A dusting of snow

Any chance of a blog to outline what we think of the new programmes starting this week?



I for one would like to say right now that if we are to be bashed by people from Manchester about absolutely everything (Livesey kicks off with Ryan Giggs on living in Salford and staying close to your roots) then could we please have Rajar figures monthly instead of quarterly, to give you at the station a clue as to what the rest of the country's listeners feel is important......................................

Excellent point Carrie. The cume figures by daypart would be very interesting.



I read that Bacon has been swotting up all weekend on David Cameron who he is going to interview on Monday. We'll see how he goes. I have no confidence in his ability to deliver incisive questions and conduct a robust interview on 5 Live Lite.



You'll be interested that Stephen Nolan delivered his show from Belfast this weekend making a mockery of claims it wasnt practical to broadcast from Manchester.

Nolan has created a precedent on expenses then. No excuse now.



As far as so far this morning goes, more cheap shots at the Tories in Kate Silverton's programme and now a completely gabbling piece of rubbish ten minutes in on the news thing.



There is no hope.

Steve:



Thanks for Nick Garnett and his excellent video regarding the on-duty snow working the video!



~Dennis Junior~

Carrie, you noticed that too did you? The cheap shots at David Cameron were appalling in Silverton's programme, if for no other reason then there was a distinct lack of balance.



I wrote this to Mr Van-Klaveren straight after... btw, did you know Sam Delaney used to work to Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman? Will let you know what response I get.



Dear Mr Van-Klaveren,



What were the big political issues of last week?



The Brown out brouhaha perhaps?



The Kate Silverton programme has a segment called "This Week in Westminister" with Sam Delaney



Please listen again: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00psqty (from 1:26:55)



Not only was there no mention of the biggest political story of the week, the move against Gordon Brown, it was used as a partisan attack on David Cameron by Sam Delaney, who we pay to appear.



As you know Sam Delaney formerly worked for Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman, although this is conveniently not disclosed to the listeners.



Where is the balance? Why wasn't Labour's misfortune mentioned?



It is election year and this bias is unacceptable.



If Sam expresses political opinions on this program you must seek a balance.

I am not a Tory but I like a level playing field and that is pretty naughty. Just like when Whelan used to appear on that old Sunday morning thing.



I am getting pretty fed up of the political bias and it will be interesting to hear what Adrian says. By the way, when it all comes from Salford, will everyone like Delaney and other guests on every programme be shipped up there on expenses?

Carrie, it doesn't matter which party you support, if any, it is a question of balance vs bias, and the disclosure thereof. It's not just 5Live though, barely an hour earlier Andrew Marr had Maureen Lipman and Tristam Hunt reviewing the papers.



Maureen Lipman has publicly proclaimed her support of the Labour party (https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4464557.stm%29 and Tristam Hunt has twice worked for the Labour party during the elections on 1997 and 2001 and was the failed candidate for a safe Labour seat in 2007.



Maureen warranted no introduction and Tristam only as a historian.



I think there prejudice warranted disclosure and then let the viewers make up their minds.



It seems endemic.

I was just trying to avoid being typecast as a Tory whinger.



Time may come when the programmes are packed out with the other party representatives but I doubt it!

Bacon made a fair go of his first programme. I enjoyed it. Sorry all Bacon-haters.

I agree with you Carrie. I wasn't looking forward to this afternoon's programme but I've got to admit that the Cameron interview was good. The first hour wasn't bad either.



Incidentally, I'm enjoying Mayo's programme this evening. 5Live's loss is definitely Radio 2's gain.

Livesey was rubbish. All over the place. Too many people, too many subjects, too much busy-ness. Too many Manc accents phoning in. Do they know it is a national station not just local radio?

Livesey was rubbish. Carrie, are we related? We seem to think a lot alike. Seems like they went out of their way to get on the yocal locals. Livesey is a local radio man, so maybe that's why. But what a disaster.



We must not forget he's had over 2.5 months to think about this program. And that is the best he can do? To his credit the otherwise lightweight Richard Bacon made a decent first of his first programme.



I had hoped Livesey, despite my better instincts, would ditch the tabloid pap, trival twitterings and banalities of the Bacon but sadly looks like Livesey is more of the same except different.



What value did the listening audience derive from the silly 'how should I promote my show' discussion? The best way would have been to shut up and actually focus on delivering a good programme not some trival trash topic like that.

Gabby's programme seems a bit vacuous. I can't imagine how she is going to cope with PMQs. Her attempt to say something about Campbell's evidence went something like: "we'll listen in" and "there we are" without any comment at all. I can't imagine the original station we all miss being so lightweight over something that is so important.



We may be related ryanw, and that means we will give people a chance to settle in. Not sure how long! I don't listen to so much of the station now but I will give the newbies a chance.

It seems like quite bad weather there, much worse than Beijing

Although the lunar new year is coming, the weather is definitely getting cold, but for the time being, the sun is still seen by people here

Livesey was better on Tuesday but last night again, too many people contributing, sounded like a party over the air and completely pointless bits and pieces apart from earthquake updates.



Could I please point out two things:



(waiting for barrage of aggro to hit me)



First, it seems the only people phoning in and going on air are from Manchester. Is this what Radio Five is to become? It isn't local radio Mr/Ms producer/Editor.



Second, could you avoid even more people going on air as presenters or guests who are from the Manchester area and who say 'uz' instead of 'us'? It is unbearable. It was bad enough with you-know-who and now the station is being taken over by Manchester local radio it seems it will be heard more and more.

Isn't it a disgrace that the news message boards were replaced by this pathetic blog space that hasn't had a new topic posted up since 6 January!

Tafjak - spot on. Give us back our much used message boards and end this dire blog farce

and an edit facility! Doh! Tafkaj, Tafkaj, Tafkaj!

I'll answer to most things, bootilicious! ;-)