always listening in

Interesting documentary coming this Wednesday looking at modern day Brunels.

They’ve moved mountains, broken world speed records and could soon take the ‘long’ and the ‘haul’ out of long-haul flying but still, which modern British engineer could possibly compare with the great Isambard Kingdom Brunel? In a new four-part series celebrating the bicentenary of one of the greatest of Britons, Sue Nelson encounters Britain’s Modern Brunels.

Wednesdays 12 April to 3 May 2006 9.00-9.30pm.

• BBC - Radio 4 - Britain’s Modern Brunels

At long last the Guardian has announced some proper podcasts .

Newsdesk: a daily opinion and round up piece.

Media talk: a weekly podcast from the MediaGuardian folks. The first show has a report from the launch of series 2 of Dr Who with interviews from David Tenant and Russell T Davies.

Science weekly follows the excellent science coverage in the paper with more of the same reasoned science writing.

And finally Westminster weekly which is pretty self explanatory politics update.

The Guardian don’t seem to be publicising the podcasts as yet as there are no links from the homepage, it took me about 5 minutes to find them. So expect an official launch soon.

• Guardian Unlimited: Podcasts

I am preparing a comparison of the major UK newspapers’ podcasts, watch this space.

The short list for the prestigous UK Sony radio awards has been anounced and the Entertainment Award seems to be the most hotly contested.

Veteran DJ Chris Eveans is going against Radio 1’s DJ Chris Moyles, Danny Baker (BBC London 94.9), Jonathan Ross (Radio 2), and the Ugly Phil Breakfast Show (Kerrang! 105.2 West Midlands). I hope beyond hope that Moyles doesn’t win - he won’t shut up about it if he does.

I know a lot of people really don’t like him but I hope Danny Baker wins it (Previous post I really wish I hated Danny Baker). He always makes me laugh when I hear him and it’s a shame he isn’t on a national station.

It’s also really good to see Lauren Laverne at XFM nominated for the highly prized Music Radio Personality of the Year. Challenging her for the boys are Chris Evans, receiving his second 2006 nomination, Jamie Theakston London’s Heart 106.2, Marc Riley - BBC 6 Music and Virgin Radio’s Tim Lovejoy. She’s one of the best things about XFM and it would be really good recognition is she wins it - it can’t have been easy taking over from Chrisitan O’Connell after all.

• 2006 Sony Radio Academy Awards Nominations Announced

Cadbury’s are launching a podcast to promote the Creme Egg.

Michelle Goodes, Cadbury Creme Egg brand manager, said:

Podcasting gives us a new opportunity to build stronger relationships with our consumers in a relevant and innovative way and allows consumers new ways to interact with a brand that they know and love.

It’s enough to make you sick - why in god’s name would I want to “interact with the brand”?

How is listening to a podcast going to make me want to eat more creme eggs? I wonder if they’ll release listener figures…

If you must you can read more at Revolution Magazine:

• Creme Egg promotion steps up a gear with podcast

Great news eh? The Now Show is back on Friday at 6.30pm (repeated when I tend to be in the bath - 12.30 Saturday).

At last a comedy podcast from Radio 4. I was begining to think that they’d only ever be podcasting documentaries and the like.

• The Now Show

Radio 4 now has it’s own downloads page listing all the lovely new podcasts.

• BBC - Radio 4 - Downloading and Podcasting

A great resource site full of links to everything to do with radio - and I mean everything.

• Radio HQ : Radio

Dualit, the folks behind those stylish fridges and toasters are launching a DAB radio and a pretty thing it is too.

There’s a full review over at Pocket-lint.co.uk.

Take a group of people, a classic movie and a microphone and you get Movies You Should See.

In the latest episode of the show the group talk about one of my favourite films - the Princess Bride. The self confessed movie geeks offer some really good insights into some cult films. Well worth a listen.

• Simply Syndicated - Movies You Should See

Following dosser’s advice I spent a lovely 1/2 a hour in the bath on Thursday evening. While I was in the bath Count Arthur Strong played out the final part of his 2 show run on Radio 4.

After the response I got to the last post I wrote on the Count I felt I owed it to the commenters to give him a second chance so I fired up the BBC audio player and listened again over breakfast. Well over breakfast is perhaps exaggerating - I got about 6 minutes in and couldn’t stand it any more, turned off the computer and tuned into Home Truths (which is saying something as I’m sure you’ll all agree Home Truths is a pale shadow of the John Peel era show). So back to the point - I stand by my original post - I can’t listen to Count, I really can’t, I tried but it just makes me feel really uncomfortable hearing his sneering weird comedy.

Times Online is following in the footsteps of the Guardian and launching a comedy based Podcast.

Commenting on the podcasts, David Baddiel said:

The podcast is a great medium for me and Frank: it’s new, direct to fans, interactive, and doesn’t require us to look good. From that point of view, the only World Cup double-act more suited to it would be Ronaldinho and Peter Crouch.

I’m looking forward to it.

• Baddiel and Skinner launch first World Cup podcast - Sport - Times Online