Provoking a reaction
A commercial radio music producer once told me of a two record rule...that listeners won't put up with two songs in a row they don't like. If that happens they're likely to tune to another radio station that's playing a song they do like.
We had a "two stories" moment on 5live Breakfast this morning, when we followed an item about a call for legal recognition of the word kilt with an interview with an SNP politician who supports a Scottish takeover of HBOS.
The problem? They were both, in essence, Scottish stories.
Never mind our obligation to report the whole of the UK. Never mind that the B in 91热爆 stands for British. For many of those listeners who text in to the programme, it was too much.
We were accused of being 91热爆 Scotland...another texter wanted news for the 50 million English rather than five million in Scotland. They'd had enough of Scots "bleating".
This wasn't an isolated case. Anything with a hint of Scottishness tends to provoke a reaction - Scottish politicians (particularly those at Westminster), stories about funding of the Scottish government and Scottish football.
It's not just stories connected to Scotland of course. Audiences are no longer passive. We've invited them to interact and they do that in large numbers. They tell us what they think of issues we're covering, but also about our story selection, our presenters, our time-keeping - everything.
The digital world will increasingly give people much more ability to choose the news they want at the time and place of their choosing - and will increasingly allow them to select which sort of stories they want to hear. At least then, when there's a "two in a row" problem, they'll only have themselves to blame.
Comment number 1.
At 23rd Sep 2008, disableddon wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 2.
At 23rd Sep 2008, Peter_Sym wrote:Maybe the 91热爆 should start explaining EXACTLY how Scotland is funded. Scotland gets 50% of Scotlands GDP spent as public spending compared to 67% in the NW of England.
I've been abused in the streets of Nottingham by people who hear my accent and rant on about the Barnett formula dpesite the fact that I've lived and paid income tax in england for 15 years.
The anti-Scottish sentiment that is published by the 91热爆 on some of its blogs would be criminal if applied to other ethnic groups.
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Comment number 3.
At 23rd Sep 2008, alasdair2000 wrote:Your listeners are trying to tell you something.
A story about kilts cuts out everyone except kilt-wearers. Although there are tartans for English, Welsh and N.Irish, the majority of interested listeners are going to be Scottish.
You then follow up with an interview with a Scottish Nationalist dealing with a UK issue from a Scottish Nationalist perspective.
The average English, Welsh or N.Irishman is bound to find something more interesting to listen to.
The 91热爆 DOES have a duty to report the whole of the UK. But also a duty to serve the WHOLE of the UK. The "two stories" rule of thumb is good no matter which country or special interest group you are talking about.
-- Kilt-wearing Brit
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Comment number 4.
At 23rd Sep 2008, alaninbelfast wrote:Regarding the last paragraph ... the digital will indeed increasingly give people choice and an ability to filter out what they think they don't want or need to know about.
But a self-filtered world is a bland and unexciting one, lacking surprise and serendipity. Mine would have no sport (other than opening ceremonies) and no natural history, gardening or cooking.
Good thing that the 91热爆's public service remit - and public purposes two and four - will empower you to continue to sneak up behind unsuspecting listeners and surprise them with stories that they won't expect to hear.
Ignore their complaints (and mine) and bring us variety from across the UK and beyond.
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Comment number 5.
At 23rd Sep 2008, lordJimBowman wrote:Poor diddums English listeners. They should try being Scottish. Until the recent 91热爆 Trust report, Scottish listeners and viewers were lucky if Scotland even got a mention in most 91热爆 news broadcasts.
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Comment number 6.
At 23rd Sep 2008, FlyingRobotDog wrote:In terms of Alasdair's comment, why would a story about kilt's be of no interest to the majority of people? If there was a story about the Welsh language, or London black cabs, I'd be interested. I don't see why something that doesn't immediately concern you be of no interest. You can expand your knowledge a little if you listen.
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Comment number 7.
At 23rd Sep 2008, grimble wrote:There now appears to be a breed of militant little Englanders who are utterly intolerant of the rest of the UK, especially Scotland. Read the comment columns of some London-based broadsheet newspapers and you'll see what I mean!
Everyone is of course entitled to their views, no matter how eccentric they may seem to others. However there's a common thread amongst many of these correspondents: they know virtually nothing about the subjects on which they're so vitriolic. Unfortunately the London-based print media gives them a partisan and incomplete view, which they believe to be the truth.
So we get ludicrous 'non-debates' where the Scots vainly try to get across the complexities and subtleties of the subject - including the many facts conveniently ignored by the London media - and they're met by a wall of ignorance and prejudice.
5 Live's problem isn't that it covers too many Scottish issues, it's that almost every topic covered throughout the day applies to England only.... unfortunately many of the whingers don't understand how the UK works, and don't appreciate this!
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Comment number 8.
At 24th Sep 2008, Peter_Sym wrote:#7. Almost no more needs to be said on the issue. You've summed it perfectly. About the only thing missing is that there are a small number of 'little Scots' who are pretty much the same as their English counterparts and are under the delusion that Scotland would have been Kuwait if it wasn't for the english stealing their oil.
As a Scot with English parents I have recieved anti-Scottish abuse in England and anti-English abuse in Scotland. Frankly I'm sick of the ill-informed bigots on both sides of the border.
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Comment number 9.
At 24th Sep 2008, alasdair2000 wrote:#6. Please don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say that kilts are of no interest to the majority of people.
I'm saying that if you are a radio station with a target audience of 'everyone in the UK', then your subject material should appeal to 'everyone in the UK' most of the time. And the rest of the time, when you have these interesting stories which don't appeal to 'everyone in the UK', follow the "two stories" rule of thumb.
We do want them but spread out.
Remember that other stations are competing for listeners' time. If Question Time is on Radio 4, I'm not listening to a kilt story no matter how interesting you think it is.
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Comment number 10.
At 24th Sep 2008, Cardboard_Cutout wrote:Well excuse me for a bleedin' obvious moment but does England have its own Radio England?
Sure FiveLive is a national radio station and, to its credit, is liberally sprinkled with many provincial presenters and reporters, but the main point at the centre of this topic is that most English people do not have there own country-centric media unlike Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. You may also have noticed that neither do we have our own assembly.
I'd expect the 91热爆 to be a great deal more sensitive about representing the country that, by a huge margin, produces the bulk of its revenue.
And isn't Breakfast hosted by a Scotsman?
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Comment number 11.
At 25th Sep 2008, Green Soap wrote:#10
Scotland has 2 91热爆 Stations, Scotland and nan G脿idheal. 30,000 speak Gaelic, so its essentally 1 radio station for 5 million.
How many has England? 38. Not even 1.5 million people per radio station.
Good deal you've got going there.
And remember the good old 91热爆 6% spent on 9% of the population wheeze!
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Comment number 12.
At 26th Sep 2008, CarolineOfBrunswick wrote:Razia Iqbal's arts blog has just been added to the menu ---->
It currently has 6 stories, all relate to England, 5 to London.
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Comment number 13.
At 26th Sep 2008, Peter_Sym wrote:"And isn't Breakfast hosted by a Scotsman?"
Is it? I though Breakfast has about 6-8 presenters who take turns on the sofa and a variety of other presenters who do the weather, sport, business etc. If you have a problem with Carol Kirkwood doing the weather in a Scottish accent maybe you shouldn't watch morning TV.
In any case had you complained breakfast was hosted by a gay/black/muslim etc presenter the 91热爆 would almost certainly have bumped your comment.
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Comment number 14.
At 28th Sep 2008, Ron666 wrote:With regard to the comment that there is no Radio England, can I suggest Radio 4 for the role? Just change the name and get rid of "From our own correspondent", which would only remind the Little Englanders of the disagreeable fact that there are actually other countries in the world. Otherwise, it already fits perfectly.
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Comment number 15.
At 8th Oct 2008, louduzr wrote:I don't understand this goverment all of this sudden taxcut? and rebuliding the banking system! at the same time sudden we have this massive interest cut banks not lending to each other and it took this goverment this awakward time to act on it now! when the banks and everything was stable and having tac cut's now ridicilouse!!!! ... so this means that if something goes wrong the taxpayers pumps money in banks and restoring confidence in banks with our money when they should use their own money instead of our's..excutive having big bonuses and scheme in the loop hole to get more cash in the their pockets this is deluded and as a taxpayers I will feel that we have been cheated in away They Say ''might get Our Money I would like them to say GAURANTEEND Taxpayers money all back!! and no tricks by the goverment by charging us 15% on this and that we don't want to hear no Rubbish by this goverment we have heard all the spin with blair and Iam sick of spin talk.. with this goverment I might as well been a gambla not a business man because at the long run there is nothing, in business you take risks but not expensive one!!!... I want my money back I want my money back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!rubbish
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Comment number 16.
At 8th Oct 2008, louduzr wrote:I don't understand this goverment all of this sudden taxcut? and rebuliding the banking system! at the same time sudden we have this massive interest cut banks not lending to each other and it took this goverment this awakward time to act on it now! when the banks and everything was stable and having tax cut's now ridicilouse!!!! ... so this means that if something goes wrong the taxpayers pumps money in banks and restoring confidence in banks with our money when they should use their own money instead of our's..excutive having big bonuses and scheme in the loop hole to get more cash in the their pockets this is deluded and as a taxpayers I will feel that we have been cheated in away They Say ''might get Our Money back I would like them to say GAURANTEEND all Taxpayers money back and no tricks by the goverment by charging us 15% on this and that we don't want to hear no Rubbish by this goverment we have heard all the spin with blair and Iam sick of spin talk.. with this goverment I might as well been a gambla not a business man because at the long run there is nothing left, in business you take risks but you don't put famlies at risk for me that is expensive I want all my cash back . no fat cats having bonuses I want to see were my money has gone I want see my money GuaranTEED I want to see no RUBBISH. I want to hear securite I don' want gimmicks because goverment have a bad reputation for that
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Comment number 17.
At 9th Oct 2008, jamesthought wrote:There are always lunatics ready to exacerbate differences; especially if they can find personal gain in doing so.
Some 鈥減oliticians鈥 would set up military strong points and customs offices along the English/Scottish border if gave them power.
Thousands of mixed Scottish/English race (myself included) have,for many years, lived perfectly normal friendly lives in England and I hope in Scotland.
It is time the silent majority made clear that trouble makers should go jump in the proverbial lake.
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