Showing posts with label lauren laverne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lauren laverne. Show all posts

Thursday, October 23, 2014

6Music nears 2 million

There's a new set of Rajar radio audience figures this morning, and they're lovely for 6Music. A weekly audience nudging two million, and - says MediaGuardian:

Laverne, the station’s mid-morning DJ, presented its most popular show with 868,000 listeners.

In a sign of the changing way people are listening to the radio, a record 27% of listening for 6 Music was online or via smartphone and tablet apps, the most of any station and more than four times the industry average of 6.4%.
[...]
A number of its presenters all had record audiences in the last quarter, including Shaun Keaveny’s breakfast show, Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie’s afternoon programme, Marc Riley, Huey Morgan and Mary Anne Hobbs.
Elsewhere, the Nick Grimshaw figures have been spun so much it's hard to tell if either nobody or everybody is listening; Ben Cooper has made a stab at putting a candle on some lukewarm Radio 1 figures:
Cooper, who also oversees digital sibling station 1Xtra, said Radio 1 was “leading the industry in becoming a multiplatform youth brand”, including a YouTube channel with more than 1.6 million subscribers and plans for a Radio 1 channel on the BBC’s iPlayer.

Cooper said the Rajar figures “only tell part of the story. I’m very pleased that in the traditionally difficult summer quarter, the Radio 1 Breakfast Show has 240,000 new listeners in the year."
If you're pointing to your YouTube subscribers as a metric on the day actual listening figures come out, it's pretty clear you're disappointed by your listening figures.

But at least Cooper wasn't reduced to mentioning the number of retweets Zane Lowe gets. That's when you know you're nearing the endgame.


Saturday, June 28, 2014

Glastonbury 2014: View from the sofa

"We're not going to go on about it" reassure Mark Radcliffe and Jo Whiley, leading off the late night live chunk of Glastonbury coverage on BBC Two.

But they do, of course.

And then when they hand over to Lauren Laverne in another part of the field, she can't help but talk about it, too.

And why wouldn't they? This year, clearly, isn't the Glastonbury of Metallica; it's the Glastonbury where the lights went out.

Trouble is, although Lauren had rather a good anecdote - about being chided for asking the bear-slaughterers if they'd bought the heavy metal thunder with them - the stuff that was most interesting about the power outage wasn't touched on.

(Incidentally, it wouldn't be Metallica's heavy metal thunder; Dolly Parton has brought a rainbow with her, and we all know what you have to endure to get one of those working.)

Normally, the BBC's Glastonbury coverage is padded with films of people who've paid silly money for tickets doing really dull things - giving us a taste of the "festival experience". This year, when it'd actually be really interesting to know what it was like to be in a city of tens of thousands of people when the electricity stopped being in the wires and was just in the sky - nothing.

Apart from Mark Radcliffe saying something about communal singing in a tattoo tent, there was no answer to the question 'what was it like on the site?'

Instead, the crisis was reduced to a short snatch of footage of Rudimental walking off the stage.

The big disappointment this year is the red button coverage - clearly all the love has been poured into the website. Three channels of music, more or less lobbed on screen; with whatever happens to be on TV given (it appears) a free pass.

So, at one point, you could have watched Elbow on BBC Three, or something else on BBC Two. If those options didn't delight you, you could press red to get three more bands - except one was Elbow and one was BBC Two.

What's the point of pushing the stream that's already on TV through the red button service?

And doing it so badly - for a good ten minutes, the "BBC Two" Glastonbury feed was so locked in to simulcasting BBC Two that it pushed out a great chunk of Newsnight. (If Jean-Claude Juncker was actually being inducted in the cabaret tent, my apologies to the red button team.)

I suppose it's fair to say that it's more surprising that there's a red button at all - with SmartTVs and Chromecasts and whatnot, it's easier than ever to get the rather good bbc.co.uk experience onto your TV.

(Slight grumble here - the Glastonbury content from iPlayer doesn't show up on the iPhone version of iPlayer, which makes it harder to enjoy on a TV. I know this is a bit like complaining that the handle on the cup the ambrosia comes in is a little fiddly to hold, but... worth mentioning.)

So, what of the bands themselves?

Arcade Fire, it's clear, have edged ever closer to vanishing over the Bono Horizon.

I know, I know...

... how can I possibly think that?
You know when the fireworks (literal fireworks) are at the start, not the end, of the set, that you're watching a band who are overdoing the spectacle.

Men made out of mirrors; the bobbleheads; two-faced skeletons (one of whom, distractingly, had a brand name of a morphsuit maker on his ass); a stage full of around thirty people at one; racoon make-up; pyrotechnics... it's just so fucking tiring to watch, and it's dressing up music that doesn't really need all this extra packing. You've written songs that are packed full of strong, striking images - why are you hiding them in the worst circus ever?

Elsewhere, Blondie were a little ragged around the edges - doing the high bit from Rapture would be difficult under normal circumstances, but Harry just-about nailed it on a stage, early in the day, outdoors. And the cover of (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) was a delight - especially watching the ripple of 'oh! this is what this is!' run through the crowd at different speeds.

Sidenote: After last year's fuss about whether jokes about the Rolling Stones being old were okay, it's worth mentioning that Debbie Harry is 69 on Tuesday. But people don't obsess over it because jokes about Blondie being old were never a thing.

Also because she'd kick your butt.

Chvrches were great; and Drenge are still on course to become Mudhoney by the end of next year.


Thursday, October 31, 2013

Mercury Music Prize 2013 hit by awkward name embarrassment

There was an awkward moment during the live televising of last night's Mercury Music Prize, with a slip-up being made around the winner's name.

"It was mortifying" explained one of the judges. "We tried to say the name 'David Bowie' but somehow it came out as 'James Blake', who is, of course, quite a different person.

Seriously, you can understand Lauren Laverne accidentally muddling her nice-chap-but-dull-musicians up, because they have pretty similar names. All she did was replace "ake" with "unt" - admittedly, that would have been terrible if Cake had been the winners.

BBC World News' coverage of the prize last night ended with the optimistic claim that Blake can now expect a higher profile and a rise in sales. You could hear Speech Debelle's "huh" from this side of the Atlantic.

Blake has pledged not to piss the £20,000 prize money for Overgrown up a wall. But then he does have the aura of a man who has a portfolio of ISA investments, doesn't he?


Friday, April 12, 2013

Catatonia, Kenickie & Pulp lead Sony Music Awards shortlist

Just time for a quick look at the Sony nominations - congratulations to Lauren Laverne, Jarvis Cocker and Cerys Matthews for their recognition. Seeing those names together makes the awards list look like the cover of Select magazine.

Also nice to see Danny Baker getting better treatment here than he got at Radio London.

Breakfast show of the year (10 million plus)

Breakfast – BBC Radio 3

Chris Evans – BBC Radio 2

The Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show – Absolute Radio

KISS Breakfast with Rickie, Melvin & Charlie – KISS

Today Programme – BBC News for BBC Radio 4

Breakfast show of the year (under 10 million)

The Andrew Peach Show – BBC Radio Berkshire

BBC Tees Breakfast – BBC Tees

Sam & Amy – Gem 106

Steve & Karen's Breakfast Show – Metro Radio

Xfm Manchester Breakfast Show with Tim Cocker – Xfm Manchester

Best music programme

The Dermot O'Leary Show – Ora Et Labora for BBC Radio 2

Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Service – BBC 6 Music

Lauren Laverne – BBC 6 Music

The Ronnie Wood Show – Somethin' Else for Absolute Radio & Absolute Classic Rock

Zane Lowe – BBC Radio 1

Best entertainment programme

Charlie Sloth – BBC Radio 1Xtra

The Danny Baker Show – Campbell Davison Media for BBC Radio 5 live

Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show – Absolute Radio

Greg James – BBC Radio 1

Kate Lawler – Kerrang! Radio

Best speech programme

Alan Robson's Nightowls – Metro Radio

Iain Dale – LBC 97.3

The JVS Show – BBC Three Counties Radio

The Listening Project – BBC Radio Documentaries with BBC English Regions & BBC Nations for BBC Radio 4

Witness – BBC News for BBC World Service

Best sports programme

5 live Olympics with Peter Allen and Colin Murray – BBC Radio 5 live

Keys & Gray – talkSPORT

Mary and the Minstermen – BBC Radio York

Not Just Cricket – TBI Media for BBC Radio 5 live

Rugby Nation - Town and Country Broadcasting for Nation Radio, Radio Pembrokeshire, Radio Carmarthenshire, Bridge FM and Nation Hits!

Best news & current affairs programme

BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat – BBC News for BBC Radio 1

File on 4 – BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC Radio 4

Newshour – BBC World Service News for Current Affairs for BBC World Service

Nick Ferrari at Breakfast – LBC 97.3

The Nolan Show – BBC Radio Ulster

Best coverage of a live event

Hillsborough: Truth and Justice – BBC Radio Merseyside

Judgement Sunday – Final Day of Premier League (Matchday Live) – talkSPORT

London 2012 : The Olympic & Paralympic Games - BBC Radio 5 live

Paralympic Sportsworld – BBC Sport for BBC World Service

Radio 1's Hackney Weekend – BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra

Best community programming

Ciaran's Cause – Real Radio North West

Crossroads – PRA Productions for BBC Radio 1Xtra

Make a Clean Break – Prison Radio Association for National Prison Radio

Walk for Harry – Free Radio (Birmingham)

Word Up – Prison Radio Association for National Prison Radio

Music radio personality of the year

Charlie Sloth – BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra

Christian O'Connell – Absolute Radio

John Suchet – Classic FM

Ken Bruce – BBC Radio 2

Lauren Laverne – BBC 6 Music

Music radio broadcaster of the year

Cerys on 6 – BBC 6 Music

Jamie Cullum – Folded Wing for BBC Radio 2

Johnnie Walker – Wise Buddah Creative for BBC Radio 2

Mark Radcliffe & Stuart Maconie – Smooth Operations for BBC 6 Music

Suzy Klein – BBC Radio 3 & BBC Radio 4

Speech radio broadcaster of the year

Danny Baker – Campbell Davison Media for BBC Radio 5 live

Eddie Mair – BBC Radio 4

Nicky Campbell – BBC Radio 5 live

Stephen Sackur – BBC News for BBC World Service

Victoria Derbyshire – BBC Radio 5 live

Radio journalism of the year

Becky Milligan – BBC Radio 4

Capital East Midlands News Team – Capital FM East Midlands

John Humphrys – BBC News for BBC Radio 4

Jon Donnison – BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service

Michelle Livesey – Key 103

Best use of branded content

Classic FM's Tasting Notes paired with Laithwaite's Wine – Classic FM

The Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show with Wickes – Absolute Radio

Kerrang! Radio The Darkest Hour – Kerrang! Radio

Sky Bond - Absolute Radio – Absolute Radio

The World's Largest Pub Quiz with Bells – LBC 1152

Best promotional/advertising campaign

BBC Radio 6 Music Celebrates Kraftwerk – BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 2 & BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 6 Music Celebrates Punk Britannia - BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 2 & BBC Radio 4

Classic FM's More Music Breakfast Campaign – Classic FM

The Gothic Imagination – BBC Radio 4 & 4 Extra Presentation for BBC Radio 4

The Olympics – BBC Radio Xtrails, 5 live Station Sound, Fresh Air Production, BBC A&M, BBC Nations and Regions for BBC Radio

Best competition

500 Words – BBC Radio 2

Coca-Cola Fan Reporter – talkSPORT

Round Our Way on Xfm Manchester – Xfm Manchester

Talk To The Animals – Geoff Lloyd – Absolute Radio

Two Strangers Risk It For A Biscuit – Real Radio Scotland

Best station imaging

106 JACK fm (South Coast)

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 6 Music

Capital FM Network

Classic FM

Best music feature or documentary

6 Music Celebrates: 50 Years of the Cassette – BBC 6 Music

Black is a Country – Brook Lapping Productions for BBC Radio 4

Titanic: Minute by Minute – TBI Media (with BBC Drama) for BBC Radio 2

The Art of Garfunkel – BBC Radio 2

The Story of Ed Sheeran – BBC Radio 1

Best news feature or documentary

Adventures of a Blue Badger – Alfi Media Ltd for BBC Radio 5 live

Assignment/Crossing Continents: Uzbekistan – BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC Radio 4 & BBC World Service

Lawrence of Arabia – Man and Myth – Just Radio for BBC Radio 4

The Bombardment of Homs – BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC World Service

The Left to Die Boat – BBC World Service

Best feature or documentary

Belongings – TBI Media for BBC Radio 3

Bon Voyage – Julia Scott Productions for BBC World Service

Bruising Silence – Just Radio for BBC Radio 1

Dying Inside – Unique The Production Company for BBC Radio 4

Titanic: Minute by Minute – TBI Media (with BBC Drama) for BBC Radio 2

Best comedy

Isy Suttie: Pearl and Dave – BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4

John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme – BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4

Meera Syal's Asian Comedy Night - BBC Asian Network & Tonic Productions for BBC Asian Network

My Teenage Diary – Talkback (part of Freemantle Media UK) for BBC Radio 4

Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast - Fuzz Productions Ltd & Sky Potato Productions for British Comedy Guide

Best drama

Beryl: A Love Story on Two Wheels – Savvy for BBC Radio 4

Easter & Christmas Diaries – BBC Radio 4 & 4 Extra Presentation for BBC Radio 4 Extra

The Grapes of Wrath – BBC Radio Scotland

My Boy – Somethin' Else for BBC Radio 4

The Resistance of Mrs Brown – BBC Radio Drama London for BBC Radio 4

Best use of multiplatform

InStream from Absolute Radio – Absolute Radio

Letter From America - BBC Radio 4/Audio and Music Interactive for BBC Radio 4 & BBC World Service

The Listening Project – BBC Radio 4 and BBC Nations & Regions

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw – BBC Radio 1

Radio 1's Review Show – Somethin' Else for BBC Radio 1

Station of the year (under 300,000)

KL.FM 96.7

National Prison Radio

Touch FM

Station of the year (300,000 to 1 million)

BBC Radio Humberside

BBC Tees

JACKfm Oxfordshire

Station of the year (1 million plus)

BBC Newcastle

Fun Kids

Metro Radio

UK station of the Year

BBC Asian Network

BBC Radio 5 live

Classic FM

UK radio brand of the year

Classic FM

KISS

Smooth Radio UK


Thursday, September 13, 2012

Mercury rising

The big news about this year's Mercury Music Prize is that the long tradition of a gentle-fluff from Jools Holland as the winner is announced has come to an end; from now on, Lauren Laverne will be at the podium trying to explain to the young winner what this "cheque" thing she's just given them is. Or maybe it'll be all modern now, and they'll contactless technology to transfer the prize money.

There's a knock-on, of course, as now Lauren is going to be trying to keep the room interested after the third bottle of wine, the BBC are going to need a new host for the TV coverage. I understand Jools Holland's become free on that night.

Anyway, there's no point in having a presenter without a competition. Here's the shortlist and odds:

Richard Hawley: 'Standing At The Sky's Edge' – 4/1
Plan B: ‘Ill Manors’ – 4/1
Alt-J (∆): 'An Awesome Wave' – Odds 5/1
Django Django: 'Django Django' – 5/1
The Maccabees: 'Given To The Wild' – 7/1
Jessie Ware: 'Devotion' – 7/1
Ben Howard – ‘Every Kingdom’ 8/1
Michael Kiwanuka: 'Home Again' – 8/1
Lianne La Havas – ‘Is Your Love Big Enough’ – 8/1
Field Music: ‘Plum’ – 10/1
Roller Trio – ‘Roller Trio’ – 10/1
Sam Lee – ‘Ground Of Its Own’ – 10/1
The odds - from William Hill - suggest that whoever did them didn't really have much of an idea what they were doing. "The jazzy one probably won't win, will it? But what if it does? I'll give that the same odds as the folky one. Shit, but what if this year is the one they give it to the token album to pretend it's not about having a token album. I know, I'll just group everything round six-ish to one and hope.


Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Huey and cry

Huey Morgan's snide twitterage aimed at Lauren Laverne was well-documented yesterday. Obviously, the gentle riposte from Laverne pointing out that, in effect, far from not programming her 6Music show, it's actually more that Morgan isn't trusted or thought capable of putting together a daytime show was a highlight, but this is the bit where Morgan really stepped over the line:

Fuck that shit. Kenickie? Please.
Really, Morgan? You're going there? Appealing that the Fun Loving Criminals somehow outranks Kenickie in terms of quality?

You're suggesting that, on some sort of scale in your head, Scooby Snacks is better than Punka?

Pfffft.


Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Mercury Music Prize: Well done, theme from General Election 2010

Congratulations, then, to The XX for their victory in the Mercury Music Prize last night.

The Sun describes their reaction to winning as "low-key", which appears to mean they didn't invite anyone from The Sun to their party afterwards.

It's a great album, but perhaps the safest choice - maybe second-safest, after Mr. Rascal. I suppose with both Lauren Laverne and Miranda Sawyer heavily pregnant on the balcony, the judges were afraid that going for a shock winner might have sent Jools Holland scurrying for hot water and towels.

Incidentally, was Jools having a bad night last night or did it just come across that way on the TV? It looked like he'd not only opened the winner envelope prematurely, but that he'd also had a quick peek inside the prize money envelope before he'd handed it over. It made the prize giving look more like that awkward moment when the bloke from upstairs knocks on the door clutching your Giro in a raggedy envelope and mumbles "sorry, mate, didn't see it was addressed to you before I opened it..."


Thursday, May 27, 2010

The book what Lauren wrote

Lauren Laverne's Candypop book is out today. And there's a big, bold (1) in the title - if you can be bold in brackets - which suggests there are more to come.

This, people, is our generation's The Old Man of Lochnagar. Only not rubbish or inspired by The Goons.


Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Sony Awards honour 6Music, shames self with nominations

First, the encouraging news: 6Music has received seven nominations in this year's Sony Radio Awards. Amongst the shortlisted names are Jarvis Cocker, Lauren Laverne, Adam & Joe, Huey Morgan and Steve Lamacq.

It's a nice acknowledgment of the high regard in which the station is held. And only slightly undermined by Nick Ferrari getting five nominations for his rotten show. And - oh, sweet jesus - even nominated that toe-curling Bono poem about Elvis for something.

The recently downsized Radcliffe and Maconie show has been nominated for best music programme.

Here are the nominations in full - deep breath:


Breakfast Show of the Year (10 million plus)

5live Breakfast
BBC Radio 5live News for BBC Radio 5live

Kiss Breakfast with Rickie, Melvin & Charlie
Kiss 100

Nick Ferrari at Breakfast
LBC 97.3

The 1Xtra Breakfast Show with Trevor Nelson & Gemma
BBC Radio 1Xtra

Today
BBC Radio News for BBC Radio 4

========


Breakfast Show of the Year (under 10 million)

Breakfast with John & Jules
BBC Radio Kent

Dixie & Gayle, The Real Breakfast Show
Real Radio Yorkshire

Heart Breakfast With Tom, Lynsey & Jack
Heart Sussex

Steve & Karen at Breakfast
Galaxy Network Imaging for Galaxy North East

The Andrew Peach Show
BBC Radio Berkshire

========

Best Music Programme

Dermot O'Leary Show
Ora Et Labora for BBC Radio 2

In Tune
BBC Radio 3

Lauren Laverne
BBC 6 Music/BBC Audio & Music for BBC 6 Music

The A-Z of Classic FM Music
Classic FM

The Radcliffe and Maconie Show
Smooth Operations (Productions) for BBC Radio 2

=========

Best Specialist Music Programme

Huw Stephens
BBC Radio 1

Jools Holland
BBC Radio 2 Live Music for BBC Radio 2

Sounds Of The Sixties
BBC Radio 2

World Routes
BBC Radio 3

Zane Lowe
BBC Radio 1

=======

Best Entertainment Programme

Frank Skinner on Absolute Radio
Absolute Radio

Heart Breakfast with Jamie & Harriet
Heart 106.2

Steve & Karen at Breakfast
Galaxy Network Imaging for Galaxy North East

The Capital Breakfast Show
95.8 Capital FM

The Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show
Absolute Radio

=======

Best Speech Programme

Behind Bars
Prison Radio Association for Electric Radio Brixton

Nick Ferrari at Breakfast
LBC 97.3

Nihal on BBC Asian Network
BBC News for BBC Asian Network

Witness
BBC News & Current Affairs for BBC World Service

Woman's Hour
BBC General Factual for BBC Radio 4

=======

Best Sports Programme

Blue Remembered Thrills - Everton at Wembley
BBC Radio Merseyside

Sportsound
BBC Radio Scotland Sports for BBC Radio Scotland

Sportsweek
Front Page Media for BBC Radio 5live

The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast
talkSPORT

World Football
BBC World Service Sport for BBC World Service

========

Best News & Current Affairs Programme

Newshour
BBC World Service News & Current Affairs for BBC World Service

PM
BBC Radio 4

The Andrew Peach Show
BBC Radio Berkshire

Today
BBC Radio News for BBC Radio 4

Victoria Derbyshire
BBC Radio 5live News for BBC Radio 5live


===========

Best Breaking News Coverage

Alzheimers' Tragedy
BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC Radio Ulster

Corus Teesside Mothballing
BBC Tees

Cumbria Floods
BBC Radio Cumbria

The Peckham Fire
BBC London 94.9

The Release of the Lockerbie Bomber
BBC Radio Scotland News & Current Affairs for BBC Radio Scotland

=========

Best Live Event Coverage

Absolute Blur
TBI Media with Absolute Radio for Absolute Radio

Comic Relief: The Kilimanjaro Climb
BBC Radio 1

London Jazz Festival
BBC Radio 3, BBC Scotland, BBC Wales, Unique Production Co & Somethin' Else for BBC Radio 3

Test Match Special: The Ashes
BBC Radio Sport for BBC Radio 5live Sports Extra, BBC Radio 5live & BBC Radio 4

The Funeral of Harry Patch
BBC Somerset & BBC Radio Bristol

======

Best Community Programming

Ali Booker's Cancer Diaries
Oxfordshire's 106 JACK fm

BBC Academy Great Ormond Street Hospital Audio Podcasts
BBC Connect & Create for Children First for Health

Behind Bars
Prison Radio Association for Electric Radio Brixton

The New Ballads of Reading Gaol
BBC Radio Berkshire

Yvette's Early Christmas
Beacon Radio for Beacon Radio (Black Country)

=========

Best Internet Programme

Answer Me This!
answermethispodcast.com

Hackney Podcast: Water
Hackney Podcast.co.uk

Media Talk
Guardian News & Media for guardian.co.uk

Remembering Hillsborough
Real Radio North West for Real Radio.co.uk

Richard Herring: As It Occurs To Me
Sky Potato, Avalon & Ben Walker for The British Comedy Guide Podcast

=======

Music Radio Personality of the Year

Chris Moyles
BBC Radio 1

Christian O'Connell
Absolute Radio for Absolute Radio & Absolute Classic Rock

Lauren Laverne
BBC 6 Music/BBC Audio & Music for BBC 6 Music

Mike Toolan & Chelsea Norris (Mike & Chelsea in the Morning)
Key 103 Manchester for Key 103

Scott Mills
BBC Radio 1


=======

Music Broadcaster of the Year

Huey Morgan
Wise Buddah Creative for BBC 6 Music & BBC Radio 2

Loz Guest
Kerrang! Radio

Mark Lamarr
BBC Radio 2

Steve Lamacq
BBC 6 Music/BBC Audio & Music for BBC 6 Music

Zane Lowe
BBC Radio 1

========

Speech Radio Personality of the Year

Adrian Durham
talkSPORT

Eddie Mair
BBC Radio 4

Frances Finn
BBC Radio Nottingham

Jon Gaunt
SunTalk

Nick Ferrari
LBC 97.3

=========

Speech Broadcaster of the Year

Andrew Peach
BBC Radio Berkshire

Melvyn Bragg
BBC General Factual for BBC Radio 4

Nick Ferrari
LBC 97.3

Sir David Attenborough
BBC Natural History Unit Radio for BBC Radio 4

Victoria Derbyshire
BBC Radio 5live

========

News Journalist of the Year

Andover Sound News Team
Andover Sound

Ian Pannell
BBC Newsgathering for BBC Radio 4

Lyse Doucet
BBC World Service News & Current Affairs for BBC World Service

Nick Ferrari
LBC 97.3

Real Radio North West News Team
Real Radio North West for Real Radio

========

Best Specialist Contributor

Alan Dedicoat
BBC Radio 2

Chris Skinner
BBC Radio Norfolk

Mark Kermode
BBC Radio 5live

Maxwell Hutchinson
BBC London 94.9

Steve Levine
Magnum Opus Broadcasting Ltd for BBC Radio 2 & BBC 6 Music

=======

Best Interview

Eddie Mair interviews John Hutton
PM Programme for BBC Radio 4

James O'Brien speaks to Frank Lampard
LBC 97.3

Jenni Murray interviews Sharon Shoesmith
Woman's Hour, BBC General Factual for BBC Radio 4

Toby Foster interviews the Mayor of Doncaster
BBC Radio Sheffield

Victoria Derbyshire interviews Peter Bacon
BBC Radio 5live News for BBC Radio 5live

======

Station Programmer of the Year

Ed Baxter
Resonance FM

Euan McMorrow
Radio City 96.7

Paul Jackson
95.8 Capital FM

========

Best Use of Branded Content

Coca Cola - The Gift of Giving
95.8 Capital FM

NME Radio for Skins Radio
NME Radio

NME Radio Topman Takeover Show
Carat Sponsorship for NME Radio

One Last Dream with Guitar Hero
Absolute Radio for Absolute Radio & Absolute Classic Rock

The Southern Comfort 'Big Easy'
Jazz FM Productions for Jazz FM

=========

Best Single Promo/Commercial

Bristol's Big Give
Heart Bristol

Capital's Summer Time Ball - Boris Johnson
95.8 Capital FM

Dear Stan
talkSPORT Creative for talkSPORT

James Neale (for The Stop Smoking Service)
Maximum Productions for Pirate FM

Tourism Ireland: Apology for Apology for Jedward
750mph for Heart 106.2 fm, Magic 105.4 fm and Capital 95.8 fm

=========

Best Promotional/Advertising Campaign

BBC Radio 3: Composers of the Year
BBC Radio Cross Trails and Pure Tonic Media for BBC Radio 2 & BBC Radio 4

Capital's Jingle Bell Ball - I can't get tickets
95.8 Capital FM

MI6: A Century in the Shadows
BBC World Service Promotions for BBC World Service

Save JACK
Oxfordshire's 106 JACK fm

Vote Joe
Real Radio Programmes for Real Radio North East

=========

Best Competition

Battle Of The Boroughs
Heart 106.2

Beacon Radio's Midnight Drop
Beacon Radio for Beacon Radio (Black Country)

Chain Gang: Paper, Scissors, Stone.
BBC Radio 7

Sunday Sinners on Absolute Radio
Absolute Radio

Who's Calling Christian?
Absolute Radio

==========

Best Station Imaging

Absolute Radio
Absolute Radio

BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music

Gold Network
Gold Network

Kiss 100
Kiss 100

Oxfordshire's 106 JACK fm
Oxfordshire's 106 JACK fm

=======

Best Music Special

Angel of Harlem: The Billie Holiday Story
Document Productions for BBC Radio 2

Elvis By Bono
White Pebble Media / Ten Alps for BBC Radio 4

Liquid Assets: Tracing Handel's Thousands
BBC Radio 3

The Elbow Story
TBI Media with Absolute Radio for Absolute Radio

The Woodstock 40th Anniversary
Ten Alps Radio for BBC Radio 2

=========

Best News Special

Crossing Continents: Chechnya
BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC Radio 4

Hacked To Pieces
BBC Bristol for BBC Radio 4

Passport To Murder
BBC Birmingham for BBC Asian Network

The Afghan Diaries - On The Front Line
Radio City 96.7

The Return to Hillsborough
Real Radio North West News Team for Real Radio North West

==========

Best Feature

Archive on 4: Working for Margaret
Brook Lapping Productions for BBC Radio 4

Child of the State
Above the Title Productions for BBC Radio 4

Kegworth 20 Years on
Trent FM Programming for Trent FM

Now Wash Your Hands
Loftus Audio for BBC Radio 4

Six Minutes Past Three: Hillsborough Remembered
BBC Radio Merseyside

=========

Best Comedy

Adam and Joe
BBC 6 Music/BBC Audio & Music for BBC 6 Music

Bleak Expectations
BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4

Down The Line - Credit Crunch Special
Down The Line Productions for BBC Radio 4

Mark Steel's In Town
BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4

News Quiz
BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4

========

Best Drama

Daniel and Mary
BBC Radio Scotland Drama for BBC Radio Scotland

People Snogging in Public Places
BBC Radio Drama for BBC Radio 3

Restless
BBC Radio Drama for BBC Radio 4

The Day that Lehman Died
BBC World Service Drama & Goldhawk Essential Production for BBC World Service

The Loop
BBC Radio Drama for BBC Radio 4

===========

Station of the Year (up to 300,000)

Andover Sound
Andover Sound

BBC Guernsey
BBC Guernsey

Moray Firth Radio
Moray Firth Radio


=========

Station of the Year (300,000 - 1 million)

BBC Hereford & Worcester
BBC Hereford & Worcester

BBC Radio Derby
BBC Radio Derby

Oxfordshire's 106 JACKfm
Oxfordshire's 106 JACKfm

=========

Station of the Year (1 Million plus)

BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales

Kiss 100
Kiss 100

Real Radio Scotland
Real Radio Scotland

========

Digital Station of the Year

Absolute Classic Rock
Absolute Classic Rock

BBC Radio 5live Sports Extra
BBC Radio 5live Sports Extra

Planet Rock
Planet Rock

========

UK Station of the Year

Absolute Radio
Absolute Radio

BBC Radio 5live
BBC Radio 5live

talkSPORT
talkSPORT


Monday, November 02, 2009

Lamb cutlet: 6Music comes to its senses

Cheering news for most people who love 6Music but have drifted away from daytimes: George Lamb has been dropped and his show handed to Lauren Laverne.

Lamb will remain on the station, doing the weekend breakfast show for anyone who happens to be awake at that point. Given that the current show is done by Iyare, that tells you how high-profile his new slot will be.

Laverne doing mornings and Cerys doing lunchtimes - you only need Louise Wener at breakfast and that'll be a full set, isn't it?


Friday, October 09, 2009

Bunnymen against Kenickie

I yield to nobody in my admiration for Ian McCulloch - god alive, I even bought the Electrafixion album - but if he comes round here having a pop at Lauren Laverne, there's going to be trouble:

Do you like the Culture Show? "It's about time they had us on it. The Bunnymen are culture. Can they not see it? But where the fuck does that Lauren Laverne get off? Where does she get off presenting a programme about 'culture' when she was in that fucking abysmal band Kenickie! And there is another Northern imbecile too ... can't remember her name but she's starting to resemble a pterodactyl."

Oh, Ian, oh, Ian, oh Ian.

Mac is also a bit annoyed about Melvyn Bragg, too:
"Don't give a damn. I hate that Melvyn Bragg! What a divvy. He's just one of those Northern imbeciles, isn't he? Did you see that South Bank Show about Morrissey? It was just rubbish. And when he referred to the Velvet Underground as the Velvets. Fuck off, they're called the Velvet Underground not the Velvets, how dare he! And besides, they never had the Bunnymen on the South Bank Show."

Yes, you should never refer to a band by a popularly-used nickname rather than the full title you'd find on the record sleeve. You'd never get one of, erm, The Bunnymen making such a mistake.


Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Mercury Music Prize: Liveblog

Lauren Laverne, eh? God, how quickly did Jo Whiley fall from favour?

Rather than detain us with large chunks of music, we're whistling through small chunks of the nominated bands. Miranda Sawyer and Nihal are offering opinions - Nihal suggesting that Speech is a Mercury judge's idea of a hip-hop album. Which is a fair point.

The EPG is calling the programme "packed", which with the need to have some runners-and-riders, a form discussion and the actual announcement is a bit of an understatement.

Blimey - Elly Jackson seems to have had whatever the quiff equivalent of a hair extension is to celebrate the evening.

Nihal has dismissed The Horrors, which seems a bit rich considering he was suggesting that it was a bit rocksnob to have a pop at Kasabian.

Miranda Sawyer is suggesting Bat For Lashes should go a bit bonkers. "It's a beautiful album, but... beautiful mixed with something. But to win the Mercury Music Prize, is it enough?" ponders Nihal.

Time for the announcement, then: Jools Holland, naturally, is the MC. Everyone gets a little ripple of applause because we're all winners, right?

"Let's remind ourselves what those twelve people albums are" mumbles Jools, like a man who is doing his best to try and make Fearne Cotton feel better.

"Moment of truth... fever pitch... esteemed judges" - a quick tour of Holland cliches - "only one can win." No, really?

Although his "we don't applaud money, we applaud talent" is a good joke, a bit undermined in an event which is sponsored by a bank and makes a lot of its twenty grand prize.

The result is "a surprise", drags out Jools: The winner is Speech.

Speech Debelle. I don't think anyone saw that coming (I typed just as Aaron S tweeted that.)

So, who knew that this was a year for the judges to pretend that it's not really just a rock prize? Clearly not Speech, who - ironically - had come without a speech prepared.

As one, the world looks up and says "anything that wasn't Kasabian can't be wrong, can it?"

In her winner's interview, Speech has just mentioned that Ms Dynamite winning the Mercury was an "inspiration" - although since that was a gate swinging to open a not-entirely glittering career, that seems a bit ominous. Still, at least she didn't say it was Roni Size who shaped her dreams.

Here comes Newsnight, then.


Friday, June 26, 2009

Glastonbury 2009: View from the sofa - BBC 2

Ah, the senior service on BBC 2 gets a full complement of presenters - Radcliffe and Laverne sharing main duties, but throwing to Zane Lowe down in front of The Ting Tings, and Jo Whiley off in the studio.

Jo presents an acoustic performance from Paolo Nutini as if it's some sort of treat, although she does use the phrase "it's the same thing, year after year" so perhaps she was trying to be knowing.

They're currently showing a short film explaining who Neil Young is, rather than showing Neil Young playing live. Is there anyone alive who doesn't know who Young is, who is going to go "oh, if this chap David Crosby says he's worth hearing, maybe I will listen to him?"

Oh. Having spent five minutes of their time talking about Neil Young, Radcliffe is now promising they'll show him "in the next show". After - I kid you not - a Newsnight Michael Jackson special.


Saturday, June 23, 2007

GlastOn TV: A glimpse of Pete Doherty

I'm not going to pretend that I'm television production material, but I'm struggling to understand the thought process which led BBC Three to show a sliver of Babyshambles - and I mean a sliver, I don't think Doherty actually sang a coherent word in the slice that made it to screen - before cutting away to The Kooks live.

Okay, it was absolutely live rather than taped, like the Babyshambles performance, but since they could join The Kooks at any point, wouldn't the fascinating experience of watching Doherty in front of a massive crowd, basking in having his words sung back to him, have been worth persevering with for a while longer? It would have been nice to see if he rose to the occasion; as if he really fitted in this sort of environment as much as the glimpse made it seem. This Glastonbury appearance could be the point where Babyshambles, where Doherty, finally loses his claim to be any sort of cultural outlaw and admits he's become a Fast Show character - well-loved, but poorly sketched. It could be a musical turning point. It might not be, too.

But you know that it's at least got to be more interesting than the bloody Kooks, live or not.

The Arctic Monkeys have just got round to doing Diamonds Are Forever on the press red service (a world where time runs differently, and last night is forever now) - it's nice to see what they can manage with a song that calls for a little bit more than their own compositions.

Bjork - besides inspiring someone to shout out "she's got scary lady trumpet players" - was notable for reprising her swan dress by wearing what appeared to be pigeon roadkill wings yesterday evening.

The most perfect experience so far - from a multiscreen point of view - has been CSS, although if we find out who stole Lovefoxx's headband, we'll kick their asses from here to Rio. It looks like security - in something of a first - have learned to not immediately treat a singer touching the audience as a code red this year. Although maybe if they had, she'd not have lost her headband.

Oh dear. Perhaps the Queens of Noize would have been better off if they hadn't scripted their links. The big question, though, from a presentation point of view is why they whipped the big sofa out from under Phil Jupitus and Lauren Laverne on BBC Two during the pre-Doctor Who portion of the evening. They threw to one of Colin Murray's "reports" (he is the one-man skateboarding duck of the festival) sitting on it; upon their return, it was gone. Perhaps it was banished because it gave the air of Jupitus having come up trumps on the mail-order bride deal.


Friday, June 22, 2007

Glastonbury on TV

Cherry Ghost have just finished doing an exclusive acoustic track on BBC2. Is this the only time of the year indie acts stand a chance of getting a run-out on prime-time terrestrial televsion now? Unless the Queen invites Soho Dolls to perform on her Christmas Message?

Lauren Laverne and Jo Whiley are co-ordinating things from a slightly overdone studio ("with a white floor"); Jo is doing her best to stop Lauren getting a word in edgeways.

Mark Radcliffe is, for reasons that appear to do with vindictiveness towards the environment, hovering above the site in a helicopter. This lets us see that the festival site is large, and covered in tents - something you couldn't have told from clambering to the top of a hill, of course. Or standing on tiptoe.

Colin Murray has been sent off to stand next to some jugglers; it's hard to say who is the more insulted. He introduces the sort of overlong feature on Arabella Churchill, who organises the theatre events, which you would have only ever seen on Omnibus in the past. It's interesting, but it's like having a pep talk from your parents when you want to rush off and play.

On returning to the studio, Lauren has sent Jo off somewhere, so that she can throw to Phil Jupitus. Phil informs us we've just missed the New Pornographers, and offers us the Hold Steady instead, as if that's going to make up for it.


Friday, April 20, 2007

Laverne's loss is Zane's gane

After the somewhat abrupt departure of Lauren Laverne from the XFM Breakfast Show, Alex Zane has been given the job. He, however, won't be ready to start until the end of May.

They could have planned this somewhat better, couldn't they?


Friday, April 06, 2007

Laverne now ex-FM

After 18 months, during which time she's drawn down pretty much acclaim from all corners, Lauren Laverne has quit as presenter of what MediaGuardian helpfully points out is the "ninth most popular breakfast show in London."

The departure looks a little odd - she went on holiday, and then XFM announced she wouldn't be coming back:

"Lauren is leaving Xfm to concentrate on her TV work," said Xfm London programme director Adam Uytman.

"It has been fantastic to see her move up the schedule and host a great breakfast show for us. We wish her luck with her future projects."

We know all farewells should be sudden, but... there's abrupt and abrupt.


Friday, March 02, 2007

Backstage at the NME awards

The NME's News Vulture was promising all the gossip from behind the scenes, but somehow didn't get round to mentioning the whole walkout by Pete Doherty and Kate Moss - apparently Pete took the hump at being asked why he was wandering off carrying a concealed spoon. Perhaps he was planning some sort of special dessert?

More interestingly, though, NV did notice this:

Beth Ditto mouthed the words 'trash' to anyone who was listening when lovely host Lauren Laverne took to the stage.

Charming.