[peel] Digest Number 225

[Stuart McHugh]

>Seems Andy Kershaw's contract came up for renewal. He was offered a
>three month contract, after that he was to be replaced by a dance music
>show. So he resigned.
>
>Public service broadcasting, don't you just love it

With all the talk about music coming in cycles  - can't remember how many
years, but the theory that a pattern mapped by punk, then Madchester, then
aci-eed house, implied that there was something due any time now to kick
the music industry up the arse... where was I - ah yes, get the feeling
that we're back in 1975 again? Not just the staleness of the music, but the
dj's - R1 took pride in their pogrom of DLT and Bates and pals and all
those 'jokes' about how DT didn't actually own any records and the obvious
fact that they were all more bothered about the cults of their own
personalities than the music.
And what do we have now? Personality (read: ego)-driven shows like Sarah
Cox, and Chris Moyles, and even the dance dj's who although they might have
some interest in playing records are surely more interested in everyone
having a bangin' time than the specifics of the music and artists. And as
for Dave Pearce... and fake black boy presenters like Jules and Tong... and
employing the likes of the Dream Team sounds like, to me at least, the
age-old equivalent of your dad popping his head round the door and saying
"that's got a good beat"... and the truly desperate attempts of Jo Whylie
to become famous and her latest attempted makeover into sex-kitten on her
telly show.

Anyone else yearning for the Hairy Cornflake?

S