CLASSIC FM WORK EXPERIENCE

I’ve just spent a very interesting week working at Classic FM in Leicester Square, which was a great experience as it’s probably my favourite radio station and often gets me through the night when work starts to pile up. To give you the background - it used to be part of GCap until this was bought out by Global Radio last year, and now it’s based at Global’s London offices amongst other stations XFM, Capital, Choice, LBC, Gold and Heart - which certainly makes for an interesting diversity of sounds as you wander through the building! I was working primarily in production, which involved a variety of tasks such as implementing show schedules, cutting audio and responding to listener enquiries. I also met Boris Johnson on the stairs.

I’ve worked at a variety of radio stations in the past including BBC Essex, LBC and Premier Christian Radio, but Classic FM was the first one I’ve worked for which is primarily focussed on music, not speech. The average listener profile of Classic is easy to tell by listening to the station by the adverts - mentions of Waitrose and RHS Garden Wisley, and a significant lack of Poundland. Much of Classic FM’s audience comes from the ABC1 socio-economic group, which could be seen as a Radio 4 audience, so it means Classic FM is the only radio station some advertisers have to reach a high-end market. With 5.7m listeners, it’s well worth buying some airtime.

I learnt that the unfortunate inclusion of “118 212 - Maureen, oooh she’s cheap” adverts after every morning bulletin is unavoidable due to an agreement with IRN (Independent Radio News) - now operated by Sky News - which mean you must carry IRN’s own adverts if you want to use their audio clips during bulletins and news wires service. Make sure you listen to Classic FM at around three minutes past the hour, just to hear the newsreader say in a posh accent: “It’s three minutes past eight” - then -“Oooh she’s cheap” - then posh accent again - “And the weather - patchy cloud in places...” Absolutely brilliant and always guaranteed a laugh.

Anyway, ‘back to the music’ and a little more about what I was doing there. Like many other radio stations, Classic FM’s music schedule operates through the programme RCS Selector, and I received much tuition from a very helpful music team in how to operate this system. I was soon able to schedule a few weeks of The Full Works show, find potential music clashes, and cut and process audio. Because I love classical music, this was really good fun and I very much enjoyed myself. I got to meet most of the main presenters, such as Jamie Crick, Mark Forrest, Anne-Marie Minhall and John Brunning, and was able to talk to them about the station, what they enjoy about working there, and how they started out.

The station is run by a small group of people considering the size of its audience, but they work well as a close-knit team, and it felt calm throughout the whole week - maybe helped by the fact they had Classic FM on the radio all the time! Just one final thing to tell you about - I was handling some listener enquiries, and one elderly woman wrote to say: ‘The youth of today listen to such tripe which is why I’ll stick with your station’. I replied: ‘You may be interested to hear that many students listen to Classic FM whilst working - so they’re not all bad.’

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James O’Brien v Frank Lampard was a battle I never thought we would ever hear on the airwaves. But in a move that probably made Lampard’s agent have kittens when she heard about it, the Chelsea midfielder responded directly to LBC after he was told by his tearful sister that O’Brien was accusing him of letting down his kids. This came after his ex-fiancee Elen Rives said he was living in his £8.5m home whilst she was in a small flat with their two children. Lampard phoned up to have a go at O’Brien for insinuating he was a bad parent, and it made for some fascinating audio [listen here: http://mediaweb.musicradio.com/player/default.asp?s=82&e=89636].

I can say more about this story than most, because I actually worked with O’Brien when I was on a placement at LBC last Easter, helping produce his show and taking calls. He has got lots of stick in the media over the weekend for his style of presenting, but having worked with him, I think he’s great at provoking debate and is a nice guy off air too. Kay Burley’s interview with O’Brien shortly after on Sky News did not treat him with enough respect, in my opinion, and I think his exchange with Lampard should be upheld as a piece of brilliant journalism. It’s not everyday that a major celebrity feels like he has to have his say to the extent of phoning-in to a radio show, so well done to Lampard for sticking up for himself - and well done to O’Brien for a brilliant show.

STANDING UP FOR THE OLD BILL

A few weeks ago I posted a Facebook status update saying I wanted to "protest against the G20 protestors - go home and stop wasting police time". Within 90 minutes there were 26 comments on my wall. Almost all of these were in support of my feelings, and the amount of posts convinced me that there are many people out there who don't like protestors very much. I don't think the police like protestors very much either. But while this is no excuse for unidentified police hitting innocent people, I think we're starting to victimise them.

The police have been grouped into one big mob by much of the media, and are being excused of unjustifiable tactics of 'kettling' and the like. But the majority of policeman were at the G20 protests with one aim - to try and keep the peace and protect the public. It seems that a few let their emotions get the better of them and strike down protestors unnecessarily, but that should not be a call for us to push for a radical overhaul of the policing system. If you compare the Metropolitan Police to the forces in other countries, we are very fortunate to be so well protected. High-profile policemen are resigning because they held a secret document the wrong way up (Bob Quick), and because a suspected terrorist was unfortunately shot dead (Ian Blair). This is not a cause for concern in relative terms! But it is correct that the IPCC should investigate how the G20 protests were controlled, and how the police can do a better job in the future. I just don't think we should be panicking...

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I've just started work experience at Classic FM this week, and I will be reporting more about that next week - but I had a great first day today! However I was on a different radio station at lunchtime, after BBC Essex called me as they wanted to interview me about the rising problems with student debt. You can listen on 0h44m30s at http://tinyurl.com/d6lwmv. I was asked whether I thought university was still worth it and about the problems of graduating in a recession, so it makes for interesting listening! My basic response was that even though you graduate with mounds of debt, it's much better to do that and then make it up in the long term when you earn higher wages as a result of obtaining a top degree.

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In other news, The Guardian ran a story today about the lack of jobs in the media for graduates, but I think this could be a blessing in disguise. There are lots of nonsense courses at lesser universities out there for people who want to get into journalism or the media. However if there are fewer jobs in the future, then hopefully universities will stop running doss 'media studies' courses that offer little chance of a good job. By studing journalism practically at a top university, you are taught how to be a good journalist, and leave fully qualified and ready to go. By cutting out these 'lesser' degrees, we might ensure that only people who really want to get into journalism and the media go to the top universities and get the jobs everyone wants.

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I've just returned from a great holiday with the family in Barcelona, where we visited various sites such as Parc Guelle and Camp Nou, and also made the journey to local Catalan towns Tarragona and Sitges. Barcelona is such a vibrant and cultural city, and we've been out there four times in the last 10 years as we have relatives who live just outside in Corbera.

Anyway, enough about the holiday - "Mes que un club", as they say at Camp Nou. I thought Newcastle fans were mental about their football club, but in Catalunya it's even more crazy. Barcelona have currently got one of the most exciting players in the world, Lionel Messi. This guy is just so good that it seems his feet are constantly glued to the ball and no player has a chance to take it off him. He sums up what is beautiful about football, and I sincerely hope that Chelsea get humbled in the forthcoming Champions League semi-final by the skill of their opponents. Barça are what football was invented for.

A FUZZY FUTURE SIGNAL?

It's not looking good for commercial radio. In the Sony Radio Academy Awards 2009, over two-thirds of nominations are for BBC stations, in a competition which traditionally recognises commercial talent. But it seems the BBC, which hold over 60% market share of listeners nationwide across a plethora of stations, have had a good year (once you take out the Brand/Ross/Sachs affair). But whilst it should be praised for producing quality programming and justifying licence fee payers' money, this will always be at the expense of commercial stations. They do need a strong competitor, but are clearly not doing enough good work themselves according to these award nominations. You could blame the credit crunch hitting advertising revenues and budgets, but radio is all about ideas and personalities - and that is what seems to be lacking. It's good for Absolute Radio that it is up for seven awards, but that's the only silver lining in an otherwise cloudy picture. Hopefully Classic FM will pick up some gongs too - as I'm there on work experience next week!

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I'm back home for Easter at the moment from the University of Sheffield and it's given me some time to think about the north and south. I write about the divide quite a lot on my blog, but it would be true to say I didn't even know it existed until I ventured into Yorkshire a few years ago! Most people in the north just don't seem to like southerners. To be honest, I don't mind northerners at all - and it's been an eye opening experience to meet so many of them. But I've always prefered the south. Maybe it's just because things are more expensive and the people don't talk to you, therefore you can feel richer without actually being rich down south - and you can get your newspaper read in peace on the train! I can't believe how many people start having a random chat with me on a bus or tram in Sheffield. I've been brought up in a London culture where it's more polite to ignore someone on the tube - in fact, that was probably the reason why the Metro newspaper was invented. So please just let me read! Sorry for being so rude - I do like a good Yorkshire pudding, so it's not all bad.

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You might notice I'm writing this blog on a Bank Holiday Monday before 6am - how is that for committment?! Well it's not as if I had anything better to do, but it is Easter and I wanted to remind both readers and myself of the importance of this festival. The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, got it spot on yesterday when saying football matches should not be played on Easter Sunday - it's a day of even more importance for Christians than Christmas Day, and it's not as if we'd all sit down as a family on December 25th to watch Sky Sports live. But aside from sports scheduling, Easter is a good time to have a fresh/new start in life - even more so than New Year - as that is exactly what an egg symbolises, and what the power of the cross represents at this time of year.

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I have just finished watching the first series of Skins and must say it's one of the best dramas I've ever seen. To explain, it basically charts the life and interwinding relationships of a group of sixth-formers, by concentrating on a different character in each episode. It's incredibly well scripted and directed, as you really feel part of the action and storylines, so I would say it's highly recommend viewing. Channel 4 have produced a gem here - and it looks like the new series of The Inbetweeners, a similar drama of E4 with slightly more comedy and fun involved, will also be a success. I'm pleased to see the UK's 'alternative' and 'edgy' broadcaster producing some exceptionally good drama. Long may it continue!

ON THE FRONT PAGE

I was rather surprised to receive a text last Friday morning from a friend saying: "Just spotted your picture on the uni home page - very nice". Instantly I rush to http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ and find that yes, indeed, I am on the University of Sheffield homepage. How embarrassing. Regular readers of my blog may remember when I was doing a prospectus photoshoot last November (click here). Well, it was that picture [right] that made it online! I received dozens of texts and emails from friends, saying "have you seen it yet?", and it was quite exciting to have all the attention really. One of my work colleagues said that I looked like a Lord of the Rings gatekeeper. Thanks for that, Rob.

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My mother received a call last week from the Daily Telegraph asking if we wanted to subscribe for a period at a price of 60p off each issue. She told me that this is because everyone's reading newspapers online (Strike 1). I bought a copy of the Yorkshire Post a few weeks ago in between two lectures, and my friend asked me why I didn't just read their website for free and save 50p (Strike 2). I see the Daily Star is now often dedicating more front-page space to the fact that it's cheaper than The Sun and the News of the World, than its lead story (Strike 3).

There has been enough written about the decline of newspapers, especially local, so I don't want to go into that. But I just don't like reading news online. I love to sit down with a newspaper and flick through it, reading some articles and skimming others of less interest. There's no substitute for this online. Yes, you might be able to get your news quicker and that's certainly a good thing, but am I alone in enjoying the daily idea of sitting down and reading a newspaper? I hope not. Show your support for the printed newspaper!

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There was a fascinating article in The Independent today on an Financial Services Authority investigation into "a series of insider dealing scams" on the stock market recently (click here). The basics of it are that people with insider knowledge of imminent company mergers or takeovers are buying shares cheap, then watching the price rise as everyone else purchases them, and then selling them at a profit. This is clearly unethical trading as the insiders have an unfair advantage on everyone else. I put a lot of effort into my own investments in shares, so I don't like to see others making bigger profits just because they know the right people. But I suppose that's just tough luck for me.

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Alan Shearer is back at Newcastle United, which is something I'm very pleased about. But the big question is, can the former Number 9 revitalise a struggling side who have one just one game since Christmas, and help them avoid the drop into the Championship? I'm pretty confident that the 'Shearer bounce' effect will have a huge impact on the players and fans, as his presence in itself around the training ground and dressing room is enough to motivate the team. However it's looking increasingly likely that time is running out for the Toon Army, and that the Geordies should starting looking at directions to Peterborough and Blackpool, not Manchester or Liverpool anymore. It's very upsetting to see the demise of such a great club, but maybe going down would give them the chance to completely rebuild the team and come back stronger. It happened to West Ham United, and they are in a much better position now.

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Many thanks to all those currently viewing my blog. It's great fun writing it, and the fact I'm getting over 120 hits a week shows that you like it too, so I'm pleased! And if you're one of the readers from India, Cyprus or Canada, please let me know - it's good to hear that I'm getting international exposure, according to Google Analytics...

X-RATED EXPENSES

Whatever Jacqui Smith's husband was getting up to when she was away, the Home Secretary was always going to find out. But Richard Timney probably didn't want it to happen like this - revealing his midnight Television X expenses [right] in a Sunday newspaper. The secret is out, and well done to the Sunday Express - a paper I often criticise for its boring content and abundance of errors - for a quality piece of investigative journalism. Expenses have been exposed as a rather murky world amongst politicians over the last year, and this is just another example that could not be more embarrassing for everyone involved. The government spending our money on banks is a strange enough concept, but the idea that taxpayers are funding Mr Timney's pornography habits is quite bizarre.

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More than half of Britons think the countryside is boring, according to a Travelodge survey. This is a great shame - I live in an urban town back home (Leigh-on-Sea) and a very urban city at university (Sheffield), so it's nice to get away to the countryside every now and again. But we seem so obsessed in this country with going abroad to a sunspot, that hopefully this summer people will stay in the UK because of the credit crunch, and go to a nice little country cottage. Unlikely, however, when easyJet and Ryan Air can get people to some tacky Spanish resort for a fiver, and they'll end up drinking until dawn with exactly the sort of people they'll find on a Saturday night back home. Well, if that's your choice, then so be it - but I was once told holidays were for relaxing, so surely Herefordshire is a better idea than Mallorca then.

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I think I got an A* in GCSE Science primarily because I found I was reasonably good at remembering lots of facts and regurgitating them in an exam. I can hardly remember anything I was taught, and if I had to sit the paper again tomorrow, I would probably struggle to even pass it. So I was pleased to hear Andrew Baker, the headteacher from my secondary school and sixth form, Westcliff High School for Boys, say: "I think that some of the papers in science do not adequately challenge more able pupils. I am sorry the interests of those pupils have not been fully reflected in the exam system, and not for the first time." However isn't this the case across many other subjects as well? I could list Maths, Geography and Business Studies for starters as subjects which were designed to prepare you for an exam and not much else. Things need to change in exams, and the government's got to sort it out soon.

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So there we were - five of us armed with cans of Strongbow in a friend's bedroom with a laptop each. Reading Festival 2009 here we go! Well I hope so, as long as a) my friend's credit card can handle it before I pay him back tomorrow; b) the confirmation screen we saw was actually real; c) the tickets don't get lost in the post; d) it doesn't get cancelled because of the rain; and e) we weren't duped. I don't want to end up on eBay and pay an extra £100 than I wanted to, in order to get in! Buying tickets is a stressful business at the best of times, but this is ridiculous. How can so many people want to spend £175 on spending a few days camping out in a Berkshire field? The answer: Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy, Maximo Park, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Radiohead... the list goes on. It's going to be a great summer.

FOR WANT OF A GREASY CHIP BUTTY

When I decided to study at the University of Sheffield, I didn't imagine there would be many southerners here. After all, I thought most people stayed reasonably near to their hometown. Apparently not. I recently put in a Freedom of Information request on admissions data as part of my work with Forge Press (the University's student newspaper), and discovered that over a third of Sheffield students from England come from the south [see graphic, right, for proportions]. Read more here: http://www.forgetoday.com/default.asp?contentid=403 Another third come from Yorkshire, with the last third obviously coming from the rest of the north. The proportion of southeners is growing too, increasing by 15 per cent over the last three years. So why do southerners like to study in the north?

One of my friends from Exeter said it's because the north is cheaper and there are bigger cities which are more set-up for students. Another one from Southampton mentioned that there's a good mix of students from the north and south - although the middle-class limitations of universities mean you don't meet many 'raw' northerners (don't worry though, you just need to pop down to Sheffield Magistrates Court if you want to meet some of them!). I've certainly found it an eye-opening experience to study in the north. To be honest, my hometown, Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, makes Sheffield look depressed - then I visited Barnsley and Rotherham, which could best be described as even worse! So I suppose living in Yorkshire has made me appreciate what I've got back home in the south, and I simply wouldn't have got that experience going to London or Oxbridge to study.

This may be completely wrong, but I expect lots of other southern students headed up north just to experience a different culture. I could never see myself staying around in Yorkshire after graduation because I've got much better prospects living back home in the London commuter belt, and feel that I come from a much nicer area. But Sheffield is a brilliant place to study, and the locals certainly make you feel welcome wherever you come from. I've met people from every county across the country here from various backgrounds, which has opened up my eyes somewhat to the world around me! That's just the sort of experience you often miss out on if you're a southerner and stay in your protective southern bubble. The north/south divide still exists for all to see, but at least I've now had a taste of both sides of the border...

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"The credit crunch is having a big effect on shoppers," said comedian Andy Parsons at Southend's Palace Theatre on Saturday evening. "Those who shopped at Waitrose are now going to Asda; those who shopped at Asda are going to Lidl; and those who shopped at Lidl are rummaging around in dustbins." It seems that supermarkets are a good indicator of your social standing, which is somewhat reminiscent of The Two Ronnies famous sketch 'Three Men on Class' ("I look down on them because I'm upper class" / "I look up to him but I look down on him because I'm middle class" / "I know my place").

It seems that Waitrose prides itself on being a posh brand - sponsoring Reading FC, known as 'The Royals', and some Classic FM programming. Tesco and Asda, however, will put money-off vouchers in the pages of the Daily Star and News of the World. But they've all done much to bridge the gap - for example, Waitrose are launching an 'Essentials' range; and you can often buy 'Tesco Finest' for a little extra charge. These are most probably equivalent products, although John Lewis doesn't have to panic yet - there will always be people who shop in certain stores as that's where they feel they belong.

When I walk into a big Tesco near where I live in Sheffield, it's full of chavs and teen mums - but in Canary Wharf Waitrose it's a whole different story. I'm not sure where I belong - I'm certainly not a bonus-taking banker, but then again I don't hang out on park benches drinking Corona quite yet. Supermarkets like Tesco are trying to attract as many customers as possible from across the socio-economic spectrum, whereas Waitrose are maintaining their highbrow image. Whoever said the class system was dead and buried in this country?

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I often get abuse from friends who argue that supporting three football clubs just isn't right. To explain, I began following Newcastle United in 1996 in the aftermath of Alan Shearer's great performances at the European Championships in England. Then I began going to watch my local club, Southend United, with my grandpa around 10 years ago. And over the last year I have seen quite a few Sheffield United games, simply because it's a local club that's cheap to watch and plays good football - in fact, I've seen the Blades more times in my life now than Newcastle!

My three clubs have all avoided each other in the cups for the last few years and have been in different leagues. But with Newcastle currently in 18th place in the Premier League, Sheffield United 4th in the Championship, and Southend 9th in League One, they could all end up playing each other in the league next season (or not at all)! I've often been asked who I would support if my clubs played against each other, and my answer is simple: the underdog.

Now I've been following Southend and Newcastle for some time, I know what it's like to support a side who you hold no hope in - and then they go and beat Manchester United or something. That's what football is all about. I suppose I'm a football addict to some extent - I just love watching live matches (I've seen around 35 already this season) and have a passion for the beautiful game. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?

FORGET PRICES - WE NEED A CULTURE CHANGE

I don’t like paying more than £2 for a pint of beer - it just doesn’t seem right. In a supermarket, it’s obviously much cheaper, but I rarely buy alcohol in Tesco because I’ll usually go out to a pub/bar with friends rather than pick up a can of Fosters and drink it at home. The one exception I remember was just before Sheffield Wednesday v Sheffield United last October, when I found myself outside a Hillsborough off-licence drinking a can of Carling on a street corner and thought this is it - I am definitely a student now.

But when the government announced it was considering plans to introduce minimum alcohol prices, my heart sank. Why penalise the people who drink to socialise rather than drink for the sake of it? And also why penalise the poor who can’t afford the major brands so buy the cheaper ones instead? In France you can often buy eight bottles of beer for the same price as one in the UK, and our binge drinking problem is much worse than theirs. A culture change is what’s required - it’s nothing to do with the price.

I was on a train on Saturday evening between Worcester and Birmingham, and a group of youths got on, obviously drunk off their heads and it made me laugh when they tried to buy an under-16 ticket from the conductor - slightly contradictory, perhaps! Anyway, I thought to myself if you put up the minimum price of alcohol then that will not stop them - they’ll just ask their parents for more money. The youth culture in E4’s Skins might make for an entertaining programme and interesting case study, but the portrayal of alcohol as being a sexy and rebellious thing is the route cause of the problem - that’s what needs to change.

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On Saturday I picked up a copy of The Sun someone had left behind on a London Midland train and was shocked to see a picture of my former school in an article about a radical Muslim! I attended Westcliff High School for Boys in Southend-on-Sea, Essex [right], for seven years, just like Maajid Nawaz. But the most radical person I ever met there was either the Year 7 lad who circulated pornography around the classroom one day, or maybe the Year 11 who threw a flour-bomb at the deputy headmaster.

This isn’t a patch on Mr Nawaz, who got involved in radical group Hizb ut-Tahrir, even though most of his friends (like mine) were "white and middle class" and "supported Liverpool". Fortunately he reformed in time and is now speaking out about the dangers of fundamentalism: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/article2319070.ece I remember his mother coming to speak in assembly a few years ago when he was in an Egyptian prison for belonging to a banned political party. I specifically recall that assembly because I remember her mobile phone going off whilst she was being introduced, which was most amusing.

Anyway, she talked to us about the former Westcliff pupil and how he was being allegedly badly treated in prison, and asked us if we could pray for him and remember him. She broke down in tears at the time, and it was one of the most emotional assemblies I’ve certainly ever seen someone give. But not to worry as he is out of prison now and has turned from his bad ways. All’s well that ends well. Lesson learnt: don't annoy the Egyptians - next time you might be mummified.

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Eight wins in ten games and only five goals conceded. Not bad in my eyes. But with only 14 goals scored in that time, it shows Southend United are a team building from the back. The arrival of striker Theo Robinson from Watford and Dorian Dervitte from Tottenham Hotpsur at the end of January on loan have transformed the side by injecting it with someone who can score goals and someone else who can defend to avoid conceding goals. It might seem pretty simple, but the previous ten leagues games up to the current run comprised of one win, two draws and seven defeats - so it would be accurate to say there’s been a change of form!

This just goes to show how important the loan market is to Football League managers at the moment. So far this season, Southend manager Steve Tilson has brought in some fantastic young loanees from the likes of Chelsea, West Ham and Portsmouth, and they have helped the side shoot up the league when they’ve been here. The obvious problem is that they will most probably leave never to be seen again, and then you have gaps to fill. This seems to have been the problem between November and January this season, and could cost us a play-off place. But with four points to make up in nine games, even if we don’t make it into the top six, at least it’s a bit more exciting. However, I’m not looking forward to totting up my total football expenses at the end of the season - as I believe it may already be over £500... oh dear. Ah well, at least I’m enjoying myself. (By the way, I also have no idea what the footballer/pilot in this picture is doing, but at least he's enjoying himself too - that's what it's all about really.)