In 1946 the writer and novelist George Orwell complained that, In very many English homes the radio is literally never turned off. [...] This is done with a definite purpose. The music prevents the conversation from becoming serious or even coherent. (Tribune, 11 January 1946) Which coming from someone who once worked for the BBC … Continue reading The trouble is…
Tag: Radio Journalism
The art of presentation…
...on radio is at once both radically complex and stultifyingly mundane. I wrote a previous article in February 2018 about some of my favourite radio presenters. In simple terms I reckon you've either got 'it', or you could - at a pinch - struggle to learn it. But mostly I'm of the opinion that the … Continue reading The art of presentation…
How far would you trust a journalist?
The challenge is to get the trust of our listeners. According to a survey in 2018, journalists are (along with estate agents, advertising executives and politicians) amongst the least trusted professions. Technical details of the survey can be found at the bottom of this link. I'm not quite sure how I feel about being lumped … Continue reading How far would you trust a journalist?
It’s always been the case….
...that presenters switch between BBC and commercial radio stations. I recall Tony Butler in Birmingham switching between BRMB and BBC Radio WM in the 1980s. And then back again it the 1990s. And then back to the Beeb. And then back on commercial radio in the 2000s. And, of course, Ed Doolan, who also shone … Continue reading It’s always been the case….
“I never make predictions…
...and I never will” is a quote attributed to the English footballer Paul Gascoigne, who clearly knew the philosophy behind our natural desire as human beings to have a go at guessing what things will be like in the future. Most of the time we fail, which is why now is a good moment to … Continue reading “I never make predictions…
Some of my favourite presenters…
Then, when I became a professional broadcaster in 1982 there were colleagues who I enjoyed both listening to and making programmes with. Still do, in fact. At the BBC World Service in the late 1980s there was the Geoffrey Stern, working as a presenter alongside his London School of Economics lecturing job, who made my … Continue reading Some of my favourite presenters…
From the archives: September 1989
How to write about radio, about the experience of listening? Here's a piece from an industry trade paper, in September 1989. It's a review of a tape of a live show I'd recorded onto cassette in June of that year and then posted (by Royal Mail) to the magazine. How else was a journalist in … Continue reading From the archives: September 1989
From the archives: 9 April 1992
Here's the start of BBC Radio York's election night results programme in 1992. An example of local live reporting... I'd gathered up all those clips during the course of the campaign trail to build this audio montage. It was a busy night for the BBC Radio York team, reporting live from every parliamentary constituency count … Continue reading From the archives: 9 April 1992
Pre-fade Listen 