Curiously
I did something on the programme last night I don't think I've ever done. I forgot the 17.15 headlines. I am blaming the fog in my head but the truth is poor Chris sat there waiting to read them. I had been told when they were required. But somehow I breezed from one live item to the next - completely oblivious. By the time I realised we were closer to the 17.30 headlines than I normally am to the bongs so we let it go.
But as a treat for blog readers everywhere, here are the headlines as they were written. Try to imagine Chris reading them:
"A suicide bomber has breached security at one of the most heavily guarded locations in Baghdad -- the building used by the Iraqi Parliament. He entered a canteen used by Iraqi MPs and detonated a vest packed with explosives. A US military spokesman said at least eight people were killed.
The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ has linked up with Sky News, CNN and Al-Jazeera for a simultaneous broadcast from Gaza, calling on kidnappers to release its correspondent there, Alan Johnston.
A 66 year-old woman who was sacked from her job, a day before she would have been entitled to eleven months pay, has won her claim for age discrimination."
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Well I didn't miss them a bit.
Think on: we've just had the 5pm news. We're just about to hear the 5.30pm headlines again.
What makes you think we need the headlines AGAIN at quarter-past?
This reminds me of another irritating habit that ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ programmes on TV and radio have picked up from ITV where there's always the legitimate worry that people will drift away during the ad breaks ... continually reminding us of what's "still to come".
Listeners who actually need continual reminding of what the top stories are, probably, not that interested or else they would have remembered for themselves.
Go with the flow, Eddie. Let the newsreader have an extra cup of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ sludge with his / her feet up.
Ditch the 5.15 repetition and get on with the stories!
Fifi
Out of interest Eddie, did any listener actually notice that the 17.15 headlines had disappeared?
I would put all this down to your man-flu and I would suggest having another day off, however I think Sequin will have a nervous breakdown. Have a good recuperatory weekend at the very least.
Actually, I think I noticed that last night, but just thought it was my usual goldfish memory had heard the headlines & immediately forgotten I'd done so. Sorry to say, I didn't miss them. The programme seemed to flow just as well without them. Maybe cut them altogether. Chris could get in another cup of tea before the 5 30 ones then.
Also, when I read your post above, it was as "I am blaming the FROG in my head". Am I just paranoid that we froggers get the blame for everything?
Hope you're feeling better today. I've sent you a lovely photo of one of our baby frogs just now. They really are sweet. As are all frogs, of course...
PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSH!!!!!
Fifi
Way back in ancient history, when PM had a pair of presenters, and if memory serves, even in the initial stint of your brave single handed turn in the hotseat, the headlines were only broadcast at half 5.
I remember thinking when they started on the quater hour 'that'll give Eddie time to breath'
thanks for these headlines !
nikki
PS why don't Today presenters only do 2 terms of office? Apart from the pope and the queen, who else is in public life from the 1980s?
Er, nikki, "the pope"??
Didn't catch that much of last night's show so certainly didn't miss the headlines (or did, or didn't, ...). Did catch the interview at the end - about bees and loved it. It's the sort of thing that I love PM for. And I also really like EM's interview style for stuff like that - like lobbing gentle balls for the knowledgeable but slightly nervous interviewee to hit for six. The "honey" comment made me laugh out loud.
Congrats on the official launch of the Glass Box. I guess it must be down to my slightly odd sense of humour that I find somebody commenting that they don't like PM's naval gazing, on the launch of its specific-show-feedback blog very amusing!
Belinda (2), no-one noticed. Maybe we'll drop another regular item tonight to test if people are paying attention....
I do wish people wouldn't talk about "The Show". It's a serious current affairs programme (by "Current Affairs" I use the traditional meaning, not that of gossip magazines). If we treat it as a show, that ghastly background music could creep in, as heard on nature programmes and the like.
Maybe we'll drop another regular item tonight to test if people are paying attention....
Could I suggest the 17.45 headlines? :-)
Eddie,
It has oft been said that: "The only thing that you can be guaranteed to expect in life, is the basic fact that everything eventually changes".
One minute even the most simplest of tasks can turn into a laborious uphill struggle.
Then the next minute without warning, things can all magically fall back into place again (that is of course, until a fresh batch of "new and improved" uphill struggles are promptly delivered lovingly to your door!). I was up all last night worried sick about what happened to the 17:15 news headlines. It was YOU!
Um, can't say I noticed, sorry. But then, as I have said elsewhere, it's all gone a bit hazy for me and all I rememeber is Peter Rippon's voice.
Nikki (5), Duran Duran, Michael Portillo and Cilla Black. Um, yes, I see what you mean... (But see John H @ 6 for my exact resposne to "the Pope"... April 2005, I think you'll find...)
Vyle (8):
I think I'll build on that suggestion, over in The Glass Box:
Let's do the show right here! (Well, on PM anyway)
Eddie: "It's 5 o'clock and this is the PM Show..."
[Sound of curtains rising]
[20 chorus girls tap-dance on wearing feathers while...]
Eddie: "...here are the headlines sung by Charlotte Green."
...later...
Eddie: "Now this is where we would normally have the 5:15 headlines, but today let's... dim the lights... take the pace down a bit..."
[Croons...]
"There may be touble ahead..."
BTW Fifi: I caught your message to email you but I can't figure out how. Drop a line by clicking on the link at the bottom of my webpage. (link above)
thanks John H, Aperitif (and others will notice!!)
apologies to his current holiness, i obviously need to update my pope-calender!!
But the broad point still stands, I think (?!) we have had one 'voice' on the main morning radio 4 broadcast for ages. and thus one slant. Even if it is not biased, it is still just one slant.
nikki
Even if it is not biased, it is still just one slant.
Only when the slant is allowed to speak without being interuppted.
I'm going to get into trouble for that, aren't I?
Even if it is not biased, it is still just one slant.
Only when the slant is allowed to speak without being interrupted.
I'm going to get into trouble for that, aren't I?
[If this is posted twice, then I apologise and can only explain that it took me a few attempts to get the spelling of interrupted somewhere close].
Stainless Steel Cat : I've emailed you via your website.
Cheers, m'dear!
Fifi
Fifi (1):
What makes you think we need the headlines AGAIN at quarter-past?
To hear Charlotte's chocolatey tones of course! She seemed especially sultry the other night; the way she said "Good evening" at the top of the 6pm news gave me a serious case of Genu Instabilis.
Fifi (1):
What makes you think we need the headlines AGAIN at quarter-past?
To hear Charlotte's chocolatey tones of course! She seemed especially sultry the other night; the way she said "Good evening" at the top of the 6pm news gave me a serious case of Genu Instabilis.
Fifi (1) wrote:
What makes you think we need the headlines AGAIN at quarter-past?
Sorry, Fifi, but what makes you think that we are hearing the headlines again? For those of us who do not listen to the radio at work, and do not finish work until 5pm, the 5:15 bulletin is our first chance to hear what has been going on. That said, I go back to the 5:15 day-end from next Monday and so will be missing that summary as well.
H.
Humph (19) : I'm intrigued. Assuming you catch the 5.15 headlines, are you then equally happy to hear them again at 5.30 and 5.45, followed by the News at Six?
Of course, my perception may be affected by the fact that I have R4 on all day and by six I am sick to death of newsnewsnews.
;o)
Fifi
Fifi (20) as I said(19), I am going to be missing the 5:15 headlines from next Monday and so whether they stay or not will not directly affect me for many weeks to come. However, I can appreciate that for a number of people who finish at 5pm that bulletin is the first news they hear when they get into their car.
If PM do decide to re-organise (maybe this should be in the Glass-Box) then there may be a case to drop the 5:45 headlines. I would suggest less of a case for dropping the 5:15 headlines. Dropping the headlines half way through a news programme would be totally wrong, in my opinion.
H. x
Please please please can radio 4 presenters go back to using English in news programmes and reports. I have noticed the "creep" towards Americanisms such as the use of "ahead of " instead of "before" and " at the top of the show/news" instead of "at the beginning of the show/news"
It was bad enough hearing teenagers using American terms such as: "can I get a coffee to go ...." instead of "can I have a cup of coffee to take away please" I had hoped it was going to be a short lived fad, but no, now it seems to be spreading to people in their twenties and thirties.
Are we in Britain all going to end up speaking like characters out of U.S. T.V.?????? Hell no, er, I mean, absolutely not.
Regards,
Tony Muscat
Tony,
My mother confiscated all our comics when we began talking like the Disney characters. "Yeah!", "OK", etc.
xx
ed
With regard to todays pm show mentioning loss of ID due to this HMC loss of Data Discs, no mention was made of a service available to all in cases of ID loss which; as my Nationwide BS security person gave me when I was conned into giving Bank and Passport details etc; is CIFAS who will put you on their register for a fee of £ll-75 per year. This is important because, as has happend, you could go abroad on holiday and be arrested because of your name being on a wanted list and you will have to prove you are the real you and not the vilain who stole or sold on your ID to the real crook, etc, etc. Also, make sure you all change your Bank accounts particularly if you use internet. Hope its of use. Bye.