It's tough at the top
It’s sad to see more staff thrown from the Radio City Tower, as City(Music and)Talk struggles to keep its mandate, and attract advertisers in a tough city market. That it’s now moved to a music output is a real shame too. Perhaps city advertisers didn’t need yet another Liverpool music station? Perhaps we didn’t.
Commercial radio is having a tough ride. And, ultimately, we’re the ones who suffer. Or, more accurately – those of us who want more than Rhianna and rants 24/7.
The tragedy is, we need City Talk, or something like it, to present a real alternative to the national networks – and even to BBC Radio Merseyside, decent though it is.
The BBC might kick and scream about sharing their spoils, but their intransigence only serves to stifle our voices – unless, of course, your voice happens to sound like Jenni Murray or Melvyn Bragg: all the vowels knocked out of it, and a nasal twang added courtesy of them leering over their horn-rims in condescension.
What? No 'In Our Time'?
There is another way. And it’s alive and well in the US. Over there, a passionately protected network of Public Radio Broadcasters are locally licenced, broadcasting a healthy mix of documentaries, talk, news and excellent local music coverage (check out KEXP Seattle, and KCRW Los Angeles and see what I mean. Unlike Radio Merseyside’s solid Dave Monks show, which only broadcasts two hours of music a week, these stations really celebrate their city’s burgeoning talent around the clock. And, hey presto, these regions are hot houses for talent which, in time, finds a larger audience globally – thanks to internet radio).
In the United States, public broadcasting is decentralized – unlike Government-controlled BBC – and receives community support, borne from good will and the knowledge that the audience is paying for something that speaks their language.
A handful of national producers (NPR, PRI etc) create syndicated content, and distribute the best locally created stuff across the country: all of which creates healthy competition, diversity, and a full diet of arts coverage, cultures and viewpoints.
And is that, honestly, what you get from Radio 4?
Nah. Not a bit of it.
It speaks volumes, doesn’t it, when the few crumbs of culture that reflect our experiences (such as the recent episode of Desert Island Discs featuring Morrissey) create such a ripple of excitement on Twitter that it’s akin to Google opening up in China.
Why should popular culture, and regional voices, be rationed? Espcially when we’re the ones footing the bill. Let’s not forget, the 100 top BBC executives are paid £21 million, the average, £214,000, is surely something those up Radio City Tower could do an awful lot of excellent programming with.
A friend of mine recently created an arts series for radio. Radio Four, of course, didn’t want to know. So, where else can he take it? Nowhere. In the US, he could hawk it around a network of public radio stations, and find national syndication that way.
When it comes to national quality radio, we’re in a one-party state.
I’m not knocking Radio 4. It does what it does perfectly well. But it’s so safe within its Middle England comfort zone that it simply refuses to engage with the a significant sector of us who love radio, but are shortchanged by the chattering classes and their M25-centric viewpoints.
I’ve blogged about excellent US podcasts before – have a listen, and you’ll find enthralling popular science shows, real-life reportage and non-patronising arts programming. If only we had such thrilling, free-spirited programming here.
Sir Michael Lyons, the chairman of the BBC’s governing body, recently said giving public money to fund public service content on other channels would undermine the BBC’s relationship with viewers.
Sorry, Sir Michael, it’s time someone else wore the trousers.
