Me, my job and I

BBC Radio Lancashire's News Editor is still true to his Yorkshire roots but he escaped to the right side of the border and now lives in Rishton.

Mr Rider delves into his reporter notebooks to tell us about meeting a worse for Alex Higgins, why he's jealous of Tony Livesey and his prized possession - Ken Dodd's tickle stick!

First big scoop...

I was the first to get hold of the story of an inquiry into the alleged wrong doing at Preston Town Council back in the 90s. When I rang the officer of the council leader a police officer answered the phone so I knew then I was onto something.

Your ‘I wish I hadn’t asked that question’ moment…

Well I once rang up a former Lancashire football manager at home on a Sunday to discuss a story, having being told by a colleague I could call him earlier. Before I could even say hello and say who I was or ask any questions, I was given a tirade of abuse. It was a good job I wasn't someone ringing him with some bad news! 

To be fair on another occasion he once invited me out for a meal with his family and took me back to his house for tea and coffee. Not many managers would do that with a reporter so I forgave him.

Your scariest job?

Driving out to the Lake District when three climbers got killed in a snow storm. Guess what? It was snowing. The car got stuck but I finally made it to the home of a mountain rescue team member in Patterdale at three o'clock in the morning. Then I had to drive back to Lancashire with the tape. Oh and before all that had to cadge some petrol off the fire brigade to get there! It was quite a night...and I was called in on a job first thing the following morning!

Funniest job?

Interviewing Ken Dodd. He even gave me a tickling stick! I kept it in the loft as a souvenir but discovered recently my wife had thrown it away.

Any major gaffes?

Once lost my script and tried to ad-lib a story which failed miserably and the presenter had to bail me out. I still have nightmares of going into a news studio and having just blank sheets of paper in front of me.

Have you ever stumbled on a top story by accident?

I was once on a train that was attacked by vandals near Blackburn but had to wait to get in contact with the news desk as my mobile phone was down.

The other day I was at the local police station with a group of journalists when news of a serious crime came through. It was very handy but I am sure the police were delighted! 

Has anyone disappointed you when you've met them in real life?

I had to wait till 1am to interview Alex Higgins after he lost in the UK Snooker final to Terry Griffiths. He was worse for wear and asked me to send him some records, which of course I never did. He wouldn’t have remembered anything the next day!

Higgins was actually one of my sporting heroes and at the time I was not a fan of Steve Davis but when you speak to them you get a different picture. Alex was, well, difficult whereas Mr Davis was nice as pie.

Ever passed on interviewing someone?

No, you have to take them as they come. Star footballers, Prime Ministers or big name entertainers are sometimes in a good mood - sometimes not. 

Ian Botham doing one of his walks was very abrupt, George Best in his non drinking days, was a delight. Tony Blair before he was Prime Minister was polite but not very controversial. Maybe he already had his eye on Number 10.

Any big stories to happen in Rishton?

My one big story there was the arrival of the West Indian cricketer Viv Richards by helicopter when he was signed up for the Rishton Cricket team. The ground is just around the corner so I didn't have far to go. 

How has reporting the news changed since you started...many, many moons ago?

It has changed, life has changed and journalists have to keep with the times , even the older ones like me.
I think there is more emphasis on the impact on the audience and the style has become less formal and more conversational.
In these days of reality television it seems harder these days to get people interested in politics which is for me a little sad. Mind you when a council takes decisions on bin collections or the like then everyone's ears do prick up.

Today there is more PR to deal with and it is harder sometimes to get people to tell you things because they are fearful of the consequences. Organisations and companies want to be seen in the best light so it is important for journalists to stand back and make proper decisions about a story. The other new element is the issue of rolling news on the television which has meant some stories are over hyped. There are times when even I want to switch off!

Do you ever think newspapers will become extinct?

I hope not. I used to work on a local papers and have a great affection for them. Of course there are other ways now of getting the news but reading a paper, like reading a book, is something many still enjoy like sitting down and just listening to the radio.

What paper do you read religiously?

During the week the Daily Telegraph and at the weekend the Sunday Times. I like a clean crisp paper untouched by anyone else. I sit at home on a Sunday having a good read with my tea and toast. Sheer heaven.

In the newsroom - what do you most like doing?

When a major story breaks that is when the excitement kicks. As News Editor I have to look after things from here, but in my reporter days it was a case of getting out there as quickly as possible. In contrast, though, I did a documentary a couple of years ago about a local cricket match back in 1948 at Rawenstall and got some of the players together. That was great fun and very satisfying.

Have you ever had a fit of the giggles?

When I was at another radio station the sport’s reporter was reading some horse racing results and the horses had unbelievable names, the last one sounding quite rude. After that there was no going back.

Give us your cheesiest headline?

From Fawlty Towers to Fawlty marriage, a story about John Cleese’s marriage break up. See the answer below for why this was so satisfying.

Your favourite TV shows ?

West Wing, 24, NYPD Blue, Sopranos. All brilliant , all American. The irony is that all were shunted away in this country from terrestrial television to the cable or satellite channels. My two favourite British programmes are Fawlty Towers and Blackadder.

Your favourite current affairs/news programme? 

Enjoy Question Time and Newsnight especially when Paxman is giving someone a grilling. He gets tough because all too often politicians don’t answer the question.

Do you watch Have I Got News for You?

Yes it’s a brilliant programme and I have a compilation DVD. I feel very jealous that Tony Livesey has been on. It must be quite an ordeal, though, keeping up with Mr Hislop and Mr Merton.

If you were invited on the show – who would you want on your team?

Paul Merton. He would make you feel more relaxed and I wouldn’t have to think of anything witty. I have even played the board game...how sad is that?!

Any tips for budding journalists?

You need good awareness of what is a story, determination, a way of dealing with people and not be a clock watcher. If you work on radio - you also need technical skills and the ability to broadcast. So not much really! The attraction is that it is a great job, you never know what will happen on any day and you get to be the first to know stuff.

And finally, who was the football manager?

Now that would be telling!