Why the critics are wrong - the BBC and Glastonbury

255762 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:39:00 GMT

This year looked like (one of the many) when people were suffering Glastonbury envy, but while only 140,00 people got to go, the rest of us could soak up some of the BBC's most excellent coverage. It reminded me again that we're lucky to have it at such a cheap price.

I write this, of course, after the BBC came underfire yet again at the weekend for what the Daily Mail and the Sunday Times were calling excessive coverage and the fact that it sent 407 people to cover the festival.

But worse than that...get this, some of those people went for free?! OMFG. Can you believe it, people working in the media went somewhere for free. Its shocking.

It would be nice to see a list of the freebies that the reporter's writing these stories had enjoyed. I can own up to having gone to Glastonbury in the past for free several times. Not to mention one or two other places.

Not sure about you, but over the course of the weekend I sampled BBC Glastonbury coverage on BBC Two, BBC Three, used the BBC's red button interactive service and listened (as always) to the most excellent Adam & Joe show on 6 Music. It was so well done (minus Jo Whiley who makes me want to destroy my TV set).

People moan about how Sky and ITV don't send anything like this to such events. Well no, of course not, for as good as these services can be they are not the BBC and they do not cater for the millions who tune in, turn on and chill out. Having caught some Bruce Springteen I even impulsed purchased 'Born in the USA' and a few 'Born to Run' tracks. Proving what a boost it is for the music industry.

The most boring thing about those attacking the BBC is that it is the same old faces: some Tory or other who took time out from his second/third job to vent his outrage and some alliance of tax payers whose mission in life is to spoil the party.

So thanks BBC; nice work

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PS Mark Byford should get in the back of a black cab, I mean seriously.

Keaveny takes over at BBC6

255762 — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:36:27 GMT

The news that former Xfm DJ Shaun Keaveny is to take over the BBC6 Music breakfast slot is the best news I've heard in a while.
I used to really love the Xfm breakfast when it was presented by Christian O'Connell, before he left for the wastelands of Virgin (is that working out for him? Does anyone listen?).

Naturally I thought that Gcap, the owners of Xfm, would appoint Shaun Keaveny as his successor, but no, instead we got the very annoying Lauren Laverne.

She's too much to listen to in the morning, she already had a voice that wasn't suited for music (Kenickie), but someone clearly thought differently. Lavern was fine on the drive time show, but mornings are not her thing.

It isn't just me. In the most recent Rajar figures in February, Xfm fared poorly and was the only commercial station -- apart from Premier Christian Radio -- to decline in terms of listeners, down from 551,000 to 479,000, and share, down 1.6% to 1.3%. Ouch.

Now, Xfm have parted company with Keaveny who has been snapped up by the BBC -- and I for one am going to be tuning in.

I tried before, but there was something about Phill Jupitus. Just wasn't the thing for me.

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Why the critics are wrong - the BBC and Glastonbury

Keaveny takes over at BBC6