Advertise
-
Books
-
A poem for the day – Launching the Whaler Juan Peron
A Belfast epic, and one of my oldest poems, the opener of my first collection, Grub. The gist of the story was found in Moss & Hume’s Shipbuilders to the World: 125 Years of Harland and Wolff, Belfast, 1861-1986, which tells how Eva Peron was due to launch a huge whaling vessel in Belfast, built [...] read our review » -
Do Words Matter?: Book Review of Political Discourse and Conflict Resolution – Debating Peace in Northern Ireland
I share many of the concerns of Andy Pollak, whose recent post ‘My Response to the Slugger Begrudgers’ zeroed in on the ‘relentless flow of negativity’ of some Slugger commentators. Pollak’s post was largely concerned with the medium of the blog. Indeed, I think the anonymity of the online world encourages extreme discourse and allows [...] read our review »
-
“You can see Newton’s mind at work…”
To add to the open access treasure trove at the Royal Society, Cambridge University Library is putting online some of its collection of books, maps, manuscripts and journals. We have called the first phase of our work on the Cambridge Digital Library the Foundations Project, which runs from mid-2010 to mid-2013 and has been made possible [...] read our review »
-
Comment on Raw deal on Five imposed on NI viewers
on 29 September 2009 at 9:12 pm
They say that if I get my Freeview from a relay station I’ll lose ITV3 and ITV4 if I re-tune. How do I know if I get my tv from a relay station? We need a tv engineering expert to contribute t this blog.
Anyone out there, please?
Go to comment
Comment on Armagh a likely venue for Pope’s state visit to UK
on 24 September 2009 at 9:49 pm
Slug remarked earlier in this thread that Brian Walker’s accent appears to have changed since his broadcast commentary on the Pope’s visit to Ireland in ’79.
True. That’s because Brian was a pretentious little chap then who thought he knew everything; whereas today, with the travails of life, he has matured and writes and speaks with maturity and authority.
Go to comment
Comment on BBC judicious move
on 10 September 2009 at 3:28 am
We’ve been through all this BBC thing twice (!) in recent weeks.
Enough, Brian!!
Go to comment
Comment on Just a small gloat
on 6 September 2009 at 8:28 pm
Dave
No Dave, the crucial argument is whether not the BBC is value for money OVERALL. If you think that it is, then you let them get on with it (mistakes included)
How they apportion resources is not my concern (though I thank Jonathan Ross’s salary is foolish). It is not for us to interfere in the running of the business or how much Stephen Nolan is paid or not paid. Is the BBC value for money OVERALL? That’s the only question. In my view, yes it is.
Go to comment
Comment on Just a small gloat
on 5 September 2009 at 11:15 pm
There are no such things as empty bottles of booze, William. But there are empty booze bottles.
Has it occured to you at all at all that BBC folk – and I wasn’t there – may have been refreshing themselves after hours of marathon broadcasting which would wear out anybody, celebrating a successful night and day of broadcasting – and that would be irrespective of whoever won the election.
A cheap shot from you – and I’m not a Guardian reader.
Go to comment
Comment on Just a small gloat
on 5 September 2009 at 11:12 pm
cheap!
Go to comment
Comment on If information wants to be free, who’s still going to pay for journalism?
on 5 September 2009 at 3:04 pm
Dunreavynomore
You complain about “people who care about writing standards.”
But I can’t make sense of your own second paragraph. “The information THEY offer” Who are “they”? And offer to whom?
Get my point about writing standards?
Go to comment
Comment on BBC under fresh assault
on 3 September 2009 at 6:30 pm
The fact that Ed Curran, who I am told is Editor-in-Chief of the Belfast Telegraph, is also a shareholder in commercial radio stations in the Province will come as a surprise to the majority of readers of the Belfast Telegraph – especially in the light of the Telegraph’s attacks on the BBC. Thank you to Willis.
I notice there was a story in the Telegraph this very week: “Sluggish start to new Talkback” putting the boot into the programme now fronted by Wendy Austin.
Who would benefit from a decline on Radio Ulster? Who would benefit from a rise in audience share? Commercial radio stations in the Province? You can guess.
(p.s – Whether Mr Curran personally wrote the editorial that Willis directs us to, I don’t know. But I would have thought he would have known how to spell licence fee. It’s certainly not “license” which is a verb – i.e. to license. But he would have oversight on this attack on the journalism which contains this attack on the BBC)
Go to comment
Comment on BBC under fresh assault
on 3 September 2009 at 3:43 pm
Perhaps Old Hack should consult the following, with particular reference to page 17
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/car/ifmapps/newry/5fm.pdf
Go to comment
Comment on BBC under fresh assault
on 3 September 2009 at 3:18 pm
To – Old Hack
If you care to examine the prospectus for Five FM, probably available from Ofcom, you will see the names of the directors who hold shares in the companies in the consortium which owns the chain of commercial radio stations referred to.
One of those directors is in a very powerful position to direct what is published about the alleged shortcomings of Radio Ulster. His newspaper has done so. I am not talking about the Fitzpatricks.
Also: you suggest I should try reading the previous posts again. You should do likewise and you will find that I never claimed that the local press has “manufactured” stories about the BBC. Perhaps you would be kind enough to withdraw that allegation.
Finally, yes, I did assume that your name “Old Hack” was a man. Perhaps others did likewise. If you are not a man, I humbly apologise, Madam. My pseudonym, Eddie, is more clear cut and would suggest that I am a man, and I am happy to confirm that this is so.
Go to comment