This is a bit untimely for me as I was deflecting the ridiculous “there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq” argument a couple of days ago, but anyway, guess what they found in Iraq in the last day or so…yes, that’s right, another weapon of mass destruction.
I haven’t held on to the previous stories about WMDs being dug up in Iraq (nor have The Daily Mail based on the commentary in their article), but I’ll hold on to this one because I’m sure that I’ll have to deal with the silly argument over and over again.
Do you know what I think the most annoying aspect of being human is? No? Well I’ll tell you…the need to sleep.
I came to a few realisations last night which have been a long time coming, and I’m rather glad about it because it means that my goals and direction in at least the short to medium term, are now much clearer and more realistic. Alas I can’t explain it here right now because certain formal processes need to be initiated first but I intend on making an announcement on Monday or Tuesday.
Alas between that and my need to sleep, I didn’t actually get any of my three planned tasks (including the promised blog post) done last night…and for the record I’m now existing on about 15 hours of sleep since 8am Tuesday.
I’m working all day today, so I’ll see how I go tonight…assuming that I don’t just crash out after work, that is.
Due to popular demand, two new lectures have been added to Lord Monckton’s Australian tour.
Perth – February 9
Venue: Wesfarmers Lecture Theatre, Business School, University of Western Australia
Address: Hackett Drive (off Stirling Highway at Matilda Bay) Crawley Perth WA
Parking: Car Parks 6 & 9, Hackett Drive
Time: 6pm – 8pm [Doors open at 5pm for 6pm start]
Cost: $20 per person. No bookings. Cash payment on entry. [Please bring a $20 note]
Note: Charge is for admission only. No provision of food/drinks.
Sydney – February 12
Master of Ceremonies: Alan Jones
Venue: Hilton Hotel
Address: 488 George Street, Sydney, Australia 2000
Time: 12:30 – 2:30pm
Cost: $20 per person. No bookings. Cash payment on entry. [Please bring a $20 note]
Note: Charge is for admission only. No provision of food/drinks.
As I understand it (and event organisers, please correct me if I’m wrong), all of Lord Monckton’s other lectures have now sold out.
Based on the television footage that I have seen so far, it would appear that Lord Monckton’s presentation was, as expected, almost the same at each venue. To that end, I’m excited to say that a DVD of his Brisbane lecture is apparently in production so there is no need for everyone who missed out, to miss out. I’m going to seek some more details about the DVD and get back to you about it.
Not in a million years would I have ever guessed that The Canberra Times, noble kitty litter liner that it is, could contain deliberate lies and misrepresentations, but it’s true, it does.
The CT has sadly gained money from me today so that I could see the extent of their utter misrepresentation of Lord Monckton’s lecture at the National Press Club yesterday. To set the record straight is going to take me more than the few minutes that I can spare right now, so I’ll do it tonight instead.
I suppose I could write a letter to the editor as well, but I don’t really see the point as:
1. Most of the people who read today’s article will not read tomorrow’s letters about it
2. I do not intend on further propping up the bottom line of The Fyshwick Guardian, err, The Canberra Little Red Broadsheet by buying a copy of their squalid rag tomorrow just to check if they publish my letter.
More to follow tonight when I have enough time to actually sit down and write details.
I have been up for all but about three of the last 34 hours, so I’ll make this brief and deal with the details later.
Lord Monckton was rather rushed and didn’t have time for an interview but was kind enough to stop for a few seconds for a photo. I’ll be sleeping when the local ABC TV News bulletin goes to air tonight, but I expect to see bits of Lord Monckton’s excellent lecture on there and am recording to see which snippet they decide to run with. Lord Monckton is also, according to Andrew Bolt’s blog, on The 7:30 Report tonight with Kerry O’Brien…it will be interesting to see if Lord Monckton is able to finish many of his sentences in that stage-managed environment.
Lord Monckton appeared on 666 ABC Canberra’s breakfast show with Ross Solly after 8:30 this morning and I thought Lord Monckton ran rings around Ross. Ross was mostly fair in the interview but it was pretty clear who had a better grasp of the facts. I did feel sorry for Ross a couple times when he struggled to get words in at points where I thought Lord Monckton’s answers were already sufficient, but that was balanced by my annoyance at Ross’ obsession with who Lord Monckton is meeting, which I feel cost the audience some participation time.
I didn’t hear it yesterday as I was engrossed in work at the time, but Lord Monckton apparently appeared on 2CC’s Mike Welsh Drive Show. If and when that audio appears on their website (and when I notice it, considering that I’ll be out for much of the afternoon) I’ll post a link to that interview as well.
I thought I mentioned this a couple weeks ago, but it looks like I only posted the link on Facebook.
Lord Christopher Monckton is in Canberra today and will be appearing at the National Press Club between 3pm and 5pm, courtesy of the New South Wales Farmers Federation, presenting a lecture entitled “Why a Royal Commission must urgently review climate change science”.
Update: Sorry, it’s sold out. End update
The cost is $20 per head and afternoon tea and light refreshments will be available. I honestly don’t know if there are any spots left, however if there are any left, I expect that they will go quickly. The people to call in order to book are the New South Wales Farmers Federation on 1300 794 000. I’ll give them a call myself after 9am to check if there are any spots left, and update this post accordingly.
I’ll be there, and I’m still trying to arrange a short interview with Lord Monckton. Somewhere along the line there was a communication breakdown regarding this, so I’m making a last ditch effort to arrange this today. Hopefully I can get this off the ground because I would love to interview Lord Monckton; I have some questions to which I would very much like to hear his answers and, above all else, would like to make short audio interviews a more regular feature of this blog…having Lord Monckton as the first would be an honour and a privilege. Update: Not locked in, but a window of opportunity has been provided. Many thanks to the organisers for their prompt reply this morning. End update
Anyhoo, more details about today’s lecture can be found here, and if you’re attending then I look forward to seeing you. Feel free to come up for a chat.
I can’t think of a better way to re-emerge from my latest blogging hibernation, than with a video of a recently-hibernating groundhog having a chat with a bunch of grown men in funny hats.
Yes, legendary weather forecasting groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and has decreed that winter will last for another six weeks in the northern hemisphere. It’s no wonder that PETA launched a loopy objection to the use of a groundhog the other day and suggested replacing him with a robot (their reasoning included something about how we’ve replaced dinosaurs with robots and people still come to see them)…not enough global warming for them!
Seriously though, does that mean another six weeks of heat down here in this hemisphere?
A very happy Australia Day to you. Please be upstanding for Julie Anthony’s brilliant (the best, in my view) rendition of our national anthem, Advance Australia Fair.
The list of winners, which Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will announce a bit later this afternoon is as follows:
Australian of the Year 2010: Professor Patrick McGorry of Victoria
Senior Australian of the Year 2010: Maggie Beer of South Australia
Young Australian of the Year 2010: Trooper Mark Donaldson VC of Western Australia
Australia’s Local Hero 2010: Ronni Kahn of New South Wales
There we go. No need to wait around and endure the painful process of listening to Kevin Rudd talk.
I’m not naming my source but am 100% sure that this information is accurate. I’m led to believe that the media are stuck in some sort of embargo around this information, so if you’re in the media and reading this, it’s not my fault if you decide to relay it and get in to trouble for it.
As expected from 2XL’s early announcement of their plans, 2CC have now confirmed that they are dropping Steve Liebmann’s show on January 18 in favour of Ray Hadley from 9am to 11am and Alan Jones Highlights from 11am until Midday.
According to 2CC’s Program Director Peter Davidson, this is in response to a large number of listeners asking “Why can’t we hear him [Ray Hadley] on weekdays?” when he can be heard on the weekend. Mr. Davidson also referred to Alan Jones’ return to 2CC as a homecoming of the “king of breakfast radio of the last 20 years or so”, referring to the old Alan Jones Highlights show which aired between 8:30am and 9:00am on weekdays in the early days of 2CC’s life as a talk station.
The station is expecting a lot of feedback today. I’m just glad that it’s not me that’s dealing with the correspondence.
Update: I’ll clarify that last line. I’m glad it’s not me dealing with the correspondence due to the volume…not the content. I’d love it if people flooded me with positive feedback, but I’d probably hate replying to it all because I wouldn’t want to use a form reply.
Anyway, 2CC’s press release follows:
January 7, 2010
EMBARGO – FOR RELEASE 8AM MONDAY JANUARY 11, 2010 RAY HADLEY & ALAN JONES JOIN 1206 2CC
1206 2CC announced this morning to it’s listeners that two of Australia’s most popular broadcasters will join the weekday lineup from Monday January 18.
Ray Hadley’s top rating Sydney morning show will be broadcast in Canberra on 1206 2CC.
Already familiar to Canberran’s through the Continuous Call in NRL season, Ray Hadley presents a morning show that is entertaining and informative. He often puts politicians on the spot to answer the questions his listeners want to know.
The Ray Hadley Morning Show will be broadcast on 1206 2CC Monday to Friday between 9am and 11am.
Alan Jones returns to the 2CC line up with a daily one hour highlights program of his highly successful Sydney breakfast show.
Alan Jones is one of Australia’s most popular and successful broadcasters. With the mind and capacity to make complex issues understandable, Alan Jones sets the agenda with the day’s newsmakers.
The Best Of Alan Jones will be broadcast on 1206 2CC Monday to Friday 11am till midday.
For further information contact:
Peter Davidson
Program Director
Talking Canberra 1206 2CC
Phone: (02) 6241 1911
I noted earlier that I had some not particularly Earth shattering information about Macquarie’s (owner of 2GB and 2CH in Sydney) venture in to Melbourne.
Some information which has come my way from within the Macquarie bunker at Pyrmont says that Steve Price has signed with Macquarie and will take up a spot on their new talk station. The story goes that Price has moved back to Melbourne. No word yet on whether he will take up Breakfast or not. Also no word on when said station will launch or whether it will bump SEN from 1116AM over to 3MP’s existing 1377AM.
Personally, I’d be confused by having a News/Talk station on 1116 in Melbourne. 4BC have that frequency in Brisbane…and I’d be even more confused if the new station were to steal the 4BC ID and call themself “Melbourne’s News/Talk Eleven Sixteen Three Emm Pee”.
This has been rumoured since before Price left 2UE, so it’s not a shock by any means, but it is nice to have some confirmation.
2XL may have just the cat out of the bag on the big 2CC announcement on Monday morning. From 2XL’s website:
2CC and 2GN’s websites are both promoting the “big announcement” on Monday at 7:45am and don’t show any sign of Hadley or Jones, and 2XL’s site doesn’t contain any more details (Update: See update below). 2GN does at least say that there will be “two big additions”.
It’s obvious what they’re doing with Hadley. That will be 9am to midday. It couldn’t possibly be anything else. Alan Jones on the other hand is interesting. Many moons ago 2CC took Alan Jones’ 2UE breakfast show between 8:30am and 9am but that doesn’t seem like a sensible use of funds to me. I would say that it’s more likely that we will either see a relay of the “Alan Jones Highlights” show between 5am and 5:30am, or the nightly “Alan Jones and Ray Hadley Highlights” show (assuming that said show returns to 2GB’s lineup once they get the summer holidays out of their system).
Update: OK, I might be wrong about how they’re handling Hadley’s show, and also Alan Jones. 2XL, according to their on-air schedule, are taking Ray Hadley from 9am to 11am, and Alan Jones from 11am to midday. The Jones show will probably be a highlights show from that morning…it wouldn’t make much sense to replay a particular hour.
I’m not sure that 2CC will follow this model though. 2XL and 2GN are music stations outside of 9am-midday, whereas 2CC is 24/7 talk and could easily get away with running the full three hours of Hadley and putting the Jones highlights show elsewhere (dump an hour of Webster, please!). End Update
If it is the evening highlights show, then this will also lend credence to the theory that Macquarie, when they take over 3MP in Melbourne, will relay evening highlights to Melbourne. It will also lend credence to what I have heard today and will share with you later this evening…nothing ground breaking, as it’s already been the subject of heavy speculation, but important for 3MP all the same.
Incidentally, 2GB’s website has not added any of the Capital Radio Network stations to the list on Ray Hadley’s page as yet.
The 2CC press release
I promised 2CC that I would run their existing press release. Originally I was going to do this tomorrow night as a teaser for Monday’s announcement…but I can’t see any point in waiting any more. As such, here’s the press release (original available by clicking here).
January 6, 2010
EMBARGO – FOR RELEASE FRIDAY JANUARY 8, 2010 WHAT IS THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT AT 2CC?
Canberra’s commercial talk back station 1206 2CC has been telling listeners to tune in this Monday morning for a ‘big announcement’.
2CC has been quietly expanding its operations with the recent launch of Hot Country 97.5FM.
It’s expected that 2CC will announce extra additions to its 2010 lineup.
For the full details you will have to tune into 1206 2CC this Monday morning at 7.45 when breakfast host Mark Parton reveals all the details.
For further information contact:
Peter Davidson
Program Director
Talking Canberra 1206 2CC
Phone: (02) 6241 1911
Andrew Coster writes in with his proposed on-air schedule for 2UE
Weekdays
Breakfast: John Stanley and Sandy Aloisi
Mornings: Steve Liebmann and Ken Sutcliffe
Afternoons: Tim Webster and Dawn Rawlings
Drive: Murray Wilton and Liz Ellis
Sports Today: John Gibbs and Greg Alexander
Nights: Stuart Bocking and Tracey Spicer
Overnights: Jim Ball and John Kerr
Weekends
Weekend Breakfast: George Moore and Paul B Kidd
Weekend Mornings: Andrew Daddo and Don Burke
Weekend Afternoons: Clive Robertson and Chris Kearns
Weekend Drive: Ed Phillips and Ken Sparkes
Saturday Night: Dr Ross Walker and Pete Graham
Sunday Early Night: Dale Sinden and Simon Foster
Sunday Late Night: Spencer Kirk and Sharina
Weekend Overnight: Clinton Maynard and Rachel Friend
Fill-ins
Scott Cam and Dr Vivienne Miller
Mike Carlton and Matt De Groot
Bill Woods and Deborah Knight
David Prior and Judy Horton
Tim Gilbert and Murray Olds
Rowan Barker and Susie Yates
Andrew Voss and Ian MacRae
Mike Munro and Julie Singleton
Possible additions
Ben Fordham
Chris Smith
Thanks for sending that in Andrew. That lineup is probably more useful than what 2UE currently put to air. It might just make their apparent current aim of being the softer, less abrasive alternative to 2GB, work.
Pairing Steve Liebmann and Ken Sutcliffe is, I think, a stroke of genius. Steve Liebmann desperately needs a co-host to help keep him focussed, and Ken is likely to sound good next to Steve.
There is no way in the world that I could listen to Tim Webster and Dawn Rawlings. It’s funny though in a way, as I was, just yesterday, joking about a possible daily Sharina show for stations which hate ratings…putting Dawn on daily would be close enough.
Stuart and Tracey have done a great job on breakfast over summer. Personally I’d keep them there, but it’s probably easier to put them on nights…no need to find somebody else suitable for the timeslot that way.
I’m not sure that Jim Ball and John Kerr would be compatible. Their approaches are worlds apart and I think we’d end up with a power struggle.
I like the idea of pairing Clive Robertson with Chris Kearns again. I’m fairly sure that Chris had to retire from the show on medical grounds…but it would be great to hear them together again.
I also quite like the idea of moving Burke’s Backyard out of the breakfast slot. Syndication would probably have a fit…but I like it, and replacing half of “The Two Murrays” at Drive is a good idea…that show currently has no flow.
On the “possibles”. Ben has done well for himself over at 2GB and I doubt that they’ll let him go, especially seeing as the other on-air talent and John Singleton have defended him after the PD pulled the plug on his John Laws interview. I won’t be surprised if Ben surfaces doing a national show from 3MP in Melbourne.
Chris is, apparently, all but gone from 2GB. He is still suspended, but he doesn’t exist on their website now and Luke Bona has apparently been told to get ready to take over the afternoon show permanently (big mistake…give it to Ben. Ben is more engaging when he tries than Luke is in my opinion). Chris might end up at 2UE after a while…it certainly seems to be the way that fired 2GB people go, and vice versa.
The soft talk format that 2UE are trying at the moment is very hard to get right. The current line-up needs work, and I think Andrew is very close to something which could hold a decent, steady share of the ratings.
Lord Christopher Monckton’s people have been kind enough to provide some more information about his upcoming lecture tour. The exact schedule is still subject to change, but as of this moment the following is known:
Wednesday 27.1.10 – 5.30pm – Sydney – Grand Ballroom, The Sheraton on The Park, Elizabeth Street, Sydney
Thursday 28.1.10 – 12.30pm – Newcastle – Banquette Hall, Newcastle City Hall, King Street Newcastle.
Friday 29.1.10 – 12.30 Lunch – Brisbane – Grand ballroom, Hilton Hotel, Queen Street, Brisbane
Saturday 30.1.10 – 2pm – Noosa – The J at Noosa Junction
Monday 1.2.10 – 12.30pm – Melbourne TBA
Tuesday 2.2.10 – 2pm – Melbourne – Grand Ballroom, Sofitel Hotel
Wednesday 3.2.10 Canberra
Thursday 4.2.10 – 2pm – Adelaide – Venue TBA
Monday 8.2.10 – 2pm – Perth – Venue TBA
I’m informed that details which are a bit more concrete should be available in a week or so.
Lord Monckton in Australia
(Please spread this message widely) 21 Dec. 2009
Viscount Monckton of Brenchley (Christopher Lord Monckton) has agreed to come on a lecture tour in Australia in late January 2010. Professor Ian Plimer will accompany Christopher Monckton on a whirlwind tour of the mainland capital cities starting in Sydney on January 26th and finishing in Perth on February 8th. Unfortunately we cannot fit in Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Lady Juliet Monckton will come as well, in part to monitor Lord Monckton’s health.
Prof. Plimer says the following of Lord Monckton: “although I modestly state that I am a good performer, he is superb and I have seen him fielding a very hostile BBC and other networks. He has the ability to change thinking……”.
Given the now generally-acknowledged lack of understanding among the Australian general public of the underlying reasons for a “Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme” and the likely effects thereof, it is critical that the public gets a chance to hear a globally-recognised presenter to explain the rational understanding of the whole issue. Lord Monckton is the ideal person to carry out this task and to also put it to the mass media.
[Tour date details removed - see details above or download the PDF]
As you can understand, the cost of this exercise will be very substantial as we have to fly Lord and Lady Monkton to and from Australia, all his domestic travel and accommodation plus a “stipend” of $20,000. Our aim is to cover these costs from donations from individuals, appropriate associations and corporations; we expect the required total to be of the order of $100,000. We would like to keep the cost of admission to Monckton’s lectures at around $20 so as to maximise the number of people that will come to hear him.
We have had a number of donations already of $1,000 (and higher) and would prefer donations to be of that order, but of course any amount is very welcome. Should there be a surplus, this, depending on the amount, will be given to Lord Monckton and/or the Climate Sceptics Party which is assisting with this project.
Your donations should be directed to:
Westpac Bank – Lord Monckton Tour account
Bank BSB: 035612
Account: 253068
Thank you in advance for your support of this nationally important project.
