Encouragement… for writers and radio stars like us in these straightened times

"College bans students from listening to the radio." Read on for news of how one venerable and ancient international place of learning in the East Anglian region of England has banned radios from its grounds. Shock. Clickbait: you won’t believe what happened next. (Not much, really, but there is a picture to look at.) I … Continue reading Encouragement… for writers and radio stars like us in these straightened times →

Radio & ideas – all our scrapbooks (Part 3)

Ideas are the lifeblood of what we do as writers and broadcasters. I'll have more about them in a moment, but first some things to avoid. Especially if you're a big beleaguered British public service broadcaster in the mid 2020s with a reputation to defend, with the right-wing press baying for your blood, and with … Continue reading Radio & ideas – all our scrapbooks (Part 3) →

Radio speak (Part 1) Why we’re all turning into brainless bots. Sort of.

So, here’s the moment when your radio alarm goes off and the DJ, all-bright-and-breezy, says: "Hey! Good Morning! It’s now five-after-the-hour of six AM in the big Monster City." The slick breakfast jock is actually Mike. He’s really good at doing impersonations and spouting cliches like this. Either way, what's this I can see? Is … Continue reading Radio speak (Part 1) Why we’re all turning into brainless bots. Sort of. →

When you miss the local voices from home. Why we used to listen to radio… and why we still do…

Poets, pop singers and radio listeners tuning in to home across the airwaves. But first, the joys of reading a newspaper... I’m of the generation that still enjoys a good print version. It’s the feeling of it between the fingers, the rustle of the pages, the ease of turning it back and creasing the page … Continue reading When you miss the local voices from home. Why we used to listen to radio… and why we still do… →

Radio jokes – can podcasting ever be funny?

The point is this: having shared some dubious jokes about the radio industry, the time has now come to poke fun at podcasting. I'll reveal in a moment why I remain sceptical about "podcasting" (and I'm the one who just put that in quote marks. Feel free to do air-quotes, but don't drop your phone). … Continue reading Radio jokes – can podcasting ever be funny? →

BBC Local Radio: is “Digital First” the End?

It is with a heavy heart that I write this. As a raw radio hack I graduated from the London College of Printing in 1982 – a training ground for some of the best local radio talent of that generation. I worked in BBC Local Radio for the next two decades: at Leicester, Lincolnshire, Derby, … Continue reading BBC Local Radio: is “Digital First” the End? →

The art of radio self-satire | Part 6…

I’d like to share a couple of examples of Beeb bashing. Criticising the world's first and - in my opinion - the best public service broadcaster has a long and ignoble tradition. It’s neither a recent thing, nor the exclusive prerogative of some sections of the British national press. So, in this piece I’ve got … Continue reading The art of radio self-satire | Part 6… →

The art of radio self-satire | Part 4…

This series of articles traces a particular history of BBC comedy – of the shows over the past one hundred years that have poked fun at the Corporation itself. It’s all about the BBC eating itself – and colleagues sacrificing one another on the high alter of satire. Well, at least it makes the audience … Continue reading The art of radio self-satire | Part 4… →

Why Technology Is to Blame for 100 Years of Radio… Probably.

This is the second in a series of articles about the technology behind radio. In this episode, amongst other things, I'll be taking issue with the word "podcast". Read on to find me turning into a grumpy old codger as I winge about how this word has become an umbrella term to denigrate aspects of … Continue reading Why Technology Is to Blame for 100 Years of Radio… Probably. →

The BBC century: the World Service and the Cold War – part 2 of 2

In the previous episode I talked about W. H. Auden and his worries about world events in the 1930s, heard through radio reports on the BBC both at home, and abroad. I also recalled my time on attachment as a producer – plucked from the frontier outpost of Local Radio in Derby to work on … Continue reading The BBC century: the World Service and the Cold War – part 2 of 2 →