Big voices in Irish broadcasting
I tune into Newstalk 106-108 expecting to hear one of the biggest voices in Irish media.
George Hook, I am your fan. You have magnificent presence, excellent good manners and an intelligent turn of mind whenever you are running your radio programme.
Instead of George, I find another enormous voice, Kevin Myers. Kevin is a writer with a huge personality. A fine prose warrior, a powerful broadcaster (meaning one-way expresser of opinion), a slayer of holy cows whenever he is read.
As a radio host I find him hesitant, limp and awkward. It’s the first time I’ve heard him run a radio programme. I expect he’ll grow in confidence and fluency, but for me Kevin serves to highlight how superb George is.
Who should pop up with a comment texted in to the show but J L Pagano. J L P wondered whether he was suffering with concussion, as if he’d woken in a dream… It was good to hear JLP’s name, and disappointing to hear Kevin respond by wondering whether "Pagano" was Italian for rustic.
Up until the surprising discovery that George had been substituted, I’d been finding it hard to understand how I’d ever been able to have a flow of opinions and give expression to them. Suddenly I had an opinion about Kevin and a flow of confidence to support it. The day got better.
And I’m left wondering what others thought of Kevin Myers instead of George Hook?
George was there yesterday, I listened to him talk about learning to dive and how he intends learning to surf (his travel programme on Tuesdays is unmissable). I think he’s only gone for a day?
Comment by aquaasho — May 28, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
Myers is infuriating, up his own backside, snotty-nosed, over-opinionated…all reasons why I would be delighted to hear of him taking up a regular spot on Newstalk, though hopefully not at the expense of the irrepressible George.
When I switched on the radio this evening I heard Myers talking about sexual preferences of Irish voters of all things, so I sent in the following…
“Am I suffering from concussion? Or do i hear Kevin Myers’ dulcet tones emanating from George Hook’s airwaves talking about private parts??? JL Pagano, Dublin”
Myers edited as he recited the text, but he got the gist, and as you say, he then proceeded to provide me with a literal translation of my nom de plume, which does indeed mean “settler from an outlying village”, though I tend to lean towards the alternative definition of “heathen”
I actually consider a rebuke from Myers, however trivial, quite an honour.
Comment by JL Pagano — May 28, 2008 @ 7:03 pm
What? Do I get no credit for wheting your appetite for Newstalk with all my celebratory posts before that station went national?
;-)
Paige
Comment by blankpaige — June 29, 2008 @ 9:56 am