Broadcasting into the void… (part two)

This is a series of articles about what broadcasters think of their audiences. In part one I established that, probably, radio producers haven’t really got much of a clue. In fact, some of what they do has been based on guesswork – for almost one hundred years. You can read that first article here - … Continue reading Broadcasting into the void… (part two) →

Broadcasting into the void… (part one)

One reason why I like listening to the radio is that - more often than not - it’ll offer me something I’ve not heard before. That's particularly true in the realm of popular music. So, these are some notes from the archives – past echoes reverberating in these curious times. This article, and the one … Continue reading Broadcasting into the void… (part one) →

Radio goes to the movies, and how art imitates life…

In this article I consider a number of writers and journalists past and present, including Pete May, Philip Knightley, Harold Evans, and Michael Green. All good and true men devoted to the art of the printed word. But first, imagine a broadcast journalist, working for a national radio station, who is so comfortable with telling … Continue reading Radio goes to the movies, and how art imitates life… →

William Booth, tambourines, and music on the radio…

This article brings together the tambourines and trumpets of the Salvation Army, radio broadcasting, and some great pop songs. The tambourines come much later, but first let me explain. I have been presenting a weekly chat show for Branch FM in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, since 2018. The idea is simple. It’s called “Market Talk” and goes … Continue reading William Booth, tambourines, and music on the radio… →

Watching the radio: don’t touch that dial…

In this article I'd like to consider how the radio has been shown - re-presented, if you will - on TV. I've got a couple of old news reports about stations opening, some comedy about hospital radio, and a children's animated TV show that I find delightful. First, the launch of Classic FM in 1992. … Continue reading Watching the radio: don’t touch that dial… →

It’s good to laugh (at yourself…)

Here's five ways to laugh - both with the Beeb and at the Beeb. All, incidentally, have been broadcast on the Beeb. The Corporation has always been self-assured enough to see the joke, and not to take life - and indeed the whole business of broadcasting - too seriously. (1) Perhaps the most recent example … Continue reading It’s good to laugh (at yourself…) →

100 years of technology: and a special mention to the Grahams…

Recently these pages have mentioned Arthur Burrows, the first voice on the BBC in 1922 when it employed just four people. In this article Burrow's connection to Jimi Hendrix, Slash, Joe Bonamassa (see below for a radio-related song) and Spinal Tap is explored. Yes, seriously. This is the link between a journalist from Oxford at … Continue reading 100 years of technology: and a special mention to the Grahams… →

This one’s for the Arthurs, the Nellies, and the newspaper photographers sent to snap crazy set-up stories…

That’s two old-fashioned names and a craft profession rapidly becoming extinct as we all upgrade our 'phones to have the best top quality on-board cameras included. Except, that is, for one of those names. Arthur was, apparently, the fourth most popular boy’s name in 2020. In fact, the British Government’s Office for National Statistics said … Continue reading This one’s for the Arthurs, the Nellies, and the newspaper photographers sent to snap crazy set-up stories… →

A lesson from radio history…

Yorkshire in January 2021 - A field I was reading a PhD thesis last night. Don't ask, but I was enjoying it. And was struck by how the BBC had been thinking about the apocalypse that is this current widespread health crisis as long ago as 1960. That's exactly sixty years ago. It's also long … Continue reading A lesson from radio history… →

Foreign languages, radio journalism, and football: what you speak, what you hear, and what you know…

The importance of a foreign language. In my opinion it’s key. I am old enough to remember my schooldays and my struggles with Latin, “Gaul as a whole is divided into three parts”. I opted for German when I turned into a teenager: “Good day Hans, why are you here? I’m here for the trade … Continue reading Foreign languages, radio journalism, and football: what you speak, what you hear, and what you know… →