Earlier this year, I read ‘Yes Man’ by Danny Wallace. As is so often the case, the true story is ruined by Hollywood and you really do need to read the book to get the full sentiment. If you’ve not read it, the essence is simple. Say ‘Yes’ more. By doing so, you open yourself up to experiences you never would have…err…experienced.
Still with me?
No – me neither.
Radio Today’s weekly ramble arrived today. It was most brilliant . A passage within it was beautiful:
“…we also don’t want Ofcom …clamping down on our ability to try things. For the many great pieces of radio we’ve all heard, a few have to go wrong along the way”
How very right they are. As an industry, radio DOES need to try new things and to experiment. It needs to say yes…MORE! Otherwise, we’ll all spend four hours in a studio saying hello to ‘Ken in Uxbridge’ and saying the word fabulous too much. Sound familiar?!
But with experimentation and ‘say yes more’ comes the need for common sense. After all, I’ve never walked off a cliff. It’d be a new experience, and it’d make new and revolutionary radio. However, I’d wager money on the fact it’s not what a radio audience wants*. It’s also quite an irresponsible thing to do. By all means try new things, reinvent, revitalise, reinvigorate and re-everthingelse, but exercise a little caution whilst doing so.
My comments on the previous blog were not supposed to be a personal attack at Neal Veglio, the presenter in question. For what it’s worth, I know very little about him.** It’s simply that ‘Taste and Decency’ is something I hold as dear.
But, you know what? I’m glad we’ve had snog-gate***. It’s forced many of us to look at what we do, and to see whether we can do it any differently. It’s also brought me hate-mail for the first time in my career. Win.
*it is, however, what Neal Veglio would want.
**apart from the fact he executed the strap-line ‘Young, Gay, Fresh and Funky’ with enormous vigour
***his words, not mine.
