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Gordon's Republic

1982 and all that

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It's always the small things. The BBC is to axe is Falkland Island radio service after 62 years in the name of progress. It only costs a few thousand pounds a year to produce the twice weekly 15 minutes broadcasts, which go out on Tuesday and Friday evenings on the World Service. That's just 30 minutes a week, but apparently they have to go.

Admittedly, with TV and broadband access, the Falkland radio service no longer plays the central role that it used to in the life of islanders, but there still seems to be a place for it.

In 1982 when Argentina invaded the distant South Atlantic islands, and when everyone was mildly surprised to realise that they were not in fact in Scotland, the service was the only real link the islands had to the UK throughout the launch of the Taskforce, the invasion and swift liberation.

The Times, today quoted Norma Edwards, an islander who served for 20 years as a councillor saying how much the service would be missed: "It will be greatly missed. We may have television now, but still a lot of people tune in. During the conflict it was the mainstay of the people — it's where everybody got their information from."

All for just a few grand when the BBC casual wastes of millions of pounds on the likes of the likes of Davina McCall (please tell me what's she for?) and certain overpaid executives. Did someone say Alan Yentob?

In true BBC style there has been zero consultation. So much for license payers getting a say. Okay, so I turned into my dad and, really, I apologise for that, but it seems a shame.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

The lunchtime overheard podcast

Genius idea at lunch today. What with all the interest in all things podcast. Sitting in The Hospital, in the rather too-close-together booths more suited to an intimate tete-a-tete than a lunch time meeting, conversation continually came to a halt as my lunchtime meet and I listened into the booth behind us as various bits of the publishing industry were discussed.

With the blinding by science insight that "no one sends shit by post" and "email everything" (agency advice to client, surely) magazines were on the agenda.

A digital tape recorder could easily have snapped the whole thing and make it ready for download right after lunch. The Hospital is not alone in offering intimate dining where neighbouring conversations are as clear as your own.

A regular tour of the Ivy, the Wolseley, San Lorenzo, Nobu or Sketch, Langans, Soho House and Century would be good to start.

Admittedly, recordings might be scratchy, but unlike Faceless, you could guarantee it would be the real thing, the things you could hear. Just last week, pitch details were drifting my way although clearly the diners on that occasion had enjoyed a third glass or four as laughter was obscuring the talk.

Trouble is, of course, like podcasts, great idea that it might be, no one would ever get around to downloading it.

Published Feb 25 2006, 12:31 PM by Gordon Macmillan

Filed under: BBC, The Falklands

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