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Friday 21 January 2011

Today's show 21/01/11

I was disappointed to see the web site update has reverted to its normal time of 11:40-ish. It was good while it lasted.


1) Andy Coulson - The prime minister's communications chief Andy Coulson has resigned : Hmmm... Interesting, don't you think, that you have gone with this story rather than Alan Johnson? There are people out there who think the BBC has a pro-Labour bias, and this tends to support that view. People resign from their jobs every day, so why do you consider Coulson to be worthy of national debate but not Johnson? Oh, and if you hadn't noticed, a certain Mr Blair is giving evidence again today, but no mention of that either. Next...

2) History Lesson - Teacher tells pupils WW3 has begun : Yay! Another Daily Mail story! If I wanted to read the Daily Mail I would buy a copy. I certainly do not need you reading it to me, thank you very much. The important sentence on the DM's page is "He has since apologised for the exercise." but no doubt you and your contributors will conveniently ignore that and call for him to burnt at the stake, if that is not too good for him. Remember, the man who never made a mistake never made anything. Next time you see Jeremy ask him where Blitheroe is (mentioned on 23rd November and somewhere in Lancashire apparently), where the pop group Slade come from (he said Birmingham on 8th December but they are actually from Wolverhampton and Devon) or how long his arms are (3 feet he said on 6th July 2009). Next...

3) Prefabs - One man fights to save his prefab home : Keep up! This was in the Daily Mail last Saturday (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1347259/Britains-prefab-estate-residents-battle-save-homes-built-10-years-ago.html
) so why has it taken a week for you to decide that it is now "news"? One for BBC Radio London perhaps. Next...

4) Burlesque Club - Cambridge doesn't want one : I'm really struggling to see the "news" ingredient in this one. Perhaps the story should really be described as "Planning application turned down in Cambridge", which would be more accurate but lack the sensationalism of your description. Worthy of national debate? Certainly not. One for BBC Radio Cambridge? Probably.

What is that noise? Oh yes, it is the sound of an empty barrel being desperately scraped for interesting "news" stories ... without success, apparently.