn,
How to start a pirate radio station in London
At almost any location in London, and any time of day, even the deafest of FM radios will be able to hear between 30 and
It’s just a little Touch
Having now seen all of Series (Season) One of ‘Touch‘ (via Sky One in the UK), I think I’m hooked. Yet, damnit, I’m hooked at
Gemma Cairney is your annoying little sister
So. You’re been out all night doing some serious partying. You reach home and are in serious need of chill out time. The world needs
The ghost of the Euronet non-Party
Ok, here’s the thing: A lot of people have asked to hear the world famous Euronet non-party broadcast from 1992 that I last spoke of
Hit the road, Jack
Whilst radio presenters dress up in ill-fitting posh frocs and pat themselves on their backs at the rather incestuous ‘Sony Awards’ (a kind of really cheap
How old we were 20 years ago on Euronet
Well then. If you read my previous missive about Euronet, the radio station THEY wouldn’t allow to party (here), you’ll have noted that I didn’t
THEY wouldn’t let Euronet have a party
I was asked recently to recount the concept behind a broadcast Euronet made over Christmas 1992. (I’ve spoken about the satellite radio station Euronet before
The start of BBC Radio England
I was very glad to read that the BBC Trust has made the first few steps towards the establishment of a Radio England, a radio
It’s time to cull BBC local radio
I originally published this back in October last year… The idea that BBC local radio might cease to do much more than relay Radio 5Live
Blue Peter flutters off BBC1
So, the BBC announced that children’s TV programmes would be shuffled off their flagship channel BBC1 but would continue on CBBC, the BBC’s very popular
It’s time to close analogue radio
Finally nearly all the old fashioned analogue TV has gone. There’s only a couple of areas left, Northern Ireland and Newcastle. They’ll be gone by
Bitty, want bitty
I don’t have a problem with women getting their tits out for their kids. It seems perfectly natural to me. However, it does seem to
BBC Radio Merseyside can’t work their volume controls
What has happened to production values in BBC local radio? Well, I assume they once had them! BBC Radio Merseyside is the regional station based
Could Radio Caroline return from a ship at sea?
I read with interest that some men who wear armchairs want to re-start Radio Caroline back in the North Sea as a pirate radio station.
Laser 558, the last fun radio station
A gazillion years ago (well, back in the mid-1980s) there were two radio stations operating from ships in the North Sea. There was the old
What if Simon Cowell was openly gay?
Of course, I’m not even slightly saying Simon Cowell is gay, after all he has recently been engaged to be married and there are many
Capital Radio heads in One Direction
When Harry, the one who had all the hair, from the X-Factor created band One Direction did the ‘thank-yous’ at the Brit Awards he put his
Vocal about The Voice
The Voice on BBC1 has to be good. I mean, the meeja god Simon Cowell has ordered that ITV re-schedule his ITV1 Britain’s Got Talent
London’s telly-watchers will all explode today
Well, today’s the day when Londoners bleat and moan and slash their wrists. For today’s the day that analogue TV gets switched off forever. Here
Euronet was bloody good fun
I don’t keep recordings, picture or memorials of things long gone. So, I have nothing to remind me of the year long 1992 to 1993
Just as you thought nothing ever happens
This is a fantastic. I’ve always been a fan of flash-mobbing and the work of the Improv Everywhere group, so this, well, just takes it
Radio for communities of interest
I’ve spoken before about my personal definition of community radio (here). Well, community-access radio. But, I might be slightly wrong by not being completely inclusive.
What is the point of community radio?
Back in the 1970s, I was the man behind a year long pirate radio experiment. We were attempting a weekly broadcast of “community-access” radio. “Community-access”
James Delingpole eats Bacon
Here’s what happened. Richard Bacon has a talk ‘show’ on BBC Radio 5 Live. Last week he interviewed James Delingpole. Until mid-April 2012, you can
Scott Mills and Chris Moyles
Things are always changing at BBC Radio One. That’s what makes it interesting and ‘new’. It’s what it has to do in order to be
Get the global warming religion bias out of TV news
At the moment, I seem to be very angry with the eco-loonies behind the global warming religion. My reasoning is that it is because of
Never more than a minute away from music
Nobody human knows why, but somewhere along the way, the programmers of commercial music radio stations decided they were scared of the music they played.
More outrageous biased BBC news reporting
It is alarming how the BBC still continues to be used as a major propaganda machine on a range of different topics, such as Climate
Google, please stop it before my head explodes
Google, Google, Google. Google, you know I love you. You know I’m loyal. You know I host all my domains through your wonderful Google Apps,
Proof that we can never trust journalists
I’m supposed to be able to trust my local (well, regional) paper to tell me the truth and to be accurate about stuff. But I
Steve Conway is 25 years old
That annoying Steve Conway has been at it again. I’ve reported in the past about how I have been a sufferer of Steve Conway Envy,
Why aren’t they listening to Radio City?
I do an unscientific bit of radio research. I can’t help it. I’m an anorak, so it’s in my genes. Whilst most humans are oblivious
Flashback Friday: 1997, part 2
I have been blogging since before the word blogging was invented. Before Google was around, before Facebook, before Youtube, before Myspace, yes, I was blogging.
Flashback Friday: 1997, part 1
I have been blogging since before the word blogging was invented. Before Google was around, before Facebook, before Youtube, before Myspace, yes, I was blogging.
Radio presenters talk in lumps
Why do people on music-radio talk in lumps? Why are they so afraid of the songs the radio station plays? Where does the research say
The World’s Strictest Parents
A BBC Three series called “The World’s Strictest Parents” has been taking up my time over recent days. I’ve had to watch all of it.
The Twisted Radio Caroline
I’ve discussed before how there are a largely mentally abnormal folk who are fans of Radio Caroline. They are also known as ‘anoraks’. Indeed, these
Guess who owns the Ross Revenge
Radio enthusiasts or ‘anoraks’ won’t like my revelation much, but during the course of this article I will be stating quite categorically who owns the
Fearne’s phone fears
An interesting side comment by Fearne Cotton on her radio show led to a barrage of texts and emails agreeing with her. She revealed in
The decline in radio studio operational standards
When I was a lad in radio I was taught that your headphones were the most important tool you had. Not only would you hear
More or less no global warming
Statistically, not a huge number of people listen to a BBC Radio 4 programme called ‘More or Less’. Presented by Tim Harford and produced in
Goodbye to the local freebie paper man
There is this rather old gentleman I spy from my office window who shuffles about the streets of North Liverpool. He is always over-laden with
The day Steve Conway realised he was one of THEM
I’ve spoken before about my Steve Conway Envy (here). From the results of a search across England’s England it would appear that I obesses about
The world ended in 2011
Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 rose by a record amount over the past year. It is the third successive year in which they have increased sharply.
Crosby has never been part of Liverpool
Yes, I have complained before about outsiders pretending they are ‘Scousers’ or pretending have something to do with Liverpool (here). But, I’m about to complain
The concept radio show
Maybe I don’t realise it but I am potentially sounding like a long haired dinosaur rock enthusiast. Lovers of ‘progressive rock’ will lament the passing
Charlie Brooker is annoying
Charlie Brooker starts off as slightly annoying, but can get as far as very annoying. Brooker looking annoyed Charlie Brooker is not just annoying because
What makes radio grate in Liverpool?
Apparently there’s a conference today in Liverpool, to discover what’s ‘great’ about radio in Liverpool. Well, of course, Liverpool only actually has five station based
Climategate 2.0: The BBC bias exposed
It is traditional during times of conflict, that the state media be used to propagate a hatred of the enemy. It is important that those
Jeremy Clarkson, the last TV hero
TV presenter, writer and personality, Jeremy Clarkson is probably the last living right-of-centre broadcaster allowed on British TV. He probably only survives because the Top
Stop these bastard Segues
The ‘segue’ (pronounced ‘seg-way’) when applied to songs on the radio used to mean carefully playing one song after another with them intermingling as one
Old radio anoraks are not dying fast enough
I can’t help it. There’s a devil inside me. It forces me to poke old radio anoraks with a stick. I really can’t help it.
Radio Caroline plays the hits
I’ve mentioned before how confused and angry radio anoraks get. Well, the older ones mainly. They spontaneously combust if they are faced with anything modern.
Lady goes Gaga over Kitty
I like Lady Gaga a lot. She is probably my favourite female artist of all time. She ticks all the right boxes of daring to
X Factor is real, honest
I love a few things about the X Factor. Convenient the cameras were there to record the tears, eh? Firstly, I love the way that
Yay! The Bag o’ Crap is back
The downside to being a full-on gadget anorak and lover of boys-toys, apart from getting daily emails about the latest toys and ‘tech’ which force
Would the last radio anorak please turn out the light
It probably was a very long time ago, but it doesn’t feel like a long time ago, that the people I now only know via
I think I might have chucked Chris Moyles
I guess I could be menopausal. It must be me. It must be. Today rather than listen to any more of the Chris Moyles breakfast show
Five reasons why listeners think DJs are unfriendly
1) The fact that the DJ/presenter doesn’t talk to or with them, but talks at them, using a lot of very silly phrases that the
The robots, the robots are coming
There’s an old adage that holds true that you should always keep friends with the security staff in any organisation. This is not so’s they
Television, the drug of the nation, part 2
My article ‘Television, the drug of the nation, part 1’ (here) was inspired by reading a blog entry made by Steve Conway. I’ve spoken before
Television, the drug of the nation, part 1
In many respects and to many people, I am a weirdo. I don’t conform to their norms, I’m different to them, and so this confuses
How to start a pirate radio station in London
At almost any location in London, and any time of day, even the deafest of FM radios will be able to hear between 30 and
The long wave goodbye to Long Wave
The BBC operates an outlet of Radio 4 on 198kHz Long Wave. In the recent cut-back announcements, mention was made of running the facility down.
The massive funding for the Climate Change lie
(You may need to click through this gif image and zoom in to view) Protecting reality is hard. Protecting open mindedness is hard.
Yes, it’s time to cull BBC local radio
The idea that BBC local radio might cease to do much more than relay Radio 5Live has been conveniently leaked into the world of muttering
Steve Jobs
There are a billion blogs and websites saying goodbye to Steve Jobs. Probably there are also a minority of places that are snarling and being disrespectfully negative,
Stop radio station programmers being willy obsessed
The people who run commercial music radio stations aren’t the same as the people who potentially listen to them. If they were, then they’d stop
What’s Google Plus for?
Yes, what is Google+ for? Is it going to do to Facebook what Facebook did to MySpace? Is it going to silence those tweets from
Proof that we can’t trust ‘journalists’
I’m supposed to be able to trust my local (well, regional) paper to tell me the truth and to be accurate about stuff. But I
Iain Dale gets it right about Liverpool being ghastly
Most people in the North-West won’t have heard of Iain Dale before. He’s not a leftie or a hat tipping sycophant going on and on
Goldman Sachs rule the world not Governments
Ok. Wow! Now then, this is a fascinating piece of broadcasting history. It’s a financial trader telling the stark and gloomy truth. If you’ve not
Does the X Factor encourage racism?
Talent shows on television. Do they encourage racism? Let’s look at the X Factor ‘talent’ show, but we could equally be looking at any or
Radio North Sea International, the voice of terrorism?
Radio anoraks are so easily led and have been fodder across the years for some pretty outrageous ripping off and false beliefs. To this day,
9/11
So many articles. So many words. So many thoughts. So many lives destroyed. The tenth anniversary of something – anything – else probably wouldn’t cause
Big Brother is the new crack cocaine
So, here we are in a Britain with kids wandering aimlessly around in packs. These bored, restless and feral latchkey kids are going out and
Sangat TV is our true community and togetherness
I’m not a Sikh. Obviously. But, if I was to follow a religion that appears to actually be about peace, then I could do no better
A mench for the Mensch
There was a time when politicians were like space aliens in the way they were so completely out of touch with most of the population.
I time travelled to listen to Radio Caroline in 1966
This week, to keep in touch with my inner anorak self I spent some time (well, 45 minutes) listening to a 45 minute recording of
Don’t ‘follow’, just ‘search’ on Twitter
Duncan Barkes, the legendary talking radio broadcaster, has dumped me. I don’t mean he pressed the button to cut me off from one of his
Don’t shoot the Messenger
Much has been made of the looters and rioters using Blackberry’s RIM Instant Messaging service, Blackberry Messenger (BBM), to co-ordinate themselves and swiftly pass on
OMG! It’s August the 14th!
I’m an anorak’s wet dream, I am. Jeeez. Spare me. It’s August the 14th. Noooooooooo. Back in 1967 this was the day that all the
What is an Anorak?
It’s Flashback Friday. Every Friday we bring back a golden oldie article from yesteryear. A chance for you to read it and see if it
Radio Caroline to be refloated
What exciting news I just heard; Radio Caroline is going to be refloated. Well, more precisely, part three of Radio Caroline is going to be
Amy Winehouse
Whilst not being a huge Amy Winehouse anorak, I did think she had a perfect voice for the style she produced and I have enjoyed
The case of the RICKMOBBING of Liverpool Street Station
It’s Flashback Friday. Every Friday we bring back a golden oldie article from yesteryear. A chance for you to re-read it and see if it
When Jonnie lost his Marbles
When card-carrying Labour activist Jonnie Marbles stepped out of his leafy suburban home in stock-broker belt Windsor he was on a mission. Today he was
Will the BBC leave the loony employees behind?
I’m not anti-BBC. I believe it should be there. I am a consumer of a lot of its output, and I reject the idea that
The final death of presented music radio
It’s taken a decade or so before music radio finally realised it was time to stop pretending it had presenters and that they were important.
Fear of Mono
It’s Flashback Friday. Every Friday we bring back a golden oldie article from yesteryear. A chance for you to re-read it and see if it
Chris Moyles is going on and on
Last week it ‘leaked’ to the world that Chris Moyles had signed an extension to his contract with the BBC, and one assumes Radio 1,
Goldierocks early morning bears
Sam Hall is the newest try-out or signing to BBC Radio 1, and she’s been sitting in for Dev on the Early Show. The Early
Stop radio station programmers being willy obsessed
The people who run commercial music radio stations aren’t the same as the people who potentially listen to them. If they were, then they’d stop
England's England 