When a radio show comes to town...
"If you see me holding my index finger and thumb a couple of inches apart, I am not making a comment about the size of a part of your anatomy, I am asking, could you keep your point concise please?". One of the instructions I had to give an audience of more than 200 people before they took part in my programme live from Birmingham yesterday. Our guests inluded David Davies, Iain Duncan Smith, Lord Heseltine, Teresa May etc; last week in Manchester it was Cabinet Office Minister Ed Miliband, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and two of her predecessors, Messrs Clarke and Blunkett.
You see when you're live on the radio I think it a bit rude to say "keep it brief will you?". But a small visual instruction and the millions listening around the country will never know.
Audience etiquette when a radio show comes to town is integral to broadcasting a smooth non-jarring three hours. A presenter drawing aforementioned index finger across their throat in a puerile pirate-like manner means you really must stop talking now or we'll crash the jingle leading upto the news.
One of the most powerful sounds from both programmes was the quiet that greeted Dave from Cheshire when he spoke: "I live in a three bedroom semi and it's just been repossessed." He's got until Christmas.
© MMX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~29~RS~)
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Several callers have suggested today (1 Oct) Gordon Brown admitted to his mistake over the 10 p tax rate.
When Mr Brown conceded at last week's Labour Conference he had been wrong about the 10 pence tax rate, his "apology" would have been fuller had he suggested he now regretted at the 2007 Labour conference his party's political managers had blocked discussion of trades unions resolutions pointing out the iniquity of the 10 p rate.
He was forewarned, but chose not to listen. I suggested you asked your Labour supporting business man about that, but you chose not to do so.
Dr David Lowry
Stoneleigh
Surrey
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