Eddie Mair

[Richard Tarleton]

Judge for yourself...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMcjxSThD54

...what many men missed was how well Cathy Newman's questions challenged him, in a way that provoked or inspired his impressively clear articulacy of response ... if she'd been more agreeable or asked subtler questions, this could have been simply boring, just a platform... Peterson appreciated that, and both seemed to enjoy the set-to. There is an certain art in journalistic provocation.

Well, yes - I find the "what you're saying is..." type of question, followed by something which is either a gross oversimplification of what the person has just said, or not what they said at all, very irritatiing to listen to, and often a sign the interviewer has not processed what their subject has just said. It's not just Cathy Newman, by any means. Me, I prefer subtle

[gradus]

Judge for yourself...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMcjxSThD54

...what many men missed was how well Cathy Newman's questions challenged him, in a way that provoked or inspired his impressively clear articulacy of response ... if she'd been more agreeable or asked subtler questions, this could have been simply boring, just a platform... Peterson appreciated that, and both seemed to enjoy the set-to. There is an certain art in journalistic provocation.

An excellent interview/discussion. I think Cathy is heading for a first.

[Pianorak]

Well, yes - I find the "what you're saying is..." type of question, followed by something which is either a gross oversimplification of what the person has just said, or not what they said at all, very irritatiing to listen to, and often a sign the interviewer has not processed what their subject has just said. It's not just Cathy Newman, by any means. Me, I prefer subtle

Spot on! Couldn't agree more.

[kernelbogey]

I've just read the suggestion that he's moving to LBC. I can't imagine that I'll be making an effort to find that on the dial, even to follow Eddie. I suppose he is very much a radio, rather than television, person.

This move has been confirmed. Nor can I imagine tuning in to LBC (is it now available nationally?).

Eddie Mair has been a 'comforting tea-time' voice for me, over and above his many virtues as a broadcaster, widely praised above. His beautifully-judged interviews with Steve Hewlett and his famed encounter with Boris Johnson on the Andrew Marr tv show indicated impressive range and skill.

[DracoM]

LBC seems on the face of it to be a totally extraordinary move for a NATIONALLY known broadcaster.
Why do London only - or thereabouts - and forfeit national coverage?
Can listeners to LBC who know the media jungle better than me explain why Eddie Mair would move from BBC to LBC? Cui bono?

[kernelbogey]

LBC seems on the face of it to be a totally extraordinary move for a NATIONALLY known broadcaster.
Why do London only - or thereabouts - and forfeit national coverage?
Can listeners to LBC who know the media jungle better than me explain why Eddie Mair would move from BBC to LBC? Cui bono?

Reading the Wiki entry on LBC it appears that LBC now broadcasts nationally on DAB.

LBC London news is broadcast to the capital on MW and DAB.

So Eddie will have a potential national audience, although I can't imagine his programme would have the reach of PM.

I'm sorry he's moving.

[LMcD]

LBC seems on the face of it to be a totally extraordinary move for a NATIONALLY known broadcaster.
Why do London only - or thereabouts - and forfeit national coverage?
Can listeners to LBC who know the media jungle better than me explain why Eddie Mair would move from BBC to LBC? Cui bono?

LBC is available nationally on Freesat, Freeview and other platforms. I didn't realize it is a 'sister station' of Classic FM. Its weekly reach is slightly greater than that of Radio 3.

[gurnemanz]

I sometimes listened to LBC when I lived in London in the 70s. It had just started and made a refreshing change from the Beeb. I remember the excellent Peter Allen who later moved to the BBC. Like Draco I am somewhat mystified by his move to a local radio station.

[LMcD]

There aren't any 'local' stations any more, are there? While we were in Scotland recently, the only station I could pick up on my Sony Walkman radio while getting off to sleep was Dundee-based 'Heartland Radio', which I can also listen to back here in Suffolk if I choose to.
Nick Ferrari's skewering of Diane Abbott on the subject of policing costs was a national event, wouldn't you say?

[gurnemanz]

There aren't any 'local' stations any more, are there? While we were in Scotland recently, the only station I could pick up on my Sony Walkman radio while getting off to sleep was Dundee-based 'Heartland Radio', which I can also listen to back here in Suffolk if I choose to.
Nick Ferrari's skewering of Diane Abbott on the subject of policing costs was a national event, wouldn't you say?

What is BBC Wiltshire?

[LMcD]

What is BBC Wiltshire?

What I was trying to convey is that any station, including those broadcasting mainly to a local audience, is now also available nationally and internationally and therefore doesn't just broadcast locally.

[DracoM]

Yes, but...yes, but......erm.....I think you know what is implied by it?

[LMcD]

Yes, but...yes, but......erm.....I think you know what is implied by it?

Yes, indeed. However, LBC describes itself as 'a London-based national talk and phone-in station', which leads me to wonder whether Eddie Mair has in fact swapped a national audience for a local one.

[Lat-Literal]

Yes, indeed. However, LBC describes itself as 'a London-based national talk and phone-in station', which leads me to wonder whether Eddie Mair has in fact swapped a national audience for a local one.

LBC is part of the so called Global brand which also includes Heart, Smooth and Classic FM. The company was started and is run by Ashley Tabor, now 41, the son of Michael Tabor, who made his fortune through bookmaking, horse breeding and property. In the early days when Tabor was 31 it received money from his father, John Magnier, JP McManus and similar others. It bears no relation to the various versions of the station with that name in the 1980s which were for the most part disastrous and neither in my opinion have been in the same league as the LBC of the 1970s, the first commercial station in London, which was different in style from the other 18 ILR stations in the first tranche which were largely music based. While distinctive from BBC R4 it was a direct competitor to it in the capital. As you rightly say, the current LBC is London based but a couple of years ago it had a relaunch with much fanfare as a national station "Leading Britain's Conversation". That means it can be heard by various technological methods - Freeview, Freesat, DAB etc - in regions across the UK.

In the main, I would think it is the polar opposite to what Mair is known for at PM which is a certain way with innovation. It is deeply formulaic. Most presenters are expected to cover certain topics as phone in hosts - often over and over again - and in a specific house style. Several presenters have gone in the opposite direction because of its overt politicism and lack of scope for topic range. One example that springs to mind is Duncan Barkes who moved to BBC Radio London for greater scope to explore a range of matters in his own style. Perhaps the exception at LBC is Steve Allen in the hours before breakfast. He has long been able to do his own thing without these days the involvement of callers - much lighter and he is without question a "Marmite" broadcaster. He is the station's token survivor having been at the original version in 1979. Mair has a long standing admiration for Allen as a broadcaster. That may well partly explain the move. It is also true that LBC's early hours Scottish presenter Darren Adam has similarities with Mair, not least in voice, and has proven successful. I suppose it is just possible that Mair could ultimately take over from Allen if Allen's known health problems ever get the better of him. That would require a start of around 4am. But Allen, stoic, intends to be broadcasting on LBC come what may for the rest of his life and the recent death of his friend Dale Winton will have only made him all the more determined.

[gurnemanz]

Mention of "phone-in station" and "sister station of Classic FM" would not encourage me to tune in. When I read Lat's remarks I think of the shock jock approach. I assume Eddie will be able to resist the house style and do his own thing.