Is BBC Breakfast in Tatters?
I like BBC Breakfast on the television and generally watch it, as I do my morning chores.
It would appear now, that Sian Williams is to follow others and leave the show, when it goes to Salford.
THe move to Salford is surely one of the most ill-judged moves in British media history, as it will surely mean that many of the best presenters will leave. After all Manchester is not the place many would choose to live and there are many other jobs in London.
I also fear for the quality of other victims of this move, like Radio 5 and BBC Sport.
I feel fairly badly victimised here, as it appears the quality of what I like to watch and listen is about to suffer. As you know, I don’t watch ITV and other channels, unless what is on, is really unmissable, as I’m allergic to adverts.
A Plug For BBC Radio Five Live
I may not have had my e-mail about Belarus read out, but this one was used to finish the Silverton programme on the channel this morning.
In hospital in Hong Kong after a stroke, the only news on the TV was CNN. But I was allowed my laptop and Five Live coming through the Internet kept me sane.
As the late great Brian Redhead once said, “If television had been invented first, then radio would be the dominant media, as the pictures are better!” They certainly were when he painted them with his words.
Thinking about Brian and others like him, where are the great female radio broadcasters to rival Ed Morrow, John Snagg, Bryan Johnstone, Peter Jones, Peter Allen and John Arlott?
Make Up for Radio?
Kate Silverton has just disclosed that she went into Make-Up for her morning show on BBC Radio 5.
Does it matter?
No wonder the BBC is inefficient!
Solving the Problem of Watching Sky or ITV Pictures and Getting Radio 5 Sound
As you may know from this blog, I’m allergic to two things; gluten and adverts. I don’t like having to continually switch whilst watching sport on Sky or ITV to BBC Radio 5, to avoid the annoying adverts and get a continuous commentary. In many cases too, the ITV coverage is not up to scratch and vital parts like goals are missed. To be fair to Sky, there’s nothing wrong with their coverage in general, it’s just the adverts, often for products that contain gluten. So they are a double irritant.
Virgin cable gets around this problem in some ways, because it has a Back button, so you can constantly use it to flip between, your preferred video and audio channels.
For Christmas I was given a pair of wireless headphones by Sennheiser, that plug into the headphone socket of a television or radio and give a good sound quality within range.
So I have plugged them into my Roberts DAB radio for good Radio 5 sound and just put the television on the corresponding video channel.
There are some other advantages.
- I can get good commentary all over my house and even in the road outside.
- The range also solves the tea and toilet break problems, as never do I have to miss any of the action. This works well with sport, but you’d probably need to pause the television for a break, whilst watching a serious drama.
- I’d also be interested to know to, how serious music lovers would find the quality of the sound through the headphones.
- I now adjust the volume on the headphones, so that if say I was watching something very loud, then I’m the only one gets the loud noise.
- Obviously, if you are watching with someone else, you just unplug the headphones and watch normally.
It strikes me that various families would find different ways to use one or more of these devices to avoid problems amongst themselves or with the neighbours.
To be fair, I know that the headphones are a good deal cheaper, than the cost of using a solicitor to fight an ASBO caused by a loud television. And not everybody likes Abba!
But whatever, they made a very good Christmas present for me!
Eleanor Oldroyd Solves the Aussies Problems
Eleanor Oldroyd is the First Lady of Fighting Talk and on today’s show she gave her learned opinion on how to improve the dreadful performance of the Australian’s so-called cricket team. She actually made two suggestions.
- We persuade the ICC to let the Aussies have a third innings.
- The English team play French cricket, which would mean they had to face the bowler directly.
The latter is a really serious suggestion, as it would probably mean that the likes of Strauss, Pietersen, Bell and Collingwood would rise to the challenge with superb stroke-play.
If you’ve never listened to Fighting Talk, it is one of the best programs on Radio 5 and is also available as a podcast.
Today’s was a particularly good edition, with the program finishing with Eleanor explaining how athletes fail drug tests for too much testosterone and/or Viagra.
Radio Balls Pond Road
My new house is just round the corner from the infamous Balls Pond Road. When I found this picture, it brought back a lot of memories of thast iconic radio show, Round the Horne. They used to feature Radio Balls Pond Road.
The series was written by Barry Took and Marty Feldman. Barry actually went to the same school as I did, Minchenden Grammar School in Southgate.
I Want to Watch Football Not Adverts!
I have just turned over from Radio 5’s build-up to the football to ITV’s coverage.
But what did I get?
Five minutes of adverts!
Grr! When somebody makes an advert filter that works, I’ll buy it! But I don’t buy any of the products they advertise anyway!
When I move, I’ll find a solution. Perhaps I need a TV that can switch from it’s Freeview tuner to a cable/Sky one at the touch of a button!
Boiler Room Scams on BBC Radio Tonight
They are investigating boiler room scams on the Adrian Goldberg program tonight on BBC Radio 5 Live at 21:00!
Is It a Good Idea to Cut the BBC Licence Fee?
There are reports today, that the government is wanting to cut the BBC licence fee, as we must all make sacrifices in these hard times.
Obviously, it could be good for the country, but we must make sure that the quality of the BBC’s output doesn’t decline.
My viewing habits are I think fairly typical of someone, who is male and reasonably well off, as I have a subscription to Sky Sports, and digital television and a Sky+ recorder.
- I watch football, cricket, tennis and sometimes other sports on Sky.
- If sport is on the BBC, I usually watch it. Because there is nothing else to do today, I’m watching the golf, but I’d prefer to be watching football, cricket, tennis or athletics.
- I never watch soaps or any drama series that require you to see all episodes. Even things like Spooks, which I do like, I rarely watch.
- I watch intelligent quizzes, like Mastermind, University Challenge and QI and sometimes inane ones like Shooting Stars.
- I always check BBC3 and BBC4 for intelligent or interesting programs.
- I watch old comedy and rarely any new stuff, except for things like Have I Got News For You.
- I watch the repeat channels like Dave, for repeats of programs I like.
- I rarely watch films on television, as you should see them in a proper cinema.
- I never watch anything other than sport with adverts.
- I watch a lot of documentaries and history programs.
- I watch a lot of news programs and always start the day with BBC Breakfast.
- I don’t watch property, gardening and makeover shows
- I only watch ITV, if I’m really desperate.
- I listen a lot to BBC Radio 5 Live and I often contribute to programmes with e-mails.
So cutting the licence fee would not affect my viewing much, unless shows that I liked weren’t made anymore. I worry about BBC Radio 5 and BBC Sport going to Manchester, as I think that could reduce the quality, as the good commentators and production staff, might not want to move north. One northern-born Radio 5 presenter said as much very stridently in an off-air comment, that a microphone picked up. If the north was so good, it would create more jobs without government subsidy, just like London and the greater South East does.
I hope too, that BBC cuts don’t mean that the BBC dumb downs. In fact cuts should mean that programs like East Enders, which are expensive to make should be replaced by something less inane, that would hopefully give ambition and perhaps a degree of education and enlightenment to those less fortunate than myself.
But what we really need is a better way to collect the licence, so that everybody pays and thus it could be reduced without atually reducing the total take to the BBC. Years ago, I proposed a Reverse TV Licence, where the BBC was paid for out of general taxation and if you didn’t have a TV, you got a payment from the government.But with technology now, we could go a lot better. Especially, as we’re all going to have to go digital and many of us will go to satellite or the Internet. Remember, many of us, pay a large subscription for all sorts of services on our mobile phone, but think that all television, music and film should be free.
One thing that has to be born in mind though, is that if the BBC cuts its budget and staff, many of the people affected will not just give up. They will form their own production companies and make innovative programmes, that will probably broadcast through the Internet. The good ones will be found and promoted by the broadcasters and the amount of material generally available that is worth watching and listening to will increase.
One point, I should make, is that the BBC sought my cooperation in a new program project. It droned on for a couple of years and they must have spent a fortune to get no program at all. The program commissioning at the BBC is in my experience, a complete waste of space. It would be so much better if independent companies took all the risk and then presented them to the BBC and others to broadcast. It would not be easy, but in the end, we’d get much better and more affordable television.
I think it is true to say, that some of the best programs, I have seen over the last few years, were created by independents and promoted by the likes of the BBC and Channel 4.
We live in interesting times.
Digital Radio
I generally listen to the radio through SKY or Freeview, except when I’m in the car. The government wants to switch off the AM and FM signals, but they don’t seem to be getting far according to this BBC report. People just won’t switch.
I tried an add-on digital radio for my 5-year-old Jaguar, but I couldn’t get it to work. As the radio for that car is fully integrated with Bluetooth and my phone, I doubt a proper replacement will be available, especially as the car is being discontinued. An add-on for the Lotus Elan is probably easier, as that car has a replacement modern Sony radio with a USB connection.
So what would owners of cars like my Jaguar do to get radios, if the AM and FM signals were discontinued. Probably moan a lot and not vote for the government next time. You wouldn’t spend several thousand to change your car, just to get the added safety of a radio on the move!
AM and FM may not be as good as digital, but this does seem to be rather a bodged and badly-thought out change.
By the way, when I’m in the near-continent, I get the BBC on AM. Are the BBC doing to abandon, the many people who listen to Radio 4 on LW? It looks like they are!
The Anonymous Widower 