Wisely agreeing that I'm not a paedophile and suggesting I should become an advisor on protection policy.

In which case I'd put forward the common sense suggestion, with which I'm sure he'd agree, that the millions wasted on monitoring and controlling such people as 16 year olds convicted of having sex with their 15 year old girlfriends could be better spent on controlling really dangerous people.

Or perhaps he thinks it's money well used. In which case perhaps he'd like to provide it to the Government from his substantial salaries (he's also inherited my TalkRadio slot, though with far fewer listeners to TalkSport).

That's it JK! Post your CV off to Talksport radio. Jon Gaunt has to be the most irritating presenter they have. His days are numbered. Ratings are King and so are you!

Having just tuned into John Gaunt on TalkSport, I am scarcely surprised he has far fewer listeners than you, JK. In the space of two minutes, he claimed that the police believed it was fine for 30 year old men to have sexual relationships with 13 year old girls, and went on to suggest we may all as well give up work, put our kids on the streets and become drug addicts because of a pilot scheme to give heroin users free drugs.

Does the ability to launch into controversial rants constitute good radio nowadays? Personally, I prefer more subtle media techniques, and look back fondly on your Talk Radio days.

It is a great shame we are no longer treated JK on our radio and TV. Maybe when your wrongful conviction is finaly overturned? Or am I being naive?

Talk "Sport", talks about subjects like that??? Excuse me , but isn`t there an Ashes series going on?
Talk radio is alive and well, and we type it!

You seem surprised that there are gobshite morons on the wireless... I thought it was obligatory these days

Give me Terry Wogan or Alice Cooper...

or does it seem that the public are going off simplistic headlines and controversy?

Could it be that circulation collapse at the tabloids and failing ratings for the cartoon speakers is a sign the majority don't like it anymore?

The main problem re-controversy and the public going off it, is there actually isn`t hardly anything controversial as a subject anymore, unless of course there is "name" in the story. Either way, whoever has allegedy done what to whom, the stories have been so thrashed to death over the years that the shock horror factor is now nearly over.
How far away are we from a desperate tabloid headline saying............ "BARRYMORE!"..................

(no news on him today but now that we have your attention..

Bread and Circuses not working anymore? For shame to suggest such a thing!!!

I used to love my largely chatty radio prog Harley, in the afternoons, and I miss it dearly, but I do feel as in the current changes in music, that blogging, and commenting in these formats, are starting to spearhead the next step in Talk Radio/Sport, which I will say I do listen to and enjoy still, but not unless I am travelling, which of course is becoming more and more difficult in the UK.
It`s a difficult project to regulate, or you could just end up with a chat room, or a live show with the odd e-mail or text comment which of course we already have loads of.
I think with the amount of people that do want to comment on current affairs/topics etc, which is a high number, Talk Sport are flying a little bit low on the devils advocate character.
I know a guy who is really good at playing one, and when he`s on holiday, believe it or not? I know another one..
Or maybe more, I feel a list coming on....

I spend a third of my burned out life acting as conscience and devil's advocate to a bunch of Christians (I'm not one, but I keep those buggers on their toes, since I generally know the history better than they do )

Tommy Boyd was the definitive devil's advocate on Talk Radio. He is an excellent broadcaster whose piece de resistance revolves around propounding the most ludicrous and whimsical arguments, but with such skill that the listeners never fail to be suckered in. He was removed from Talk Radio many years ago for what I understand was allowing airtime to a caller with somewhat unconventional views on the royal family. He is now reduced to a weekly spot on Southern Counties Radio, I believe. Pity.

so was Anna Raeburn who followed him... we had a great lineup in those days.

Only the mighty James Whale remains.

Agreed, JK! I started listening to James on local radio when I was a student in Leeds in 1983. What he did then was very new and refreshing in those days. I am still a fan.

I was on his shows up there both TV and radio and James was the only radio host decent enough to allow me to put my points across when I came out last year (and he got a lot of grief for it).

So I understand. Sadly I missed it. Shame though unsurprising that he got grief for it. Not that I should imagine James would have too many sleepless nights about that! It put him up in my estimations even further in any case.

JK2006 wrote:
I was on his shows up there both TV and radio and James was the only radio host decent enough to allow me to put my points across when I came out last year (and he got a lot of grief for it).

I'd love to get a copy of that as James Whale is usually compelling listening for his interviews.

Any criticism of him though is usually water off a ducks back but his risk taking style is what has got him so far.

Are you due another interview with him soon?

I don't know why but Whale always reminded me of John Peel without the music...

His Friday night TV show championed a lot of new bands, one of which I remember well were The Sons Of Geronimo, and after they had done the show, we had to set up a live Monday afternoon showcase for them for industry bods to watch. I met a lovely guy there who had produced Thin Lizzy and was interested in doing them, and to this day, I regret not asking him one of the great mystery production topics in pop/rock history which is.....

"Whisky In The Jar"... errrm ...Phil Lynott, why was there no bass guitar on the recording?

But, I made up for with another comment (celebrety name drop alert) to Keith Harris, who whilst having a drink in Ayr with him, I managed to drop in the one liner, "Do you know you made the worst record of all time?"

Can't have that Martin!

Pump up the Jam was the worst ever record, ever!

No no! Keith agreed and was very proud!
I met him first in a very small pub, and he sat with me and my girlfriend, and we got into a showbizzy type conversation, in which he told us that it was very hard on the TV, to show what he actually did.
He borrowed a matchbox from a table, put it about 20 feet away, and threw his voice so that it was coming out of the empty box.
It was really amazing, I have no idea how he does this, he was sitting square in my face and the voice was coming in a very squeaky fashion from another side of the room.
The rest of that night is historically preserved in my scrapbook written out by a Sunday tabloid reporter of the time.
He`s a top man, and knows his marketplace.
Could have been worse Steve, "Pump Up The Orville", may well have been a possibilty, and don`t start me on "The Birdy Song " again.(sore point that one)