New Q.

Expect a new logo and image for Dublin's Q102 very soon.
This will be gone :

To be replaced by something a bit more 'Dublin...'

And best wishes to my mate Marty Miller where ever he decides to work next. A real original.
The thing I like about Marty is the fact that he makes radio seem so damn easy. Sure all he does is play some music, crack a few gags and mess...right? Well, that's the beauty of experience married with talent - making it look and sound easy is the toughest job of the lot. When you hear a presenter like Marty doing his thing you know you are hearing a person that has worked incredibly hard and knows his craft inside out. His instinct for great radio is a natural gift and his spark and drive have always delivered on air.
He's tight, funny, unpredictable, creative and always prepped.
It ain't that easy to do...he just makes it sound that way.

Bubba the Love Sponge.

American radio original, Bubba The Love Sponge has been added to several new terrestrial US markets to go along with his gig on Sirius satellite radio.
Stations spicking up 'The Sponge' include 93 Rock in Miami, Y101 Richmond, WHTQ Orlando and 96 K-Rock in Naples Florida. The show comes from WHPT in Tampa.
These stations go live with the show first week of January.

Who is Bubba the Love Sponge?
Well, like any self respecting 'shock jock', he's been fined by the FCC ,sued by a guest, arrested and won national awards (of course)!
Good website here: http://www.btls.com/joomla/ ...it ain't for the easily offended though. Lotta language and 'adult'themes.

The i Family.

i105107's website went live at 7:30pm Monday and included this little clip from the team in Athlone 'serenading' their Galway sister station...cheers up lads, will ya???

Wogan to replace Ross?

This from yesterday's Mail On Sunday:
Sir Terry Wogan is being lined up to take over Jonathan Ross’s Saturday morning Radio 2 show, The Mail on Sunday has learned.
BBC sources said yesterday that high-level discussions have taken place that will lead to Ross being ‘phased out’ of presenting the programme in favour of Sir Terry.
One of the major reasons is that Ross, 48, is unlikely to be allowed to broadcast live when he returns to the Corporation on January 24 after his 12-week suspension.
According to one respected BBC presenter, he will be so heavily policed that radio broadcasting will cease to be a ‘pleasure’ for him.
The radical plan, part of wider scheduling changes at Radio 2, will see Sir Terry give up his weekday show to host Ross’s three-hour Saturday slot. It is understood the70-year-old veteran will be offered a Sunday morning programme as well, if he wants it.
The BBC insider said: ‘Jonathan Ross is going to be phased out. This has been discussed at high levels within the BBC. There is a lot of anger towards him at Radio 2. Presenter Jeremy Vine is on record as saying he cannot see how he’ll ever come back. Others feel the same.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1088607/Wogan-lined-Radio-2s-Saturday-mornings-Ross-broadcast-live.html?ITO=1490

i105107 Launch Today.

Today's the big day! The launch of the new station for the North East - i105107.

The Radisson hotel in Athlone will host the huge launch party. Proceedings kick off at 7pm with Tommy and Hector doing their thing for the invited audience and then the 'live' button will be hit at 8pm...and away they go!

Good luck to Dan and Deborah and all of the jocks, production and music people involved. It's been a long time coming, but no doubt will be worth the wait.

Smoking Gun emails.

In case you missed them during the week, hereare some of the emails between BBC staff leading up to the SachsGate' affair...!

Thursday 16 October
(Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross have left the offensive messages on Andrew Sachs' voicemail and the producer of Brand's Radio 2 show, Nic Philps, has heard a recording of them).
From Nic Philps to Dave Barber (Radio 2 head of compliance):
Could I have a chat with you at some point today re Russell's pre-record?

By now Philps has phoned Andrew Sachs (the exact time of the call is unclear). According to the BBC Trust report into the affair, published today, Sachs "was prepared to accept that it was possible the producer [had] taken away the view that his consent had been obtained and that the future appearance was in addition to the transmission of the existing material, but in his view that would, at best, have been 'wishful thinking'."

From Nic Philps to Dave Barber:
The first hour of the programme is here [hyperlink]
Scroll through to the phone call at 52 mins in. Russell and Jonathan call Manuel's answerphone ... (Andrew Sachs AKA Manuel is aware of it and happy - I spoke to him afterwards). The problem comes when Jonathan says that Russell 'f*cked' Sachs' granddaughter ... I would say take it out, but it forms the crux of the call and is VERY funny. In the second hour of the show, they go on to call the answerphone back about three times to apologise and it makes for some brilliantly funny radio ... Let me know what you think! Russ and Jonathan both VERY keen for it to go out.

Barber has "listened to the identified section of the programme twice and then rang [Philps] who confirmed that he believed that Andrew Sachs was content for the calls to be broadcast".
From Dave Barber to Lesley Douglas (Radio 2 controller):
Russell is pre recorded this week with Jonathan Ross as his co-host.
Jonathan uses the f-word 52 mins into the first hour in a sequence about Russell 'f******' Andrew Sachs granddaughter. They are speaking into Sachs's answer machine at the time, and it's very funny - there then follow more calls to the answerphone in the 2nd hour, again v funny.
Having discussed it with [Philps] and listened to the sequence, I think we should keep in and put a 'strong language' warning at the top of the hour. I think it's editorially justified in this context and certainly within audience expectations for Russell's show and the slot. Certainly preferable to bleeping, which would make it obvious anyway (and we don't bleep now for this reason). Jonathan also apologises and Russell's shocked reaction is hilarious.
Andrew Sachs is aware and is happy with the results which were recorded his end for him to hear). Are you happy with this as a plan of action?

Friday 17 October
From Lesley Douglas to Dave Barber:
Yes

Announcement: New Service Coming Soon.

BmacMedia will launch a new service very soon, which will enable Programme Directors and Talent Coaches to save time airchecking their talent.

This simple and inexpensive initiative will make life easier for PDs/Coaches while benefiting the talent and overall station sound.

Free up your time.

Aircheck consistently.

Maintain control.

For a sneak peak at how this will save you time and effort, contact: brian@bmacmedia.com