...or 'strange man muttering to himself in field.' In which I discuss, amongst other things (in no particular order),  some personal stuff (not too much!), forced metrication, the link between cows and transmitter moves, recent gigs I've attended, effects of all-day drinking hours, a good turn, geese, freedom of speech (not), and army equipment (lack of).

This is me on a '5 Live' 'phone-in on October 4th, 2006, discussing the vagaries of the British Constuitution with the Grand Inquisitor, Jeremy Paxman. He was on the programme to plug his new book on the Royal Family. This clip - copyright BBC! - begins with a query from the Corporations's former Royal Correspondent....

...and it's back to hearth and home on a glorious September week-end, in which your Podcaster muses on MRI Scans, the NHS, considers kidnapping oldsters and yougsters, rhapsodises about bird-life at Chez Rudin and enjoys Labour Party ructions. 

First of two Podcasts from the 'mediaguardian Edinburgh International Television Festival'. Lots of name-dropping, along with minor criticism of Edinburgh 'signage issues', muses on Edinburgh climate and apologies for lack of atmos'.

 

This is my round-up of the final day of this year's 'mediaguardian Edinburgh International TV Festival'. Lots of gushing about famous people that I have seen and talked to...and then a chat in a VERY NOISY bar at the Conference Centre with some delegates who were attending courtesy of Television for Young People (TVYP)

...in which I discuss amongst other things, the difference between journalism/broadcasting and academe, Thunderbirds, Kenny Everett, and fascinating technical details on 'kit' used for my Podcasts

...in which I discuss the final concert in the 2006 season of the 'Liverpool Summer Pops', Churchill and Orwell, shooting elephants, and the dangers of simultaneous swimming and time-keeping 

...in which I sit on a dry stone wall and ruminate on glories of English countryside on a perfect summer's late afternoon (pictured). I reflect on the wonderful offerings of BBC 7, and look forward to a Pimm's back home. So, a mixture of the bucolic and alcoholic.

Charles (Charlie) Lambert has just finished a lengthy period as a part-time tutor at Liverpool John Moores University - including co-tutor on 'my' radio modules.

A versatile and highly experienced journalist in all media, including BBC network radio and regional television, he has his own production company www.northernriver.co.uk and is shortly to take up a full-time post, runnning the sports journalism degree at the University of Central Lancashire. 

In this Podcast, recorded on a glorious summer's day in Liverpool, we talk sport, journalism, politics, cathedrals, sport again (!), 'gender issues', and Charlie reveals his most embarrassing experiences. Remember, these are highly unlikely to happen to you - so, please, don't have nightmares.

This was inspired by a superb article by Henry Porter - originally published in Vanity Fair and then reproduced in The Independent, June 29th, 2006, and an interview by the always excellent Adam Boulton with the ludicrous Baroness Scotland on Sky News this morning (July 9th).

WAKE UP BRITAIN!

 

 

These are my reflections on the morning after the Radio Festival: I hope they are provocative, challenging - but also constructive!

This is recorded amongst all the bustle of delegates leaving the Radio Festival - and lots of other 'actuality' outside Queens' College, Cambridge - at the end of Festival 06.

It mostly consists of a short interview in which we discuss creativity, 'pirates', the enduring legacy of Kenny Everett, and 'is that your taxi?'!

At the end, and most definitely 'off mic', you can also hear Andy Cartwright - a former BBC colleague and now of the excellent and much praised Soundscape Productions (www.soundscapeproductions.co.uk).

Now I've got my sound card sorted out I can now present this in STEREO! (Albeit very hard-limited and compressed, as it originated on Hi-MD recorder using Automatic Level Control).

This is me 'interviewing' Deborah Wilson, Senior Lecturer in Journalism at University of Lincoln - and sometimes Broadcast Journalist at Radio Lincoln - as we took some refreshment near the end of BEA 06. We're on the 'roof' of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, which is part of the famous Flamingo Hotel complex on Las Vegas Boulevard - 'The Strip'. It's Friday night. It's Las Vegas. We're at 'an iconic entertainment venue'. So what do we do?  We talk about education, journalism, conferences -and, alright, to begin with, just a bit about Mr B. and his marvellous tonics!

One for transport anoraks and lovers of 'real' life...some actuality recorded on board the Las Vegas Monorail, between the Convention Center and Las Vegas Boulevard ('The Strip').

Over the noise  of the entertaining PA system, you can hear me musing over the correct floor level for the action at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville; Brian mishearing me - thinking I had talked about 'nude girls', and Deborah believing she heard mention of a 'porn shop'.  Calm down dears, it's only Las Vegas!! Also, lots of hilarity about promoting Barry Manilow's show at the Las Vegas Hilton, and 'Menopause-The Musical' .

The journey has been edited slightly for artistic reasons - it takes a little longer than 4.5 minutes!

Picture is one I took over one of the more 'tastefully' decorated Monorails passing near the Convetion Center, with Wynn's monstrosity of a hotel in the back-ground

This is the audio from the presentation of my paper at this year's Broadcast Education Association's (BEA) Festival at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The title of my paper was 'Access All Agonies' and considers the impact of the 'streaming' of local radio stations to an international audience. 

Some more classic (?!) moments, including Michael getting hot and bothered over 'Candice' and the traffic reports...and, for historic interest, the one that got away (?) - Merseytram (R.I.P)...and I use family contacts to talk about beer school!  

Here's some extracts from the penultimate day's breakfast show of the Liver FM RSL. I chose this show partly because it contains some unintentional hilarity when Michael introduces veteran sports' broadcaster Keith Macklin, only for us to  hear the dulcet tones of Bill Medley!

 

Once again, I am 'Richard Duncan'!

 

It contains brief excerpts of copyright material, for illustrative purposes only. It is not intended to exploit this material in any way or to deny the copyright holders any income or other benefits due to them as a result of their creativity. If any such person objects to even this illustrative material being made available in the public domain they are respectfully requested to contact me at richarddrudin@aol.com and the 'offending' material will be removed as soon as possible. Thank you-and enjoy! 

This is me (as 'Richard Duncan') presenting the 0800 news and some other material on May 6th, 2005 (the morning following the 2005 UK general election) on Liver FM - the Restricted Service Licence 'trial' service run in April/May 2005. This temporary service was to 'dummy run' the format, etc. in advance of advertisement of full-time 'large licence' for the Liverpool area. This was advertised by the licensee/regulator Ofcom on April 6th, 2006. See details by clicking on this link: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2006/04/nr_20060406 

The station is unusual in many respects in its format and staffing. More details at: www.liverfm.com

It contains brief excerpts of copyright material, for illustrative purposes only. It is not intended to exploit this material in any way or to deny the copyright holders any income or other benefits due to them as a result of their creativity. If any such person objects to even this illustrative material being made available in the public domain they are respectfully requested to contact me at richarddrudin@aol.com and the 'offending' material will be removed as soon as possible. Thank you-and enjoy! 

You can also see more details, including a photo' gallery by clicking onto my hom-page: www.richardrudin.com

It seems unbelievable - but there's no arguing with the calendar: April 12th, 2006 is the 30th anniversary of the start of Beacon Radio 303 - the commercial (sorry - 'independent'-ILR) radio station for the English West Midlands. IMHO, in its first three and half years or so, Beacon was the most innovative, most refreshing and most dynamic radio station in the UK. Headed by an American Managing Director, Jay Oliver and programmed by Canadian Allen Mackenzie, it was certainly a refreshing change and release from the dreary sameness of both the UK and its radio stations in the mid-late 1970s. It was the last of the first batch of the ILR services - the development of which was halted by the killjoy Labour government (as a previous incarnation had legislated against the 1960s offshore stations). They certainly kept the best until last!

Beacon was the place where I gained my first full-time professional radio job, as a newscaster/reporter, and I was so happy and proud to be there, as a fresh-faced (and, as the photo' shows) long-haired 21 year old - the 'kid' - and where I acquired the nick-name 'Funky Duncan'  (in my commercial radio jobs I've always been 'Richard Duncan' - my two Christian names).

 

Copyright note: This podcast has been edited from a commemorative CD put together by Austin Powell for attendees at a Beacon Reunion in 2003.   It has been made available on my site for historic interest and educational use. It contains brief excerpts of copyright material, for illustrative purposes only. It is not intended to exploit this material in any way or to deny the copyright holders any income or other benefits due to them as a result of their creativity. If any such person objects to even this illustrative material being made available in the public domain they are respectfully requested to contact me at richarddrudin@aol.com and the 'offending' material will be removed as soon as possible. Thank you-and enjoy! Further 'stuff' about the reunion at: www.richardrudin.com