Archive for June, 2007

Samuel on Australian Independent Radio News

It’s just over half a year since I last posted an aircheck of one of my news bulletins with Australian Independent Radio News.

This is the 3PM bulletin from today (30 June 2007):

[audio:https://samuelgordonstewart.com/wp-content/samuelairnewsjune2007.mp3]
(Or click here to download)

For the purposes of a bit of fun comparison, here are the previous airchecks that I have posted online.

Saturday December 23, 2006
[audio:https://samuelgordonstewart.com/wp-content/samuelairnewsdecember2006.mp3]
Download

Saturday April 22, 2006
[audio:https://samuelgordonstewart.com/wp-content/samuelairnewsapril2006.mp3]
Download

Saturday August 27, 2005
[audio:https://samuelgordonstewart.com/wp-content/samuelairnews.mp3]
Download

Please note that I have a commercial agreement with Australian Independent Radio News (insofar as I read news for them on a voluntary basis), and the audio files linked in this article are the property of Australian Independent Radio News and may not be used without permission.

Samuel

2 comments June 30th, 2007 at 11:12pm

Samuel’s Sleep-O-Meter

Friday: 7 hours 30 minutes

Samuel

June 30th, 2007 at 12:22am

Joke

Good evening Stuart,

I have a quick question for you…was there any money on Noah's Ark?

Yes there was…the duck had a bill and the frog had a greenback!

Have a good night,

Samuel Gordon-Stewart
Canberra

June 29th, 2007 at 08:23pm

Samuel’s Sleep-O-Meter

Thursday: 7 Hours

For those of you who are wondering. I’ll be producing the graph for this on a weekly basis.

Samuel

June 29th, 2007 at 04:28pm

Samuel’s Footy Tips

I’ll post the scores from the last few weeks shortly…but right now.

NRL Round 16
Knights v Rabbitohs
Titans v Warriors
Panthers v Broncos
Raiders v Tigers
Dragons v Eagles
Bulldogs v Roosters

AFL Round 13
Bombers v Demons
Dockers v Blues
Cats v Swans
Lions v Power
Saints v Tigers
Crows v Eagles
Kangaroos v Bulldogs
Magpies v Hawks

Samuel

June 29th, 2007 at 02:25pm

Updated: Telstra just won’t listen

Originally posted on June 16th, 2007 at 10:42am. Updated June 29

Update: I don’t usually promote updated posts back to the top of the blog’s home page, but this one is an important update. Since posting this I have received, and continue to receive, emails and comments from people who have been called by the number listed below. The vast majority of these reports indicate that the caller is not saying anything to them, and just producing menacing calls. One person has informed me that the numbers they have received calls on are listed on the federal government’s Do Not Call register, which means the caller is breaking the Do Not Call law and could face a hefty fine. Whoever it is that is calling, they appear to pretend to be from Telstra on some occasions, and not on others. I no longer believe this is Telstra, but I find their lack of response to my letter suspicious.

I will send Telstra one more letter before taking this issue up with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) who oversee the Do Not Call register.

In the meantime, anybody who has received a call from the number listed below is more than welcome to leave a comment or send me an email to report it. I want to make sure this gets dealt with harshly by the authorities, and the more reports I receive (I can keep your details anonymous if you desire) the more chance we have of this.

End Update. Original Post follows

My mobile phone rang at about 10am today:

Me: Hello
Caller: Hello, it’s Matt from Telstra here, how are you today sir?

I knew where this conversation was headed…but I wanted to see if the script had changed.

Me: I’m good, how are you?
Matt from Telstra: I’m good, (puts on his best over-excited sales pitch voice) but I’m about to make you a whole lot better because I’m going to (even more excited now) give you a new mobile phone.

I thought that, with the hyped up hot air he had just given me, the best thing to do would be to stick a really big pin in his balloon before he floated away.

Me: This is third time, I have asked to be removed from this list
Matt from Telstra (still somewhere between Earth and cloud nine): OK then, I’ll remove you from the list…just for you sir.
Me: Thank you.

I then waited, expecting to here a “goodbye” or something similar, but all I got was silence, and then he hung up.

As I said to Matt, this is the third time I’ve been called by Telstra to offer me a phone. I was a bit annoyed the second time because I had asked to be removed from the list previously, but this time it is beyond a joke. Telstra will be getting a letter posted to them from me on Monday.

In the meantime, anybody who receives a call from Matt (strangely the caller ID wasn’t blocked) on 02 9374 6300, could you ask him to ensure that Samuel’s mobile number has been removed from the list…and make sure he uses the words “good bye”?

Samuel

33 comments June 29th, 2007 at 12:24pm

Hotline Ends And Takes An Era With It

That title is a rather poorly mixed metaphor, but it’s true, the end of Australia’s longest running, and as far as I can tell, only remaining viewer feedback program is very sad.

Hotline has been around in a number of formats for a very long time, as they emphasised in their final episode last night.

It is obvious why Hotline is going…it’s five minutes of an hour which rates very well for SBS and could easily be turned in to more advertising revenue. SBS advise us that they are still interested in our comments and concerns, but now that they have no way to actively promote this feedback, and to advise us of decisions they have made, I do have to question their commitment to such feedback.

Hotline was a rather popular show, and really spearheaded the genre of viewer feedback programs in this country. Other stations tried it, notable examples include Feedback with Indira Naidoo on ABC Television, and Line To Nine, obviously on Channel Nine, which was regrettably never broadcast on the regional relay stations which make up a large percentage on Nine’s effective audience.

Despite these unfortunately failed attempts at creating shows of this genre on other networks, Hotline remained a popular, and sometimes controversial example of the genre, and was in many ways a perfect way to promote anything and everything being screened on the network without being an advertisement.

Perhaps it was unpalatable after all these years to run a show which both praised and criticised the network, and I’m sure the bottom line will look better once the tiny budget of the show gets converted in to five minutes of national advertising revenue, but there can be no doubt that the credibility of SBS has been diminished by the decision to axe Hotline. It may not have been nice to have a show which aired criticism of the network, but SBS looked very mature and responsive for that.

Somehow I doubt that black box of their email address they have left behind, which is the only replacement for Hotline, will be anywhere near as credible as the show itself.

Perhaps SBS will reverse their decision, but I highly doubt it. Hotline’s demise marks the end of an era in Australian television, and SBS’ apparent and continued move away from its original purpose.

I, for one, will miss Hotline.

Samuel

June 29th, 2007 at 11:31am

Have a cuppa!

Good evening Stuart,

I think I'm just as perplexed as you at this barage of crazy racist callers you're getting…including the South African bloke who thinks  all immigrants should be deported except for him.

I have a simple solution for you…put on a record and get a cuppa. If problems persist, extend your chat with Enda Brady until the end of the show!

Regards,
Samuel Gordon-Stewart
Canberra

June 28th, 2007 at 11:53pm

Final Hotline

As noted previously, the final episode of the long running SBS show Hotline will go to air at 7:30 tonight for about five minutes.

I will have more to say about this after it finishes.

Update: If you missed it, SBS have put it online. Click here to watch the final episode of Hotline. End Update

Samuel

1 comment June 28th, 2007 at 07:12pm

Samuel’s Sleep-O-Meter

Monday: 5 hours
Tuesday:16 hours (yep, 16)
Wednesday: 4 hours

Samuel

5 comments June 28th, 2007 at 09:32am

Many Things

Good morning John,

It's an unexpected surprise hearing you today…I was rather hoping to surprise Abe today by ringing him and Clive as they haven't heard from me in nearly two weeks, but it's great to have you on anyway.

Moving on, I am sick and tired of this vapid waste of publicity Paris Hilton…I would have to say that the chances of her behaving for her good behaviour period are about the same as me visiting the moon this week…and the less we hear about this dumb criminal the better.

Also, SBS television are running their final ever episode of the show "Hotline" tonight, which is a five minute viewer feedback programme. Whilst it doesn't often actually address all the concerns of the calls and letters it receives, it has proven to be a valuable show, and has outlived all the similar shows on other networks. It is the end of an era tonight…and you can guarantee that those five minutes each week will be turned into advertising during the popular show "Inspector Rex" which shares the same timeslot.

Have a great morning John,
Samuel Gordon-Stewart
Canberra

1 comment June 28th, 2007 at 12:23am

Retirement

Good morning Mr. Laws

I am very sad to hear that you have decided to retire, and I know that your departure from radio will leave a gaping hole in the lives if many people, myself included.

I am however, glad that you have decided to retire on your own terms, and I wish you all the best for the rest of this year, and then for a long and prosperous retirement.

I really don't know quite what to say, I'm trying not to cry as I write this…you're an inspiration John, I will miss you, and I'm pretty sure that the rest of the nation will too. I think I'll have to take up John Stanley's offer of spending the day with him and his staff at 2UE just so that I can wish you all the best in person.

Warmest regards.
Samuel Gordon-Stewart
Canberra

11 comments June 25th, 2007 at 10:24am

Lawsie Retiring

According to somebody who is listening to the radio right now (I’m not) Lawsie has just announced his retirement…more details as they come to hand.

Update: Here is the press release from 2UE:

MEDIA RELEASE: 25/6/2007

JOHN LAWS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Australia’s most successful broadcaster, John Laws, today announced his retirement, effective at the end of 2007.

Mr Laws, who currently broadcasts through 71 radio stations across Australia, thanked his listeners for their loyal support throughout his 55 year career.

He said, “Radio has been my life. It is the second great love of my life after my family. I thank all of my listeners for being with me throughout my career and I will miss them desperately when I finish at the end of the year”.

Mr Tony Bell, Managing Director of Southern Cross Broadcasting Ltd said, “John Laws has been the undisputed king of radio in Australia over the last 54 years, entertaining more people than any other broadcaster in the country’s history.

“We are delighted he has been with 2UE over the last 19 years and will stay with us until the end of 2007.

“On behalf of the management and staff of Southern Cross Broadcasting, we extend our sincere thanks for the outstanding contribution John has made to our network and the industry – in which he will always be an icon”, concluded Mr Bell.

Southern Cross will commence shortly a search for a suitable replacement for John Laws.

End Update

Samuel

2 comments June 25th, 2007 at 09:45am

Samuel’s Sleep-O-Meter

John Kerr asked me something rather interesting during a conversation we had this morning:

What on earth are you doing awake at exactly half past two if you start work at eight AM?

It was a good question, and it got me thinking about how much sleep I do actually get (again)…and I’ve decided to start a new statistic simply because I’d like to see how the graph would look.

This will be fairly straight forward…it’s quite simply a tally of how much sleep I get in each clock day. Just for the purposes of clarity, I will post these as daily totals in HH:MM format.

Sunday: 6:30

Samuel

2 comments June 25th, 2007 at 09:44am

Samuel’s Footy Tips

I’m sorry, it has been one of those weeks where I have barely had any time to do anything.

Anyway, the AFL is still continuing the split round they started last week, so the only new tips you get today are the NRL tips.

Warriors V Panthers (This game started at 6:30 and I have missed its start, and therefore don’t get to enter a tip for it)
Sea Eagles v Bulldogs
Raiders v Cowboys
Titans v Knights
Roosters v Eels
Rabbitohs v Sharks
Storm v Dragons
Broncos v Wests Tigers

Samuel

June 22nd, 2007 at 06:49pm

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