It’s been a while since the former Southern Cross talk radio network dumped their cricket coverage and left it in the hands of the ABC who, I might add, have an amazing way of sending people to sleep with their coverage. It’s not their fault, cricket isn’t a particularly interesting game in spoken form, it’s the sort of game you have to watch. Interesting sport coverage on radio demands constant action, something cricket (traditionally) doesn’t provide.
Twenty20 cricket has changed that some extent, it is definitely a game of constant action (although personally I think it’s an awful perversion of the game of cricket). Triple M have decided to broadcast Twenty20 cricket.
The upcoming KFC International Twenty20 will be covered by Dennis Cometti, Greg Blewett, Darren Lehmann and James Brayshaw which seems like a reasonable team, I’m a bit concerned about the special guests Peter Helliar and Strauchanie (I don’t know who this person is…anybody care to enlighten me?) and why, other than it being FM radio, these seemingly non-cricket or commentator people need to be there.
The coverage starts on the first of February at 6pm and will also be broadcast in Brisbane on 104.5FM, sadly Canberra misses out.
Despite my reservations, I wish them all the best with it. It’s about time there was a decent alternative, other than the mute button, to the predictable and annoying Channel Nine cricket commentary, and the sleepy ABC commentary.
The video features some highlights, lowlights (and even a no-light) of Brian’s career, about half way through I’m pretty sure there’s voiceover from John Laws, and at one stage there is an extract of the Sydney version of the 1995 “Who’s who of news” promo.
I wonder what Brian is doing these days?
Incidentally, there is also a rather peculiar promo in there for Ten Eyewitness News with Steve Liebmann and Geraldine Doogue.
On Tuesday I thanked 2CC for granting one of my Christmas wishes by updating their “open line” promo.
As of 4:38 this morning I am able to thank them for granting another Christmas wish…the emergency tape has been updated. The old tape started with a 2CC ID and an ad for The Australian Bedding Company. The new emergency tape also starts with a 2CC ID, but the first ad it different, starting with the words “For machinery that’s all grunt”. It’s definitely not an ad for The Australian Bedding Company, although network programming cut in before I could hear any more of the ad to identify the advertised business.
I should probably point out that I didn’t express my Christmas wishes to 2CC, although I have expressed my reservations about the old eight minute (or thereabouts) loop emergency tape on a number of occasions. Hopefully this tape isn’t another short loop…although with any luck I will never have the opportunity to find out.
Update: 5:23 arrives and another chance to hear the tape…the first three ads are for Queanbeyan Diesel Service, ASI Locksmiths and Living Simply. End Update
Yesterday during my rundown of the new 2UE schedule I spent three paragraphs talking about program intros. In one of those paragraphs I made my thoughts pretty clear about what I would like to see happen with a few intros:
1. Steve Price to continue using Hunters and Collectors’ “Holy Grail”.
2. It would be interesting to see what intro Tim Webster uses.
3. Stuart Bocking should get his own intro rather than using last year’s summer intro.
The results:
1. Steve Price gets a piece of production music, which is nowhere near as good as the catchy “Holy Grail”.
2. Tim Webster gets the very catchy Van Morrison song “Jackie Wilson Said” (whatever happened to Lawsie’s Cuckoo’s Nest…they should put together a new version of that song called “Timmy Webster Said”).
3. Stuart Bocking keeps using the same intro…I suppose that, seeing as nobody else is using it any more, it is technically his.
2CC also haven’t wasted any time, they already have a promo for “Weekdays on 2CC’ featuring Mike Jeffreys, Steve Price, Tim Webster and Mike Welsh in heavy rotation.
Courtesy of 2UE/Fairfax and 2CC/Capital Radio Network and for the purposes of archiving the beginning of the post-Laws era, here are the various intros and 2CC’s “Weekdays on 2CC” promo. Unless I can find my dodgy recording of the old Steve Price Drive Show intro on my digital notetaker, this will be the last 2UE and 2CC audio I post for a while.
[audio:https://samuelgordonstewart.com/wp-content/2CC2008IntroPromo.mp3] Download MP3
I don’t know whether Steve Price’s 2UE intro and his network intro were both assigned to the network or they decided to double up on the voiceover for the fun of it, but it was like that each hour. Also worth noting is that unlike John Stanley’s show, Tim Webster’s 2UE intro is not being assigned to the network, which makes 2CC’s return from the news much cleaner. 2CC use the same intro for the afternoon show as 2UE except for the local voiceover…the two intros are rarely synchronised so it was always very obvious when John’s 2UE intro had been assigned to the network as the music changed quite oddly when 2CC jumped from their own intro to the network feed.
Both Steve Price and Tim Webster have short intros and don’t seem to have different “start of show” and “return from news” intros. Previously it was common for shows to have a longer intro at the beginning of the show and a shorter one as they returned from the news (although John Laws just played whatever intro he felt like).
Update: Five past ten, and a “More of the Steve Price morning show” intro…looks like tradition isn’t leaving after all. End Update
Stuart Bocking still has the differing intros, and unlike the Steve Price and Tim Webster intros, Stuart’s intro lingers, allowing him to slowly fade it out.
As for 2CC’s weekday promo, a very good job by Production. I should probably thank them for granting one of my Christmas wishes and updating the “open line” promo too.
I’m going to let Steve and Tim settle in for at least the rest of this week before I make further comment on their new shows. I’ve already made a few comments on their first day (although I have to admit that I slept through the last hour or so of Tim Webster’s show and only heard later that he has retained the “chat with the drive show host” segment at 2:55 and John Stanley was on there, I was surprised that 2CC didn’t run their usual “On this day” segment at that time, perhaps they don’t have the pre-recorded goodbyes from Tim Webster yet) and it is only fair that I give them some time to settle in properly before making any more comments.
Today is the first day of the metropolitan radio ratings, and as such (in most cases) the start of the normal presenter schedule.
Today is also the first day for the new morning show host on 2UE. Nobody will ever replace John Laws and I think 2UE have made sure that the new host will not be attempting to do so, by shifting the focus of the show from being a national program, to being a New South Wales and ACT based program.
The new host of 2UE’s morning show is Steve Price who, in my opinion, is one of the best commentators on Australian radio, and an excellent choice to present a hard-hitting news based program. Steve has been involved in Journalism for the last 35 years, including many years with 3AW in Melbourne (as Executive Producer, Program Director, News Director and Drive presenter). He moved to Sydney’s 2UE in 2002 initially as Breakfast host and then as Drive host.
As a Canberran I have not had the opportunity to hear an awful lot of Steve Price, but have felt very privileged to hear his program during the multitude of times I have been in and around Sydney over the last couple of years. Steve has also appeared on 2CC co-hosting election coverages in the last few years.
Handing Steve the morning show is an excellent decision in my mind. Being the person to follow-on from John Laws was always going to be a tough ask, however I think Steve is the right person for the job.
I’m not as convinced about 2UE’s choice for the afternoon show though. Channel Ten newsreader, fill-in presenter for John Laws over the last few years and “listener favourite” according to 2UE, Tim Webster is taking over the afternoon show from John Stanley who has been hosting it for about the last decade.
I like Tim as a fill-in presenter, but I don’t think I could put up with him on a permanent basis. He just seems to be too “wishy-washy”. He certainly has his opinions, but unlike other presenters he just doesn’t seem to be capable of really getting to the bottom of an issue and getting some sort of resolution…perhaps that’s just because he hasn’t had a show to call his own.
My main concern is that an afternoon show with Tim Webster will mean the show becomes more news based and less fun. I certainly don’t want Tim to copy John Stanley’s format, but I don’t want him to drop all of the fun and entertainment that John had on his afternoon show either.
I suppose I will just have to wait and see if Tim grows on me. Unfortunately if his summer morning effort is anything to go by, this is going to be an arduous year of afternoon radio. Please prove me wrong Tim.
The big pity for me is that 2UE have moved John Stanley to Drive, which means he will not be heard in Canberra any more. I wish John all the best with the Drive show, he has previously had success in that timeslot and I’m sure he will do a good job, but Canberra will be a poorer place for it.
When I returned to listening to 2CC in 2003, John’s show was something I looked forward to. It’s been that way ever since. It starts with Mark Knopfler’s theme from the Local Hero soundtrack, and continues with John’s smooth voice for the next three hours. I will particularly miss John’s conversations with entertainment reporter Peter Ford, and the Thursday segment “What Drives You Nuts”. I will have less opportunities to take part in John’s show, but I won’t let the broadcast barrier in the way, I won’t be a stranger to John or his new show.
A quick thought for 2CC, if we’re in the mood for change, then please break up those ad breaks a bit during the afternoon show. During the ad breaks in Sydney, 2UE take the opportunity to run traffic reports and live-read ads. As a result, the breaks can be quite long…a minute of news headlines on 2CC around the half-hour would, admittedly, be more work for the newsroom, but would make those long breaks a bit easier to listen to, and improve 2CC’s credentials as a news leader. Even if the newsroom were to pre-record the headlines at 25 past the hour, it would be well-worth the effort. This would be a good idea for the morning show too in my opinion.
Breakfast on 2UE has a bit of a change, with Mike Carlton’s co-host Peter FitzSimons being replaced by Sandy Aloisi, making it the first time 2UE have had a female co-host in a regular weekday timeslot (or not quite…it’s the first time during a daytime slot. Davky notes in the comments that Deb Elsworth aka Ella James was Malcolm T. Elliott’s co-host in the late 90s). It’s not the first time they’ve had a regular female host on the station (although I can’t work out why Psychic Sharyn still gets four hours each week), but with all of the female co-hosts filling in for various people lately on 2UE, I’m not surprised that they have finally taken notice of their listeners and appointed a female to a regular slot.
Personally I would have preferred Peter FitzSimons and Sandy Aloisi, as I’m just not a fan of Mike Carlton and I don’t think he will ever have a chance of defeating Alan Jones in the ratings…but so be it.
On that note, I would like to congratulate Channel Ten’s Bill Woods and Deborah Knight who did very well filling in for Glenn Wheeler on the weekend afternoon show. These two work very well together and deserve a regular slot somewhere on the schedule.
I will be interested to hear the intro music that Steve Price, Tim Webster and Stuart Bocking choose this year. Steve Price has been using the Hunters and Collectors track “Holy Grail” (also used by Channel Ten for their AFL coverage) as his intro on the Drive show…hopefully he will keep using it. Tim Webster has not had the opportunity to have his own intro, having either used a standard “Tim Webster, keeping the dream alive for John Laws” intro or one of 2UE’s summer intros, and it’s about time Stuart got his own intro after having used last year’s summer intro music all year.
Speaking of 2UE’s summer intros, 2UE used the (not so great in my opinion) Joe Cocker cover of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s hit song “Summer In The City” as the basis for their intros. The bit they used works quite well, but the rest of the song is certainly not a highlight of the Joe Cocker catalogue. For the sake of radio posterity, here are Tim Webster and Glenn Wheeler’s 2007/2008 summer intros.
[audio:https://samuelgordonstewart.com/wp-content/2UESummerIntros0708.mp3] Download MP3
Incidentally, I was watching the webcam when Glenn Wheeler “boogied” to the summer intro (as mentioned in the audio), it was quite amusing and I sent him an email to express my amusement.
And while we’re here, good luck to Ash Keenan who has resigned from the Australian Traffic Network. Ash was their traffic reporter for 2CA and 2CC following Dennis Leigh leaving last year. At this stage I don’t know who will take over, or who will fill-in, although I will hazard a guess at Mike “frame in the plane” Frame being the fill-in traffic reporter. (Update: Nope, we have a Dwayne Strauss presenting the traffic).
The radio industry is in mouring yet again. 32 year old sport commentator Clinton Grybas has died. He was found in his apartment today after he didn’t turn up for work, he was rushed to hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. There are no suspicious circumstances.
Clinton Grybas, born on the 9th of February 1975, was an integral part of Radio 3AW’s AFL commentary team. Colleague Graeme Bond has expressed his shock in an emotional interview 3AW this afternoon:
[audio:https://samuelgordonstewart.com/wp-content/ClintonGrybasGraemeBond.mp3] Download link
(Audio and photo courtesy 3AW/Fairfax)
I don’t know an awful lot about Clinton, although I will say that behind Bruce McAvaney he was, in my opinion, the nation’s best sport commentator. The two were co-commentators during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
During the AFL season, it was very common for me to mute the television and turn on the 3AW webstream to hear Clinton’s coverage of the match, and even when I didn’t have access to a television I would listen to Clinton’s call of a match.
Clinton was a fantastic broadcaster and was one of the few commentators capable of painting a mental picture of an event with only words. I’m sure that Rex Hunt, Graeme Bond and the rest of 3AW’s commentary team will carry on, but it won’t be the same without Clinton.
Clinton was not a stranger to the rest of the nation either. He was a regular commentator for Fox Sport (and previously Fox Footy Channel), his reports were regularly heard across the Southern Cross/Fairfax news network, and as previously mentioned he provided the bulk of the commercial radio coverage of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Prior to working for 3AW, Clinton was a commentator for ABC Radio, primarily covering AFL and National Basketball League matches, although covering fifteen sports in total.
Clinton was named AFL Radio Broadcaster of the Year in 2005 and received the Australian Commercial Radio Award for Best Metropolitan Sports Presenter in 2007.
On the 17th of December (Monday last week), Peter Leonard won the Chief Minister-Public Relations Institute of Australia (ACT Division) Award for Community Media, and in doing so became the first individual to win the award.
Mr Stanhope said Mr Leonard received the award, in its ffith [sic] year, for his service to media and the Canberra community.
βI am very pleased to be able to present the Award to such a deserving winner. Peter is well known to Canberrans as a proud, popular and vocal supporter of the ACT community,β Mr Stanhope said.
The award acknowledges outstanding contributions to the community by ACT media organisations or individuals. This year, for the first time, an individual has been chosen as the recipient of the award.
Mr Leonard was selected for his exceptional service to the community through the media and public relations industry in Canberra, particularly his work at WIN TV presenting ACT and district news for many years.
“Peter has also dedicated himself to a wide range of ACT community programs and events, was Canberra Citizen of the Year in 1991, and has been a tireless worker for local charities such as the MS Society of the ACT and the Cancer Council,β Mr Stanhope said.
βOn behalf of the ACT Community I thank Peter for his contribution and congratulate him on this prestigious and well deserved award.”
Seeing as Peter has been handed this prestigious award, I think it is appropriate to run this 1995 promo for WIN News. This is the Canberra version of the promo, WIN also had versions of the promo produced for Wollongong and Western New South Wales and probably other places as well. The promos were based on Nine’s Who’s Who of News, and were probably produced by Nine.
Interestingly it’s the only WIN version of the promo not to include footage of the journalists reporting to camera. It is also worthwhile noting that Canberra’s set was different to the one used in Wollongong and Western New South Wales. I personally preferred the physical set to the keyed set currently used. It is my opinion that if you’re going to have a static background, you might as well use a physical set, and the old WIN News set had some charm. I would like to see them do what Nine do, and have a camera somewhere providing the city as a backdrop, it’s a pity that this probably isn’t a viable option for WIN, especially in the places where the local news is read elsewhere, as it would personalise their bulletins a lot more than the static out of focus control room image they currently use across the entire network.
Anyway, Jon Stanhope’s press release goes on to mention some previous winners of the award, namely:
The Canberra Times for its contribution to the bushfire recovery, WIN News for continuing to maintain an excellent local news service, and radio station 2XX for many years of service to community radio.
It also mentions 666 ABC Canberra for their work during the 2003 bushfire. I have to say that I didn’t understand that award. It really should have been a joint award between 666 ABC Canberra, 2CC, 2CA, WIN News and ABC TV News. 2CC and 2CA (2CC took over 2CA for the day) did just as much work as 666 covering the fires, the WIN staff came in without being asked and put on a special bulletin..one Jon Stanhope should remember as I seem to recall him being interviewed by Peter Leonard during the bulletin, and ABC TV News also put on a special coverage of the fire. Why one group was singled out when they all did excellent work is beyond me.
I suppose that’s a discussion for another day, as today I should really just be congratulating Peter Leonard on another fabulous achievement. The award is thoroughly deserved.
There are a couple congratulations in order today, one of which was due a week ago, and the other one is timely.
I’ll start with the timely one. Today marks the day seven years ago that Mike Frame started in radio, at the now defunct community radio station 103.9 SSS FM. SSS was a station primarily funded by ACTTAB, its primary focus was horse racing, with a wider focus on sport.
Unfortunately ACTTAB stopped funding SSS in the couple years that followed, in favour of running their own radio station. 2KY subsequently received a licence for a Canberra based repeater on 1007kHz and have been broadcasting racing in to the Canberra region ever since.
Mike Frame made the successful jump to 2CC in either 2002 or 2003, initially as the Sunday morning Trading Post presenter from 10am to Midday, and has since taken over 7am-midday Saturday and Sunday (excluding 9am-10am Sunday) and is the usual fill-in for Mike Jeffreys and Mike Welsh.
For somebody who, prior to this, had no experience in radio and minimal interest, surviving in radio for seven years and being successful in it is definitely an effort worth congratulating.
I’m sorry to bring the mood of Christmas night down a notch, but I have just heard the dreadful news that Jim Angel, semi-retired radio newsreader, has died due to a stroke.
Jim Angel at 2SM in 1978. Picture courtesy Wayne Mac’s “Don’t Touch That Dial”. According to Wayne, Jim was Sydney’s longest serving radio journalist, working at 2SM, 2UE and 2GB and heard on relay on many regional New South Wales stations from 1964 to 2000.
According to 2UE program director Greg Byrnes who was talking to Clive Robertson about it a short time ago, Jim passed away last night (December 24).
I remember hearing Jim and his remarkable voice reading the news when I was younger, and I remember my high school music teacher commenting on his wonderful voice one morning.
It was written on the Southern Cross Syndication schedule for the John Laws Morning Show that John Laws would occasionally crash the news for an important guest. I think Jim Angel could very well be the only newsreader who has had his news bulletin crashed by a presenter, only to become the important guest. Courtesy of Fairfax’s MyTalk website, here is the famous occasion where John Laws crashed the 9:32 news update and got Jim Angel to sing Winchester Cathedral.
[audio:https://samuelgordonstewart.com/wp-content/JimAngelWinchesterCathedral.mp3] Download Link
Due to this news I am going to make a late change to tonight’s Musicians Of The Week award and dedicate it to the memory of Jim Angel, a man who was more than willing to provide his rendition of “Winchester Cathedral”, a song I think was best performed by Buckingham. Coincidentally I’m fairly certain that this was Jim’s preferred version.
Winchester Cathedral
You’re bringing me down
You stood and you watched as
My baby left town
You could have done something
But you didn’t try
You didn’t do nothing
You let her walk by
Now everyone knows just how much I needed that gal
She wouldn’t have gone far away
If only you’d started ringing your bell
Winchester Cathedral
You’re bringing me down
You stood and you watched as
My baby left town
After a couple hours going nuts trying to find a photo of Jim Angel anywhere online, it finally occurred to me that I have Wayne Mac‘s excellent book Don’t Touch That Dial in a book shelf downstairs, and if anything would have a photo of Jim, it would be that book. Sure enough a check of the index and a flick to the pages which mention Jim, and there was a nice big photo of him. Thanks Wayne, I owe you!
It was interesting searching online for the photo. Radioinfo, news.com.au and AAP Image haven’t got one…Jim’s voice, but not his photo, appears on the website of Highland FM, a community radio station he has been presenting Breakfast on recently, and Sky News’ website has a picture of John Laws.
Rest in peace Jim, and my deepest condolences to your family.
It’s been a while since I published one of my news bulletins for Australian Independent Radio News on here, and whilst I could easily pick one from Saturday I would much rather do something different, and instead publish a report I filed a few hours ago instead. It’s not an overly important story on a national basis, but with tomorrow being Christmas and hopefully a slow news day, there is a chance it will get a run.
Suggested intro: For the second time in just over a month Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin is closed due to health concerns. Samuel Gordon has more.
[audio:https://samuelgordonstewart.com/wp-content/samuelairnewsdecember2007.mp3] Download Link
Incidentally, this audio is not for reproduction without the express written permission of either Samuel Gordon-Stewart or Australian Independent Radio News.
I don’t know how they managed it or why nobody has bothered to fix it, but the 2UE feed from Carols By Candlelight has been mangled quite badly this year. Everything was fine until “Ding Dong Merrily On High” when the house microphones were turned up and the main microphones seemingly turned down so that the audience participation could be heard. For some reason the arrangement has not changed since…the orchestra is clear, the choir is almost clear, and the audience is very clear…unfortunately the main program audio is an echo.
I was away from a television for most of the night so I didn’t know if this was being replicated on the Nine feed…I got home a short time ago and Nine’s feed is as clear as a bell. I do, therefore, have to wonder why 2UE did not switch over to taking audio straight from Nine’s digital television broadcast.
Normally the 2UE feed of Carols is an excellent way to enjoy the program, sadly this year is not one of them. It’s a real pity.
Good News: It’s not quite an update because I hadn’t actually published this post…but just as I was going to, somebody fixed it. Two hours after the chaos started, it’s fixed. Thank you to whoever fixed it (was it you Leigh?), I can finally listen to it without the television and know I’m actually getting the full quality of the program. Carols By Candlelight on the radio…it’s Christmas for me now!
Well that’s a pleasant surprise. Steve Liebmann on 2CC’s Drive show via 2UE.
Looks like much like last year we won’t have a local drive show for a week or so, but if we have Steve Liebmann then I think it’s worth it…we’ve got local Breakfast and news anyway, so a couple good weeks of Steve Liebmann is a very nice Christmas present from 2CC’s program director Duncan McCrea (last time I checked anyway).
A week or so ago I mentioned that Steve Price will be taking over the morning show, previously hosted by John Laws, next year. A date has now been confirmed for Pricey’s first day on the New South Wales morning show, and that is Monday January 14. This, interestingly, is one day after his 53rd birthday.
At the beginning of November I pondered a question about how long it would be until the new owners (Fairfax) stamped their authority on the news and rebranded it. It finally happened about a week ago. The “2UE Southern Cross Network News” intro is gone, replaced (oddly) by the return of Ken Sparkes to 2UE voice overs (Ken’s voiceovers stopped on January 14). The voiceover is now “2UE 954 News” which, if I’m not mistaken, is one of the old intros. Perhaps it is too close to Christmas to replace the voiceover with a new one?
The story outcue has also changed. It was “(name), Southern Cross Network News, (location)” and is now “(name), Fairfax News Network, (location)”. I’m not sure that I understand why they swapped the order of the words “news” and “network”…but so be it.
John Kerr is filling in for George and Paul on the weekend morning show for the next few weeks. He did so on the weekend that just passed as well.
As I understand it, the Christmas day and surrounds lineup is as follows:
Christmas Eve
9pm: Carols By Candlelight simulcast
Christmas Day
Midnight to 6am: Clinton Maynard
6am to Midday: John Kerr
Midday to 6pm: Glenn Wheeler
6pm to Midnight: Clive Robertson
Boxing Day:
Midnight to (5:30 or 6am?): Clinton Maynard
Update: Err, oops. Ian McRae is supposed to have one of those middawn shifts and I can’t remember which one. I’m going to take a stab and guess Christmas…I should have written it down. Oh well. End Update
Further Update: Looks like Ian McRae will have boxing day, because Clinton Maynard has Christmas middawn based on the show I’m hearing on Christmas morning as I write this update. End Update
As for how much of that 2CC will broadcast…I suspect all of it except for part of John Kerr’s show (or all of if we repeat the 2005 morning performance).
Incidentally, I recall that in 2004 Stuart Bocking hosted a show on Christmas day, and he got a permanent shift a short time thereafter…perhaps this is a good omen for Clinton Maynard.
The 27th and 28th of December are interesting dates for some 2CC and 2UE staff for various reasons. More on that on the specific days. The 11th of January is also an interesting day in Canberra, details either later this week or early next week.
There are a few people who I doubt I will be able to get in contact with at 2UE between now and the end of Christmas day, so to Kate, Ally, Heidi and Abe, Merry Christmas.
Also Merry Christmas to Michael from 2CC’s production department. I’m not entirely sure how you missed out on a Christmas card, it’s probably a bit late for me to deliver one now, so I hope this will do.
It’s amazing how much news you can find lurking in radio stations when you take a look.
I don’t like to criticise the police because I am generally very supportive of their efforts. I think they do a fantastic job and deserve to be commended for their work, but this morning I find myself compelled to express a minor gripe.
A message for Senior Constable Sasha (something which sounded like “Lidcombe”) from the Media Unit of the New South Wales Police, who presented a report for Clive Robertson on 2UE this morning. “Actually” and “of course”, whilst useful additions to sentences, become very annoying when added to almost every sentence. “Alleged” is understandable as you are forced to use that for anybody who has not yet had their innocence or guilt proven by a court of law, but “actually” and “of course” are rarely useful additions to a sentence. They add a bit of colour to some sentences, but are highly annoying when used in every second sentence for no apparent reason.
Apart from that Senior Constable Sasha (something which sounded like “Lidcombe”), I think you are doing a great job. You read the stories well and you interact with the program host in a friendly and professional manner. Hopefully if you read this, you will take this feedback in the constructive manner in which it is intended.
Merry Christmas Senior Constable, may your Christmas and the Christmas of every police officer in the country be safe and uneventful.
Congratulations to Tim Malone, an occasional contributor to this website, who has been appointed as the Acting Station Manager of Canberra’s Christian radio station, 1WAY FM. Tim effectively takes over from Bill Kitto who is stepping down as Station Manager after three and a half years in the role.
Mr. Kitto announced his plan to retire from his role as Station Manager in November, the board of Canberra Christian Radio Limited subsequently advertised the position and considered who they believe will best be able to build on the Station’s success to date and optimise their future effectiveness in ‘presenting the reality of Jesus Christ’, a central ideal of their purpose statement.
At a special Board meeting last night, the Board decided not to permanently appoint a new Station Manager at this time and instead promoted Tim Malone from Project Manager to Acting Station Manager.
In a message to everyone involved with the station, Chairman of the Board Brent Budarick, on behalf of the Board, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Bill Kitto for all he has done for the Station over the years, particularly as Station Manager for the past three and a half years.
I would personally like to congratulate Tim on his appointment to this role. Tim is very enthusiastic about 1WAY FM and has been working very hard in recent times to lift the profile of the station in the Canberra market. Tim seems quite excited about his new role, and I wish him all the best with it. I’m sure he will do well.
1WAY FM broadcasts on 91.9FM in Canberra and on 94.3FM via the Tuggeranong repeater.
The new host of 2UE’s morning show is Steve Price who, in my opinion, is one of the best commentators on Australian radio, and an excellent choice to present a hard-hitting news based program. Steve has been involved in Journalism for the last 35 years, including many years with 3AW in Melbourne (as Executive Producer, Program Director, News Director and Drive presenter). He moved to Sydney’s 2UE in 2002 initially as Breakfast host and then as Drive host.
I’m not as convinced about 2UE’s choice for the afternoon show though. Channel Ten newsreader, fill-in presenter for John Laws over the last few years and “listener favourite” according to 2UE, Tim Webster is taking over the afternoon show from John Stanley who has been hosting it for about the last decade.
The big pity for me is that 2UE have moved John Stanley to Drive, which means he will not be heard in Canberra any more. I wish John all the best with the Drive show, he has previously had success in that timeslot and I’m sure he will do a good job, but Canberra will be a poorer place for it.
Breakfast on 2UE has a bit of a change, with Mike Carlton’s co-host Peter FitzSimons being replaced by Sandy Aloisi, making it the first time 2UE have had a female co-host in a regular weekday timeslot (or not quite…it’s the first time during a daytime slot. Davky notes in the comments that Deb Elsworth aka Ella James was Malcolm T. Elliott’s co-host in the late 90s). It’s not the first time they’ve had a regular female host on the station (although I can’t work out why Psychic Sharyn still gets four hours each week), but with all of the female co-hosts filling in for various people lately on 2UE, I’m not surprised that they have finally taken notice of their listeners and appointed a female to a regular slot.
The radio industry is in mouring yet again. 32 year old sport commentator Clinton Grybas has died. He was found in his apartment today after he didn’t turn up for work, he was rushed to hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. There are no suspicious circumstances.
On the 17th of December (Monday last week), Peter Leonard won the Chief Minister-Public Relations Institute of Australia (ACT Division) Award for Community Media, and in doing so became the first individual to win the award.
Well that’s a pleasant surprise.