Happy new year
Do you remember the white dot? It used to appear on the TV every night, a signal that programmes had ended and it was time to switch off so we could rest before the start of a new day.
Of course, the white dot is long gone. These days TV never switches off - even if you still turn off the box at night. It's especially true in our main newsroom, where our radio, tv and Internet services all make sure the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ really is a 24 hour-365 day a year operation. For the last decade and a half, when I've been working on radio and TV news, the idea of a Christmas break was just that - an idea; it was something other people enjoyed.
Which is why I'm a bit shell-shocked today. We've just completed our last Working Lunch programme of the year. Yes, really. I checked the schedule. I asked the editor. And even though December's nowhere near done yet, we've packed our bags and won't be back on your screens until January 5th.
To be honest, we're all glad of the break. As you'll know, the programme has changed a lot in recent months. There was an astonishing amount of work analysing your views before we unveiled our new look. But that was just the start. We kept listening to you as you told us what to tweak and bend. Not everyone liked everything on Day 1 - but that happens with relaunches. They're a long work-in-progress. If your emails are any guide, you like it better now - and more people are tuning in to watch. We know you have a lot of choice, so we're grateful to all of you for choosing us.
And we know how lucky the Working Lunch team is to have such a long break. Many people can't stay away from work for so long - either because the job won't let them, or they can't afford to. And many of our entrepreneurs and small business owners will have to work throughout the holiday - perhaps on Christmas Day itself. When you're your own boss, you're always on the clock.
So we'll be back at the start of January, full of energy and determined to help you survive this economic crunch. Amid all the gloom, remember that business still carries on and there are opportunities for anyone sharp enough to spot them and optimistic enough to take the risk. As always, we're keen to hear your stories.
And - however much time off you have - I wish you a peaceful and contented Christmas, and a more prosperous New Year. Don't forget to !
Comment number 1.
At 20th Dec 2008, fwiw01 wrote:In my opinion, Working Lunch had a unique mix of intelligent discussion and reporting, and has been trivialised by a change to a low-brow format.
I find that the news channels are currently interesting me more, for the business and consumer knowledge I previously turned to Working Lunch for.
A happy new year for me, would be if the programme abandoned the changes and re-concentrated on serious business/money content.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 23rd Dec 2008, dennisjunior1 wrote:Declan:
Thanks for the return of Working Lunch...
Also, Happy Holidays to the staff at Working Lunch; contributors, moderators: who put a lot of effort into making this weblog work...so good!
Again, Naga Munchetty: Happy Holiday and a Safe New Year to you and your family also....
*happy holidays, merry christmas and a happy new year*...
see you back on 5 january 2009...
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 26th Dec 2008, mesmerizing commenter wrote:Was a white dot really broadcast? Maybe I'm not old enough, but I always thought that the white dot was just what really old TV's did when you turned them off.
They were scanned cathode ray tubes and when you switched off the power to the scanning coils dropped off leaving the beam in the centre creating a dot, the power remaining in the high tension in the TV and the phosper persistance caused the dot to stay for a little while.
Perhaps theres an old time TV engineer that can enlighten with all the gory technical detail?!
But perhaps there really was one broadcast! I'm just too young and innocent to remember. You would think that they would broadcast a message saying "shut down" though. Along with that annoying penetrating tone that would keep me awake at night when my my elderly neighbour fell asleep in her chair with the TV on. Have you noticed how that whistle seems to change when you move your head making it impossible to sleep! drives you mad
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)
Comment number 4.
At 26th Dec 2008, mesmerizing commenter wrote:I agree somewhat with fwiw01 on the new format. Presenters are great, but I do feel the depth is glossed over all the time so instead of covering a couple of things in detail lots of things are covered in a light way and I dont learn anything.
I never really see the point in visting companies to take some pretty pictures of chocolates, make statements about chocs fighting the recession. But what was the educational value in that? Very nicely presented but of no value whatever. Although it is nice to see news about business doing well rather than the usual coverage.
I think anyone who wants light flaff will be watching loose women on the other side, so ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ2 should make an effort to really get down to the details.
If we want to help small business start ups a week dedicated to starting up in different business areas with guests to give an insight, showing how the businesses work, how they make money and the pitfalls both competitive and regulation, would have a great positive impact. I would say interviewing the man from yo sushi would have much less appeal to most small business viewers than joe smith who set up his/her own cleaning firm and made it profitable within a year.
Also, although its mildly entertaining to look at tech items its pretty much pointless when the analysis consists of someone pushing the button harder and harder and stating its doesnt work or showing a large dino toy. There are other programmes that do this better. I think a tech section on a business programme would be better off showing tech items for their functionality for business, otherwise point people in the direction of the specialist programs for tech.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 4)
Comment number 5.
At 26th Dec 2008, David Evershed wrote:As well as including more trivia Working Lunch seems to have become more consumer orientated and less investor orientated.
My guess is that at lunch time a majority of viewers are pensioners who are particularly interested in their investments, especially with stock markets having fallen and interest rates well below the rate of inflation.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 5)