Author Archives: barstep

About barstep

Founding Director of Restore (York), retired Digital Storyteller, cyclist, runner, walker, journalist, photographer, grandfather, Christian, and tech head esp. Apple stuff

Adios Cycling England – you were too efficient – you had to go

Certainly, it seems the success that Cycling England had, within the cycle trade and throughout the country, wasn???t measurable enough to convince the Government that it was worth preserving, despite being run for only ??200,000 a year. A figure that is, lest we forget, the equivalent cost of five metres of the M6 motorway.

via bikebiz.com

It’s outrageous that for a mere ??200,000 this vital service to English Cyclists is axed.

Phone in a glass boosts signal – how?

The second picture was captured with my iPhone 4 standing in a glass tumbler in an identical location just as in this Next Web article

How does it do it?

Local Radio safe?

Just heard Nick Clegg say on BBC Radio Sheffield that local radio is very important and he can’t imagine it being closed down. Nick Higham (I think it wad him) said to Radio5Live that after talking to the BBC he didn’t think it was an idea that was very high on their agenda.

Shadow minister demands meeting over ‘radio cuts’ | News | Broadcast

Shadow minister demands meeting over ‘radio cuts’

11 March, 2011

Shadow culture secretary Ivan Lewis has demanded a meeting with BBC bosses over reports that local radio services could be axed and replaced with content from Radio 5 Live.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said proposals had been aired to produce only local breakfast and drive-time shows and fill the gap with 5 Live programmes.

It said this would mean the loss of around 700 jobs and the possible closure of some stations.

Lewis said: ???At a time when Jeremy Hunt is forcing the BBC to spend ??25 million on local TV, it is perverse that the Conservative-led Government cuts may threaten the future of local radio.

???I will be seeking an urgent meeting with the BBC to discuss the range of options under consideration.???

It was reported the proposals were aired as part of the BBC???s Delivering Quality First review, which is tasked with finding savings following the six-year licence-fee freeze.

A BBC spokesman said: ???No decisions have been made so it would be wrong to speculate. It is, of course, only right that BBC staff have an opportunity to input ideas about shaping the BBC???s future.

???The Delivering Quality First sessions are designed to provoke discussion amongst staff about the way the BBC works and any decisions coming out of the process would be subject to approval by the BBC Trust.???

via broadcastnow.co.uk

Ivan Lewis is making a good point here.
???At a time when Jeremy Hunt is forcing the BBC to spend ??25 million on local TV, it is perverse that the Conservative-led Government cuts may threaten the future of local radio.”

BBC English Regions boss explains ‘challenging times’

http://m.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/11/bbc-local-radio?cat=media&type=arti…

David Holdsworth tells radio staff that ‘challenging’ times lie ahead as union attacks plan to cut much of local output

David Holdsworth: said the BBC was undertaking a ‘fundamental reassessment’. Photograph: BBC

John Plunkett

guardian.co.uk, Fri 11 Mar 2011 12.45 GMT

The executive in charge of the BBC’s English regional output has warned staff they need to be “realistic” about how the corporation will cope with swingeing budget cuts after plans were revealed to cut much of its local radio output.

I’m sure David will do all he can to maintain his services, but speculation like this can start a process that’s hard to stop. There are plenty of vultures in the big budget departments at the BBC who be only too happy to discard Local Radio to preserve their empire. It’ll be a tough fight, but winnable.

BBC may replace local radio with 5 Live broadcasts | Media | The Guardian

via guardian.co.uk

As far as I can tell this is one of many proposals being put forward to Mark Thompson as the BBC struggles to save money.
In my area the BBC is experimenting with a shared afternoon show. The presenter is excellent and they are doing their best to gather content from around the entire Yorkshire region. But however competent it may be it doesn’t feel like a programme for me and my city – it comes from somewhere else.
Merging Local Radio and 5Live is a bit incongruous and probably wouldn’t work – or even happen. But it’s not far from a national sustaining service which local stations can opt in and out of at will. It’s a dangerous step for local communities. Their local BBC station gives a voice to people who would otherwise be unable to influence opinion or express their views. As soon as the airtime is narrowed to two news slots a day – other broadcasting goes out of the window. Community action wouldn’t get a look in.
The BBC should squash this idea as soon as it’s presented at the DG’s desk. You either have local radio or you don’t – there are no half measures. No one will own it and it will swerve to rot in no time at all.
My friend Emma Gilliam, now a lecturer at The School of Journalism in Cardiff – (we were both BBC local radio Editors) – is updating her blog on this subject. Emma refers to Bill Rogers’ blog

More here on Radio Today

Lets start the campaign now to save BBC Local Radio …….

If only ……..

via ipayroadtax.com

Mind Cymru – online launch of Digital Stories | Mind

To coincide with St David???s Day, Mind Cymru has launched three digital stories, showing the experience of people living with mental distress in Wales.

via mind.org.uk

Three amazing stories on the Mind Cymru website giving a real insight into living with a mental illness.

Is there any hope for the dinosaur …..

Poor Jeremy thinks it’s the daily email that’s facing extinction or is he just failing to embrace the future?

Before you say that email is also the past it seems clear to me that as far as Jeremy is concerned there’s just live television. Nothing else matters.

BBC Daily E-mail Other e-mail newsletters

Wednesday 2 February 2011 at 10.30pm on BBC Two

Presented by Jeremy Paxman

Good morning. And good afternoon. Or possibly, good evening.

Welcome to positively the last Newsnight daily email. The time has come to put this exercise in fatuousness out of its misery.

It gives me no pleasure to say that it should have happened years ago. Actually, I lie. There is more joy in heaven, etc, etc.

The reason for killing it off is pretty straightforward. It’s crap.

Conscientious readers may have noticed that Monday’s email this week was actually promoting a programme which went out last week. A carrier pigeon would have been quicker.

The daily email was dreamed up – like so many other utterly brilliant initiatives (anyone recall the Newsnight podcast, for people who preferred their television without pictures?) – by visionary senior management at the BBC.

For a while we even sent out a morning email, as well, detailing the mental anguish of the editor on duty that day, and soliciting suggestions as to what people would like to see on air that evening. This, too, often arrived after the show had been broadcast.

Like a dodgy plumber skulking away from a flooded bathroom, those responsible are blaming the tools of their trade. In this case, they’re right. The piece of kit (the “gizmo”, to give it its technical name) which sends out the email is completely useless and we can’t afford to fix it.

But fear not. There are other, thrilling ways to make sure you’re not pleasurably surprised when the programme goes on air. The fascinating blog on the Newsnight website is updated every day, and we’re also on Twitter andFacebook.

Alternatively, you could just switch on your television to BBC Two at 10.30pm.

So, farewell daily email. And a Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, Easter and Millennium Eve to all our viewers.

Jeremy Paxman

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