Manx Radio = White Elephant?

[Grumble]

Sorry Roger, but that's complete bollocks...but I've fixed your post:

 

"Manx Radio has designed the whole station around the Isle of Man's needs".

 

They certainly seem no more beholden to our politicians than the BBC is to Blur's spin doctors.

 

And who wants to be merely an adjunct to BBC Merseyside/Lancashire, spouting New Labour propaganda? The Beeb has had years to provide decent Manx coverage and has failed to provide anything like value for money.

 

If you haven't read it already, I heartily recommend the 40 Years of Manx radio book - even I didn't realise the passion the people have or their own station.

[Theodolite]

Could I just say that I am getting a bit fed up hearing the story about the cat in Ramsey. Energy and 3FM haven't been so enthusiastic about it. When the story was first aired last week I thought it was all a bit surreal - a ten minute report complete with interview about a cat that won't come in to eat his dinner and a developer is doing something or other in the area - but to hear it on tonight's news too is becoming worrying.

 

Can someone please go out and do some ram-raiding or something just to give the local radio station something to report on.

[Gladys]

Well, I for one am very glad that there are no ram-raiding stories (primarily, because there is no ram-raiding, thank Mannanin) and that the news covers items like the cat story. It encapsulates what is good about living on the IOM; you know, old lady that has been looking after a feral cat can't get to feed it because those nasty, nasty developers (or are they just builders doing a job?) have blocked her access. So she has a word with her MHK, who has a word with the builders and, hey presto, a solution is found, old lady happy, cat happy, but won't admit it, builders not too inconvenienced, but happy to help. It's a nice story and it's good to hear it.

 

As for the BBC, part of the licence fee should be paid to IOM Govt for MR to compensate for the lack of local BBC service as a rebate to the island against the licence fee. I do not want a BBC service, we have a local public service broadcaster of our own now, thank you, but the bit of licence fee you would have otherwise applied to a BBC local service woud be much appreciated. We do not want the BBC, just some of the licence fee that we pay to go towards our own broadcaster.

[Theodolite]

It is amazing though, what you can do if you know the right people.

 

...... cat happy, but won't admit it .......

 

That made me smile!

[Pragmatopian]

A generous amount for the BBC rebate to Isle of Man licence fee payers due to lack of local radio coverage would be approximately 500k. Those who think that the BBC has a local radio budget of over 12 quid a year for every man, woman and child in the country are living in a dream world. And nor should they: it's just a small part of a much larger organisation.

 

The BBC is one of the few institutions Britain can still be proud of. In an era where Blair is doing his best to tarnish our reputation around the world, the BBC still commands respect, and rightly so. The quality of the TV, radio and internet news output it produces are excellent, although the likes of News 24 and Breakfast do make me worry that the quality is being diluted and somewhat dumbed down. Wherever I go, opinions on Britain vary but the impression of the BBC from those who have watched, heard or browsed it are almost universally positive.

[John Wright]

To truly realise why the coverage has been as it has of the cat you need to know who is feeding it. This isn't a story about the cat but it is a story about who the lady is. Its Esther Richmond doyenne reporter of IOM News papers and court reporter extraordinaire. If the senior court reporter cannot manage to obtain coverage , who can?

[Lonan3]

If all you want is a music station, it doesn't have to be a local one. There is a plethora of such stations which surely supply every possible need from classical to experimental and everything in between. Energy and 3fm obviously fill some sort of need by providing differing kinds of pap pop along with very brief news items.

In terms of a truly 'local' station, however, we only have Manx Radio. It is the only one that deals thoroughly with local news, issues, events, history and so on. I have yet to hear of a BBC local station that does the same job so well. That is why I go along with Gladys' post above. A percentage of the BBC licence fee should be directed to the purpose of supporting our only local station, but I certainly would not wish to see it taken over by the BBC and become little more than an offshoot of Radio 2 with occasional programmes of 'local interest.'

[ccm]

I have yet to hear of a BBC local station that does the same job so well. '

 

 

You obviously don't listen hard enough then. Try BBC Ulster or Merseyside for a start. Switch on any time day or night and you know without having to look at the dial which area of the country they're broadcasting from. And I don't mean just the accents but the content of their programmes. They both piss on Manx from a great height. MR does have its moments in terms of local service but it's few and far between

[Roger Smelly]

Well CCM the trouble with the isle of man is most of the people don't go to the UK to find out, and when they do it is usually just to get a flight to somewhere else.

 

I myself go to the UK a good few times a year, and when i am away i tend to listen to the local stations as i drive and i can tell you most if not all BBC local stations are very good.

 

What makes me laugh is we pay the BBC money to cover our area but we get more from Border TV and they don't get a bean from us.

 

Stupid is as stupid does

[GD4ELI]

What makes me laugh is we pay the BBC money to cover our area but we get more from Border TV and they don't get a bean from us.

Indirectly they do through advertising.

[teapot]

Henry VI part II

 

Isle of Man is a place for banishment it seems.

 

KING HENRY VI :

Stand forth, Dame Eleanor Cobham, Gloucester's wife:

In sight of God and us, your guilt is great:

Receive the sentence of the law for sins

Such as by God's book are adjudged to death.

You four, from hence to prison back again;

From thence unto the place of execution:

The witch in Smithfield shall be burn'd to ashes,

And you three shall be strangled on the gallows.

You, madam, for you are more nobly born,

Despoiled of your honour in your life,

Shall, after three days' open penance done,

Live in your country here in banishment,

With Sir John Stanley, in the Isle of Man.

...

 

Sheriff :

An't please your grace, here my commission stays,

And Sir John Stanley is appointed now

To take her with him to the Isle of Man.

......

 

 

DUCHESS :

Art thou gone too? all comfort go with thee!

For none abides with me: my joy is death;

Death, at whose name I oft have been afear'd,

Because I wish'd this world's eternity.

Stanley, I prithee, go, and take me hence;

I care not whither, for I beg no favour,

Only convey me where thou art commanded.

 

STANLEY :

Why, madam, that is to the Isle of Man;

There to be used according to your state.

 

Full play is here

 

 

Henry VI Part II

 

So what's she saying here - she'd rather die than live in the Isle of Man (that's a bit harsh isn't it!)

[ccm]

Well CCM the trouble with the isle of man is most of the people don't go to the UK to find out, and when they do it is usually just to get a flight to somewhere else.

 

You can hear both Ulster and Merseyside very clearly in the IOM

[copycat]

In todays IOM Examiner page 5 teh Manx Radio Managing Director has said "funding is needed to replace antiquated equipment" YET in the pink pages there is a big article that says "for the last four months or so presenters have been using a new state-of-the-art, digital palayout system". Der, so where did the money come from to pay for that system? (presupposing it has been paid for!) so why don't thet use teh same money pot to fund other new equipemnt? why go bleating to Tynwald for taxpayers money whiich IMo Pam Crowe was correct to question in relation to health spending - next time there is a budget crisis within the DHSS and a ward is closed or someone has to wait just think about it when your listening to Manx Radio on your new digital radio.

[Lonan3]

...just think about it....

Yes, why not do that manxchaterboxcopycat? Only, perhaps, once in a while, just do that before you start posting some of your invidious excrement.

[manxcrabber]

I couldn't be bothered to read the whole thread... but there was a study done on this by IOM Government, where an ex chief minister, ministers, senior civil servants and private sector experts looked at this.

It was the review of the scope and structure of the Isle of Man Government, which has now been placed on a dusty self by ministers- for those of you who are interested you can read it- http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/cso/review/revi...ctureofiomg.pdf

 

MR does provide a public service; however, the value for money committee of Tynwald may want to consider relocating their precious studios to different and much smaller premises. Perhaps the sale of the land and buildings would free up the cash to keep it going for a few years! One thing that should be looked into are all those brand spanking new MGs and Volvos that the MR sales people have.