Ten years since his passing, I’ve realised that the more I worked with Jimmy Mack, the more I admired him. I first met him in the mid 80s but had already listened for years to his show on BBC Radio … Continue reading →

Everywhere I go to talk to music programmers the talk turns to the threats and opportunities of online. Rarely, if ever, do any of them engage me in chat about music streaming services like Spotify, Pandora and the upcoming iTunes … Continue reading →

Shortly before Christmas I started moving to get the Scottish Media Podcast under way and went as far as recording an interview for it. As often happens with my diary, real life took control of my diary, notably the addition … Continue reading →

Radio Clyde turned 40 at 1030pm on Hogmanay 2013. I was 10 when it launched and vividly remember tuning in to the test transmissions on 261 metres on my wee transistor radio in Grangemouth. Then the station went to air … Continue reading →

This is a revised version of  an article published in the excellent e-radio on 4th December. That article started out at 900-odd words and i was asked for 500-700. This version takes a view slightly more distant view and re-incorporates … Continue reading →

I’m ‘properly’ middle aged. I turned 50 back in April. Therefore, I’m well out of range of any number of young brands. The models in the Boden catalogue that wear the shirts I love to buy are lucky if they’re … Continue reading →

Coop (courtesy Your Radio) Sometimes my radio heroes are market leading megastars – sometimes they’re people who influenced me along the way. But other times I’m simply blown away by their creativity and their willingness to go the extra mile. … Continue reading →

I produced programmes for the original incarnation of BBC Radio 5. A grab-bag of programmes from all over the place stuffed onto 693 & 909 under a completely lovely controller who seemed totally out of her depth marrying the disparate … Continue reading →

There’s a lot of grumbling about ‘news hubbing’ in Scotland, with the moves at Bauer to rationalize their news operation. Individual stations will have bulletins presented from Glasgow after 10am, but will retain locally presented bulletins at breakfast – albeit … Continue reading →

The thing I really don’t understand in education is the artificial divide between so-called ‘academic’ and ‘vocational’ post school education. As I understand it (remember, I work in education) academics are reflective thinkers. People who gather and assess evidence and … Continue reading →