Tag Archives: radio

The NewsShaft team hard(ish) at work(ish)

Saying ‘bampots’ on the Today programme and nearly swearing on News Shaft

Mar 5, 2015 Posted by :   Stewart No Comments

In the past few weeks, my mellifluous tones have been inflicted on two very different kinds of web audio.

The first was BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Pace disruptive media but this MSM behemoth is still a big deal and, while I really enjoyed it, I was absolutely terrified. So overwhelmed was I that I didn’t even ask about a fee. I did, however, manage to use the word “bampots” on air and can now retire happy (apart from the fact I can’t afford to and will have to work ’til long past I’m dead).

Today provide their clips as short, embeddable segments on individual web pages. See atomisation, see clever? For example, here’s me (“bampots” at 01:41):

Today, as opposed to Today, I was the guest on News Shaft, a politics and news podcast from the ever-inventive team behind Dateline Scotland and Scottish News. This time I did mention a fee and they said that they’d let me on for for nothing but if I wanted to make a donation, I should go to NewsShaft.com.)

Their approach and set-up is very professional. In terms of the post-indyref media space, they have established themselves as being innovative and committed to high production values. And, if my maths are right, they are second only to Wings in terms of crowdfunding heft.

We will do the indyref dance again. And when we do, those of us who want to put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands need professional media outlets to provide scrutiny and a different perspective from the Westminster Establishment’s well-funded mouthpieces.

Wings will be around for a long time to come. So, I suspect, will the NewsShaft team (in whatever guise). Who else?

Anyway, here’s the podcast. Despite extensive briefing on not swearing, I nearly blurted out “bloody” at 24:38. Oh and Springtime For Hitler is at 2:10.