Category Archives: Radio

Crazy Carl rushes back to the microphone after not one but two heart attacks

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A madcap radio DJ was back doing the breakfast show on an island radio station less than a week after suffering two heart attacks. “Crazy” Carl Easton suffered his attack in the hospital where he had gone to check mysterious chest pains.

Crazy Carl back at the microphone

Crazy Carl back at the microphone

He was flown to Glasgow from Stornoway last Wednesday and had an operation in which stents were put into his heart. The former nurse from Morpeth, in Northumberland, is a volunteer DJ on the community radio station Isles FM and a regular breakfast show host.

Feeling chest pains last Tuesday, he went to the accident and emergency department at the town’s Western Isles Hospital to get checked. ”They wired me up to the heart monitor and the nurse said it must be muscular pains because my heart was working fine. Just after she said that, the machine went doolally and I had a heart attack,” he said.

The following day, Carl, 42, was transferred to the Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank and had his operation. He actually had a second heart attack there. Three stents were then inserted into his heart and he was ordered to rest. However, his progress amazed doctors and he was soon transferred to the Western Infirmary to recover. By last weekend, he was back in Stornoway saying he was feeling great.

A member of the management team at local nightspot Era, Carl was banned by boss Moray Weir from working there last weekend so he did some admin work at the radio station instead. And on Wednesday, Crazy Carl was back on the air at 7.30am presenting the Isles FM breakfast show.

His new tattoo says: "I am my own worst enemy."

His new tattoo says: “I am my own worst enemy.”

“The doctors were amazed how well I recovered but I do know that my lifestyle is not good. I eat the wrong stuff and I smoke too much. I am now going to quit, eat better food and get more exercise. I have to.”

He said he now felt better than he has done for years and has put that down to the fact that the blood in his body is now circulating better than it has done for a long time.

“My arteries were all bunged up. I now feel 10 years younger,” he said.

Isles FM managing director David Morrison said the determination to get better and back to work was typical of Carl. He said: “I was very surprised to hear Carl on the air this morning. I had no idea he was going to be on. Any normal person would be in their bed wrapped in cotton wool. That is why we know him as Crazy Carl, I suppose. He certainly deserves the name.”

Ink fan Carl is also an adviser at a Stornoway tattoo parlour but he has no intention of giving up that particular hobby. To celebrate his recovery he has had a large tattoo put on his abdomen with a reminder to himself to take more care of his health. It says: “I am my own worst enemy.”

Leave the two Australian radio DJs alone

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by Iain Maciver, former BBC radio DJ turned journalist

The outpouring of venom against the very funny and original duo on 2Day FM in Sydney, Australia, is completely unjustified. Their wind-ups were fast becoming the stuff of legend but a tragic sequence of events has put paid to that and possibly to their careers. To me, it is merely further evidence that, just as in medieval times, the less-intelligent among us will become a baying mob in the blink of an eye.aussies

To properly judge Mel Greig and Michael Christian, as the mob fail to do, you should just ask if the pair set out out to cause harm. The answer has to be no. Why? The reason for their prank was obviously part of their remit to entertain a radio audience so it was neither done to cause harm, to deliberately cause offence nor to make a direct personal financial gain. If it somehow went badly wrong, as it did because of the tragedy when the nurse Jacintha Saldanha died, there was always a chance of public outrage but that is not the same as setting out to cause offence.

Until news came of her death, there was no real offence taken. The prank was called rude and cheeky and unfortunate by many. Some even dared to call it brave and exciting. Prince Charles made a joke about it. There was no official complaint by Prince William and his wife. We all just wanted to make sure it was not allowed to happen again. Now, incisors bared, online commenters who two days ago complained it was off-colour now say the pair were cruel, must be sacked and maintain hanging is too good for them.

Should they have done the prank in the first place? Probably not. There should have been, at the very least, a moment of reflection on the ethics of calling up a sick woman who was expecting a child and inquiring about her medical condition and thereby invading her privacy. I also understand the over-riding temptation because of who she was and the chance to impersonate Her Maj and Charlie Boy. Crikey. This was not Winnie from Wagga Wagga. However, they should have decided to wind up someone else that morning. But, purely in terms of radio pranks, it had everything. It was a cracker. Good onya, mate.

We are talking about Australia where the Royal Family is, if not derided, at least seen by most people as a quaint institution which their bizarrely-sycophantic British subjects prop up with ever-increasing stacks of money in handouts while cutting back on essential medical services like home carers for the elderly, pensions and road gritting when the ice comes. This, after all, is the country whose former premier Paul Keating thought nothing of touching the Queen’s back area in 1992. The British press went apoplectic. Poor Keating didn’t even understand what the fuss was about – like the rest of his fellow Aussies.

Lazy journalists have been pointing out the other breaches of regulations which the 2Day FM station has been castigated for in the last few years. Completely irrelevant, I would say. Greig and Christian were not involved in these pranks. This is a lively fun station – a bit like Radio 1 used to be before the dead hand of the bean counter and the ghastly and costly BBC Trust smothered its soul and contrived to give it the present politically-correct graveyard atmosphere which so few bother with if they have decent reception of another chart station. Retired generals think they are too jolly with these damned colonials making fun of Lillibet? Off with their heads.

It was proper though that the two DJs were sent home until the fuss dies down. That will take a few weeks but my fear is that original, breathtaking, awe-inspiring impromptu comedy on radio will now be suppressed in the Australia backlash. Bosses will come under pressure to crack the whip as they too quiver at threats of an advertising drought brought about by humourless droids. They may comply too readily. For those who pooh-pooh the idea and say that will not happen, wait and see. It has already happened and left stale airwaves in a land far away called the United Kingdom.

You can listen to Prof Richard Dawkins’s address as it happens

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Many people – whether they agree with his views or not – wanted to hear what Prof Dawkins had to say at the Faclann book festival in An Lanntair gallery in Stornoway this evening (Fri). But it sold out in half an hour.

Prof Dawkins arrives in Stornoway

Now everyone can listen, no matter where they are in the world unless they live in those countries which block non-local internet content.

The address, and the one before it, will be broadcast live on the local community station Isles FM. It will be streamed on http://www.isles.fm. Note: the streaming may not work with all browsers.

At about 7pm, historian and science writer Francis Spufford will deliver a  sharp-tongued personal defence of Christian belief, a remarkable account of what believing in God is actually like and a defence of Christian emotions – of their intelligibility, of their grown-up dignity.

If it all goes to schedule, Prof Dawkins, author of the ground-breaking The God Delusion who has acquired the title The World’s Best Known Athiest, should be on after 8pm.

Macneil flabbergasted by BBC Highland axe

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PRESS RELEASE

Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP Angus Brendan MacNeil is writing to Ken MacQuarrie, the controller of BBC Scotland and John Boothman, the head of news and current affairs, to protest at the planned dismemberment of the BBC Highland Service, which was decimated in 1993.

Mr MacNeil said: “I am flabbergasted that an area the size of Wales is to lose half to three quarters of its BBC reporting staff. In fact, I wonder if there will be anywhere else in the world as poorly covered by the BBC English language service as the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

“The BBC is savagely cutting its already paltry service in the Highlands and Islands, under the guise of “delivery quality first”.  It really has to be asked what if anything they will be delivering now through their English language service.  The centralisation of a BBC that is already famous for its south-east of England news bias with anything south of Dover or north of Watford struggling to be reported is now seemingly being replicated by centralisation in Glasgow.

“Scotland needs quality journalists throughout the country. We do not want to suffer more stodgy news with greater and grimmer coverage from a variety of sheriff court buildings within driving distance of BBC Headquarters in Glasgow.

“BBC Highland has on very limited resources, been delivering a quality news service that has been greatly valued by its audience and is should remain unless the BBC are renouncing their claim on all of Scotland.

“My complaint about the BBC over many years is that we have not had a Scottish Six giving us international news from a Scottish perspective and now we are in danger of not getting Scotland news from a Scottish perspective. Licence fee payers in the Highlands and Islands deserve better.”

Furious isles councillor calls for bias probe into BBC Gaelic news

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AN island councillor has called for an inquiry by the BBC into reporting standards and political bias at its Gaelic radio department.

Donald John MacSween, who stood as the Labour candidate in the last general election, claimed “a long-running sore” had been brought to the surface by the reporting of the ongoing controversy over swingeing ferry fare increases on Western Isles routes for commercial vehicles.

Call for probe - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b01c870x (Starts 0:46:35)

He is taking issue with comments by a breakfast show presenter who allegedly suggested the Labour Party had campaigned against the Scottish Government’s discounted ferry fares scheme known as Road Equivalent Tariff (RET).

BBC Scotland has denied the councillor’s claims and maintains the radio presenter concerned had attributed the remarks to an MSP.

Councillor Macsween, who represents the Point area on the Isle of Lewis, went on the attack quickly claiming the programme had aired “a bare-faced untruth” which, he said, had been taken straight from an SNP press release.

“It is inconceivable that such propaganda would be broadcast as fact in an English-language broadcast, or indeed in any language other than Gaelic. I believe that the Gaelic community is as entitled to impartial,
professionally-competent reporting as any other,” he said.

Mr MacSween has now asked Kenneth MacQuarrie, the director of BBC Scotland, to monitor the BBC Radio nan Gaidheal output in order to determine whether appropriate reporting standards were maintained and if there was ongoing evidence of political bias.

In his experience, the councillor said, there was no point complaining to the BBC at Inverness, where the news output is produced, because any complaints were simply brushed aside.

“My concern is that Radio nan Gaidheal is out of sight, out of mind and the normal standards of political impartiality are not being applied,” he said.

He maintained that the truth was that the money used for the RET pilot, now being scaled back because of government cuts, had been committed by the outgoing Labour-led administration in 2007 for use across the entire CalMac ferry network.

“Nobody campaigned against RET, as far as I am aware. However, what is now clear is that it was never RET – because if that principle had genuinely been introduced, we would not be having the current uproar about fare increases.”

BBC Scotland strongly denied the councillor’s claims of bias on the Gaelic news service.

Its spokesman said: “We reject the criticism relating to the Radio nan Gaidheal report on Wednesday. The report clearly attributed to an MSP the claim that the Labour Party were against the government RET scheme. If Councillor MacSween can provide us with evidence of alleged bias in our news reporting, we will certainly look into the matter.

“However we reject entirely any suggestion that Radio nan Gaidheal is not subject to the same rigorous application of the BBC’s guidelines on impartiality and accuracy of reporting as apply to all other BBC news services.”

BBC Gaelic radio used “SNP propaganda” about RET

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Dear Gail

I agree with you Gail that the motion does encapsulate everything that the Comhairle and the OHTG have been lobbying for. Sadly, this morning on Radio nan Gaidheal I learnt two things:

The first, via an interview given by MSP Alasdair Allan, was that the Government intend amending the Motion and presenting the case for a 50 per cent increase as “major progress”. In so doing, ignoring the case you and the Comhairle have made for a moratorium until after the analysis is carried out. This illustrates what some of our political representatives have been doing, fobbing us all off with platitudes and doing Edinburgh’s bidding. And what can I say about the embarrassment of a letter from our MSP to Keith Brown that you copied us into last night…..

The second, more alarming thing I learnt was that certain BBC employees will faithfully use propaganda from the SNP as if it were truth. Today the gaelic presenter Shona Henderson said, and I translate “…the Labour Party had campaigned against RET….” This is a bare faced untruth for which no evidence exists. But it does exist in the lexicon of SNP propaganda and is now repeated by a few in the BBC. Sadly from past experience I know it’s pointless to call the Gaelic department of the BBC in Inverness – because they are always right and are incapable of error.

Incidentally – Norman MacAskill did, despite Ms Henderson’s best efforts, convey exactly what the OHTG stands for and more importantly what all reasonable people in the islands want. Keep up the good work and do not allow those that are opposed to commonsense prevailing to turn this critical issue into a “them versus us “ political football.

Regards,

DJ Macsween

Latest interview about the South Uist whales on Saturday 3.30pm

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Dave Jarvis of British Divers Marine Life Rescue tells Iain Maciver that the Uist whales may only have been in Loch Carnan for a feed of octopus. Now they have had a good scoff and a burp, they are off again.

No Gaelic programmes on isles’ new DAB service

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THE BBC has admitted that Gaelic programmes will not be broadcast on its new digital radio service which has just launched in the Western Isles.

Islanders who bought new hi-tech radios for the start of the new Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) service have been mystified by the absence of Gaelic programmes and Radio Scotland, both of which are broadcast on digital elsewhere.

Although the government plans to switch over all services to DAB in 2015, Gaelic programmes will remain on obsolete FM for the foreseeable future even though radio manufacturers are due to stop making FM sets.

The new digital service, broadcast from the island’s main mast at Achmore on Lewis, carries 13 BBC stations including the Asian Network and the World Service. None of the Gaelic programmes made at the BBC studios in Stornoway and elsewhere in Scotland will be on the digital service.

The switch-on of the new service on March 22 happened with no fanfare or media announcements. A BBC insider explained: “Most people up here don’t know there are DAB broadcasts available in the Western Isles. There has been no announcement. The managers and editors of Radio nan Gàidheal were too embarrassed that their service had been dumped.”

After earlier rumours that engineers simply forgot to include Radio nan Gàidheal, as the Gaelic service is known, and Radio Scotland, the BBC eventually admitted there are no plans for any Scottish programming on DAB in the islands.

A BBC spokesman explained that because of an agreement with regulator Ofcom, both Scottish stations have to be carried on the commercial multiplexes rather than the public service multiplexes.
“Such coverage is, consequently, dependent on the commercial operators’ development plans and where the commercial multiplexes are sited.”

He said the recently-installed DAB multiplex on Lewis will provide access to the BBC network radio services. Thy are Radios 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5Live, as well as the six digital-only national stations – 1Xtra, 4 Extra, 6Music, 5Live Extra, World Service and the Asian Network.

Radio Scotland and Radio nan Gàidheal are available on DAB elsewhere in Scotland.  That’s where commercial multiplex owners have developed services and, for commercial reasons, these tend to be in and around the main population centres.

The spokesman added: “Unfortunately, no commercial multiplex currently covers Lewis; consequently, Radio Scotland and Radio nan Gàidheal are not available there on DAB.
“Both are available, across Scotland, on analogue radio (FM and MW), as well as via cable and satellite and we are continuing to strive to improve viewer and listener access to the full range of BBC programmes and content.”

Ofcom yesterday confirmed that BBC non-network radio services – those available in parts of the country  but not across the whole of the UK – are carried on commercial multiplexes licensed by Ofcom.

It said: “Currently Ofcom has no plans to advertise any new local multiplex licences given the discussions that are currently taking place with the UK Government and the radio industry regarding the migration of FM services to DAB, and the fact that a number of local multiplex licences previously awarded by Ofcom have still yet to launch.”

He insisted there were no plans to switch off any FM services, particularly if they are not also available via DAB. Radio Scotland and Radio nan Gàidheal would continue to be available to listeners only on FM frequencies.

Comunn na Gaidhlig chief executive Donald Macneil said: “This doesn’t make much practical sense, allowing an increase in DAB radio services, but excluding Gaelic programming in the language’s heartland. We would hope that this could be reconsidered and a more appropriate mix of programming could be made available in the area.”

Western Isles MP Angus Macneil, a former BBC Gaelic broadcaster himself, confirmed he was aware of the situation. He added: “I am going back to the BBC on the matter and am asking them for further clarification on this issue.”

Comedy on BBC Gaelic radio

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NEW SATIRICAL COMEDY REACHES THE AIRWAVES OF BBC RADIO NAN GÀIDHEAL

Radio nan Gàidheal, the BBC’s national Gaelic network, is launching a new half-hour satirical comedy show to be broadcast on Fridays for six weeks, with a second series planned for later in the year. ‘Dè Do Naidheachd’, funded by MG ALBA, is a news-based panel quiz in which two teams battle for laughs as well as points and will be presented by photographer, artist and broadcaster Calum Angus MacKay.

Murdo Angus MacLeod,  the show’s producer and former Scotland on Sunday Political Correspondent said: “There is a rich seam of distinctive Gaelic comedy which we are going to make use of to get people laughing. We will also have a few surprises for the audience by introducing new talent both on-air and in the script-writing team. Author Catriona Lexy Campbell will be the chief scriptwriter with some aspiring young writers joining the production team. The comedy will be no-holds-barred and for the avoidance of doubt, there are various ways of saying ‘allegedly’ in Gaelic.”

MG ALBA Editor Margaret Cameron said:  “Radio has a long history of developing comedy talent and we’re delighted to be working with Radio nan Gaidheal to further develop and expand our talent base while offering our audience quality entertainment at the same time.”

The show will be recorded in front of a live audience in Stornoway starting Thursday 12 May at 5:45pm.

The first programme is scheduled to be transmitted on Friday 13 May at 5:30pm and with a chance to catch it again on Saturday morning at 10.00am.

For more details about being part of the audience, please call BBC Radio nan Gàidheal on 01851 705000.

Muriel Gray versus a TV crew from Taiwan

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This is the radio interview I did with the wonderfully unflappable Scottish writer and broadcaster, Muriel Gray.  It is not technically perfect. That is not just down to my incompetence this time because a TV crew from Taiwan came and began setting up for their interviews beside us.
Muriel was great. Towards the end of our chat, I was much too flirty and too cheeky to her but she dealt with it with her usual aplomb and good grace. Muriel, thank you.