I’m also privileged to be able to bring to you a report on the party WIN held for Peter following the bulletin, filed a short time ago by former WIN, and now 2GB, reporter James Goodwin, for which I thank him immensely.
At the end of the bulletin, past and present colleagues filled the WIN boardroom to reminiscence and share a drink with Peter. Channel 7’s Samantha Armitage and former weather presenter Tony Lynas were among those who flew in especially for the event.
There were a few brief speeches, New South Wales News Director Stella Lauri thanked Peter for his commitment to WIN, Jessica Good spoke on everyone’s behalf when she said how much she’d miss Peter, and Peter’s long-time on-air partner Phil Small had everyone laughing with his witty speech, peppered with many “in-jokes”.
Peter was overwhelmed by the number of people who came to wish him all the best in his retirement, and spoke with affection about the “terrific people he’s worked with”.
One of the highlights of the night was turning on the television in the boardroom and watching the ABC news and then Stateline. People were speechless when Stateline opened with Peter in the chair and saying “Hello and welcome to Stateline, I’m Peter Leonard”. It was all a friendly joke and a nice tribute to Peter. The laughs continued when Peter threw to a story “about me”.
One of Peter’s farewell gifts was the original WIN Television flag that flew in front of the Kingston studio. By the end of the night the flag was filled with everyone’s signatures and well wishes.
1. John Laws will retire in March 2008
2. John Laws made up a random date to see if Media Watch would jump on the discrepancy
3. The “eight months” figure is an error
I’m tipping the second option, but hoping for the first.
What a wonderful nuisance a deranged satellite feed is. Duncan McCrea and T-Bone are filling in on 2CC again in the absence of a network feed.
One does have to wonder if the satellite is teasing them…it returned the NRL coverage to them for just long enough for them to think they could go home, and then dropped out again.
Hopefully Alistair and the rest of the Southern Cross Syndication technical team can get the satellite feed working again soon.
Samuel
Update: It sounds like Alistair has managed to put new batteries in the satellite. End Update
As promised, here is a copy of the letter I will be delivering to WIN Television this afternoon (and hopefully be able to deliver to Peter Leonard in person).
Dear Mr. Peter Leonard,
I am writing to you to thank you for doing such a marvellous job as the newsreader on WIN News here in Canberra for as long as I can remember, and to wish you all the best in your retirement.
For as long as I can recall, you have been reading the news on WIN Television, and because of that you have been a constant and reliable part of my life.
News, as you know, is a vital part of our society, and relies on trustworthy people to deliver it. The fact that you have been warmly welcomed in to peoples’ homes every night for years is a testament to the trust and respect that people have in you. You have worked hard to earn that, and you deserve it.
I’m sure that very few of us will ever forget the way you, and the rest of the WIN News team, turned up at the WIN studios on the day of the devastating 2003 bushfires. None of you had to do this, but you did so because you all felt compelled to cover this terrible and extraordinary event, on a day that you weren’t even scheduled to be on the air.
Your commitment to delivering quality news and information to the Canberra and Queanbeyan community is something I greatly appreciate and thank you for, and I’m sure the rest of the community do as well.
I will greatly miss you. As I said, you have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, however you truly deserve a wonderful retirement, and I wish you all the best for your retirement. I hope it is as relaxing and productive as you desire.
Canberra won’t be the same without you reading the news each night, however I’m sure that Jessica Good will continue the great tradition you have been a part of.
Incidentally, I had a conversation with your former 2CA colleague John Kerr on the weekend, during which I mentioned to him that you are retiring. He said that he would send you a message, however I know that John can sometimes forget these things, so in case he didn’t get around to sending you a message, I would like to let you know on his behalf that he also wishes you all the best in your retirement.
Thank you for everything you have done for this community, you have been, and always will be, one of my idols.
Your Sincerely, with the best possible wishes for the future,
As many of you would already be aware, WIN News’ Canberra newsreader Peter Leonard is retiring at the end of tonight’s news following 16 years with the station. WIN television are putting on a special news bulletin to farewell Peter, the basic format will be the same except the news after the first ad break will be replaced by the sport, and the usual sport slot will be replaced by the weather, and the normal weather slot will be replaced by a tribute to Peter.
Jessica Good will be taking over as the primary newsreader next week, however no weather presenter has been appointed. It is expected that Jessica will read the weather from the news desk.
That reminds me, I need to pass on a message to Peter from his former 2CA colleague, John Kerr.
ABC Canberra’s television weather presenter John Ringwood is also having his last bulletin tonight. Rumour has it that 2CN’s (666 ABC Canberra for those of you not familiar with the callsign) garden expert will take over as the weather presenter. That might sound odd, but considering that last night they presented a five minute editorial from federal political editor Jim Middleton as news, no change in that place would surprise me.
I met John Ringwood once outside the ABC studios in Dickson and we had a rather lengthy chat. He seems like a gentleman, and I wish him all the best for the future. (Apparently that will involve some parliamentary reporting…maybe he could replace Jim Middleton).
Incidentally, I’ve been informed that prior to moving to WIN Television, Peter Leonard was the weather presenter for the ABC…which makes tonight’s events even more interesting.
Also of interest, it’s 2GB news director Ian Ferguson’s last day with 2GB. He is moving to a senior role with Sky News. 2GB current affairs director Jason Morrison will take over as news director until a replacement for Mr. Ferguson is found.
Later today I will publish the letter I have written to Peter Leonard…I intend on delivering it to WIN’s studios in Griffith Kingston (why do I always get those two suburbs confused?) this afternoon.
A couple days ago a person who I won’t name urged me to “say nice things”, well it is my pleasure to be able to say a few nice things about a few people from 2CC and 2UE.
Last night 2UE’s satellite feed decided to take some unscheduled leave, which left a number of network stations (2CC included) in the rather precarious position of having their emergency tape filling in for the regular programming. Unfortunately I am unable to say anything nice about 2CC’s looped six minute ad break emergency tape except for “it’s better than dead air”, however I can say something nice about some people.
Duncan McCrea (the person who has, on top of his numerous other duties, done a great job of filling Kris McKenzie’s position of fill-in presenter when Mike Frame is unavailable) was out having dinner somewhere last night, only to discover when he got back to a radio that the loopy emergency tape was not doing a great job of entertaining people, so he drove in to 2CC and took over…at first playing some music whilst he found out what was going on, and then once T-Bone arrived from the other side of town at Duncan’s request to be the producer, started taking calls and running an almost normal show.
By midnight, 2UE technician Alistair had fixed the satellite (and, if Clive Robertson is to be believed, travelled in to space to do so) and normal programming was able to resume.
I have previously written about how I think radio station staff should care enough about their station to attempt to correct apparent problems when things go wrong like they did last night, and I would like to thank Duncan McCrea and T-Bone for their great effort last night in rescuing the station, and also I would like to thank Alistair for his effort, which not only allowed Clive Robertson to be broadcast as per usual, but also allowed people like Duncan and T-Bone to get some sleep and not be stuck at their radio station all night.
On a somewhat unrelated theme, I have been intending to write something nice about 2CC’s slightly changed imaging for the last few weeks. 2CC have updated the music they use to return from ad breaks, and have produced it in such a manner that it no longer drowns out network programming…this is a vast improvement and is another thing I am thankful for.
Now, if they could just do something good with the emergency tape (a new version of the old “down memory lane” tape perhaps?). As I mentioned to a 2CC staff member a month or two back, a six minute emergency tape is not long enough to reasonably cover any sort of major station outage. Starting the tape with an ad break is probably a good idea, especially to cover those occasions when the ad break pulse doesn’t come down the line…or 2UE manage to kill the news…or it rains heavily, however following it with some sort of backup program is essential if you want people to keep listening during such issues. There are few things which make people turn off quicker than the same ad break being played over and over and over and over and over.
Anyway, I’m supposed to be saying nice things right now…so thank you to Duncan, T-Bone, Alistair and the people (or person) responsible for the updated imaging (I can guess who it was, but if somebody can confirm it I’ll be happy to give them proper credit).
Thanks to 2CC’s Mike Frame for the heads up on this peculiar story…from news.com.au
WEARING his gold-framed glasses and gold headphones and sipping from his gold-rimmed cup yesterday, veteran broadcaster John Laws was down one vital glistening item – his golden mike.
Police are treating as suspicious the disapearance from his production office of the $10,000 nine carat gold microphone, presented to Lawsie in 2003 as a gift from 2UE management for his 50th year on the airwaves.
It is a one-off German Sennheiser, serial number JL 0001.
But Laws has been using another golden microphone, given to him for his 40th anniversary, since the brazen bandit looted the king of his prized instrument. “I’m very upset about it. It’s been part of my life,” Laws said yesterday.
Laws pleaded with the thief to return the microphone anonymously, saying he would not press charges if they did.
As discussed with 2UE’s (and former pirate radio DJ) John Kerr on Samuel’s Persiflage #4 last year, BBC Radio are putting together a tribute to pirate radio in the UK by setting up a special pirate radio reunion station, on a boat, off the coast of the UK. This will have a webstream so that those of us who aren’t in that part of the world can still enjoy the reunion.
With thanks to Irene in Brisbane for sourcing this, and Tim Gillett for allowing me to republish it, here is the schedule for the pirate radio reunion broadcast in UK time:
Thursday 9 August
6 – 10 Ray Clark
10 – 13 Dave Cash
13 – 16 Steve Scruton
16 – 19 Ian Wyatt
19 – 22 Tim Gillett
22 – 1 Keith Skues
*****************
Friday 10 August
1 – 4 John Kerr
4 – 7 Norman St John
7 – 10 Ray Clark
10 – 13 Dave Cash
13 – 16 Steve Scruton
16 – 19 Ian Wyatt
19 – 22 Tim Gillett
22 – 0 Keith Skues
**************
Saturday 11 August
0 – 3 John Kerr
3 – 5 Norman St John
5 – 7 Ray Clark
7 – 9 Roger Day
9 – 11 Mike Ahern
11 – 13 Mark Wesley
13 – 14 Ian Damon
14 – 16 Graham Cooke
16 – 18 Emperor Rosko
18 – 21 – Dave Cash
21 – 0 – Johnnie Walker
***************
Sunday 12 August
0 – 3 John Kerr
3 – 5 Norman St John
5 – 7 Ray Clark
7 – 9 Roger Day
9 – 11 Mike Ahern
11 – 13 Pete Brady
13 – 15 Johnnie Walker
15 – 17 Guy Hamilton
17 – 18 Glenn Speller
18 – 19 Steve Young
19 – 21 Keith Martin
21 – 1 Keith Skues
*************
Monday 13 August
1 – 4 John Kerr
4 – 7 Norman St John
7 – 9 Ray Clark and Keith Martin
9 – 11 Dave Cash
11 – 13 Graham Spider Webb
13 – 16 Steve Scruton with Alison Hartley
16 – 18 Tom Edwards
18 – 21 Keith Hampshire
21 – 0 Johnnie Walker
News – Alan, Gord and Tim
*********
Tuesday 14
0 – 2 Keith Skues
2 – 4 John Kerr
4 – 7 Norman St John
7 – 9 Ray Clark with Dave from 8
9 – 11 Steve Young
11 – 13 Johnnie Walker and friends – Tom Edwards + Keith Hampshire + Keith Skues + Dave Cash
13 – 15 – Steve Scruton and others
15 – 16 What Happened Next – Ray Clark’s doc
As you can see, John Kerr will be in his familiar middawn timeslot, and those of us here in Australia will be able to tune in to him during our daylight hours.
Pirate radio is an enormously important part of the history of UK radio, as it introduced commercial radio to the UK, and brought it in to the modern age. I wish John Kerr and the entire pirate radio crew, all the best for this reunion, to mark the 40th anniversary of the effective shutting down of the pirate stations on the 14th of August 1967.
If you know me then you know that I would never post the following unless I thought it was accurate.
I’ve just heard from a reliable source close to the Zemanek family who has passed on some bad news about Stan Zemanek. It is fairly well known publicly that Stan Zemanek’s battle with cancer has not been going well in the last few weeks, and the latest news is not good. It would appear that Stan has only been given a few days to live.
Last time we heard news like that, it was just the sort of challenge Stan needed to pull through, so I can only hope that the same thing happens this time.
My thoughts and prayers go to Stan and his wife Marcella at this time.
Update: Looks like all the newspapers know as well…I should probably have checked them before posting this story. None the less, the sentiment remains, and although the future does look grim for Stan Zemanek, I do hope he pulls through. End Update
Long term readers would be well aware that I am a fan of ex-SBS voiceover man Robbie McGregor and was very disappointed when SBS decided to remove Robbie from the network last year. Since then I have been pleased to hear Robbie reading a wide variety of commercials and other voiceovers.
You can therefore imagine that I was even more pleased when I dialled a phone number incorrectly one day, and discovered that Robbie McGregor has recorded the announcements for Internode’s phone network NodePhone. I think these announcements are much better than the rather annoying messages produced by Telstra, and so for comparative purposes (and also to give Robbie a free plug), here is a sample of Robbie on NodePhone.
The following sound file includes two messages read by Robbie, one of the Telstra messages (does anyone know what the quietly muttered letters mean?), and Robbie as the talking clock.
I find the style of Robbie’s announcement to be a bit calmer, and more caring than the ones by Telstra. For some reason Robbie seems to come across as actually caring about the fact that, for one reason or another, the call you attempted wasn’t able to be completed, whereas Telstra’s faster, repeated messages, with seemingly pointless letters thrown in, come across as a case of “we don’t care if you can make this call or not…hang up and stop bothering our equipment”.
Perhaps I just give these things too much consideration.
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.
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.
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.
John Stanley, host of the afternoon show on 2UE and 2CC has the week off. I don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Murray Olds (aka The Buzzard) fills in for him.
And wouldn’t you know it, the first time I have a reason to use a photo of John Stanley in a long time, and I haven’t uploaded the photo of me standing next to him at 2UE earlier this year.
Have a great week off John!
Update: Don Burke??? I know he does a gardening segment on 2UE’s weekend afternoon show…but Don Burke filling in for John Stanley? I don’t think I would have seen that coming even if 2UE had sent me a letter to inform me that Don Burke would fill in for John Stanley. End Update
