Off the Wire, the comedy news quiz programme on National Radio, is no more. Management advised yesterday that it won't be renewed. You don't want to moan about these things - decisions get made, people move on - but I would like to say that I enjoyed appearing on it for three years, that I met a lot of interesting people (and a few very strange ones) and that I learned a lot from working with comedians.
It's true what they say about timing. Phrasing makes a line funny, and learning a bit of it has made my public speaking better value. When the show went on the road it provided a welcome opportunity to drop in on places, like Napier and Nelson, I would otherwise have no call to visit (I have always seemed to be unavailable for Hamilton).
The show wasn't all that funny when it first began, with recordings in the Helen Young Studio; but on the road and at The Classic, there were moments that really cracked me up and, I hope, made people laugh at home with their radios. So cheers all round, and especially to the young men of the Downlow Concept, who produced it: Jarrod, Nigel and Ryan.
In other not-on-National-Radio-any-more news, I was disappointed when I heard that Tom Frewen's 'Today in Parliament' got the chop - but cheered to learn that Tom will now be doing something similar on Radio Live. I would like to think that both programmes will be replaced on NatRad by other actual programmes, but I guess it's more likely to be an extension of the endless vista of "integrated radio": ie, amiable hosts chatting to minor celebrities like myself.
But hey, I'm going to be back on 95bFM on Friday mornings. No, not to do a Hard News-style radio monologue - I think I used up my supply of those over 11 years - but just for a yarn with Wallace (and, I expect, Noelle) about the week in the news and on Public Address. So that's 8.15 tomorrow, with red-hot podcast action to follow.
Also, I've agreed to participate in the Third Annual Great Auckland Central Hero Debate, arguing in the affirmative the moot that "the straight line is godless and immoral". That should be funny. The debate is on February the 13th, 6pm at the Hopetoun Alpha. Tickets can be had here.
Meanwhile, as widely expected, Disney has acquired Pixar for $7.4 billion in stock, making Steve Jobs the largest individual shareholder in Disney and beckoning a cross-media synergy that should actually work. This is actually quite exciting. Blackfriars Blog explains what the acquisition means, AppleInsider has quotes from Steve and Disney CEO Bob Iger and CNet News tracks Steve's progress.
It made me think of the story I wrote for Unlimited in 1999, after a memorable trip to MacWorld New York, which offers background on the Apple Computer story and the return of Steve that you may find useful. (I always know where I can find that story in Google: I just search for "unmanageable stoner" … )
And, finally, in not-so-good news, Today in Iraq has been staggering lately. It's sort of the counterpart to Chrenkoff's Good News From Iraq, except it tends to point to actual news stories rather than press releases. Its 'Bring 'Em On' section has listed an average reported 25 killings (usually multiple), attacks and kidnappings in Iraq, per day, lately. There is neither the room, or the reader interest, to carry this kind of news load in conventional media. But that doesn't stop it happening.