The NEW Central West and BBC Midlands thread

Llew was still presenting last week... as for Yvonne not seen her lately neither Arti.

I know, who would have thought our very own Ed Doolan has a great collection of off air audios? Great stuff.

Arti HAS left.

Anyone listened / Listen Again to Ed Doolan's Xmas Show broadcast today?

There was a technical problem at the start of the show, which meant a bit extra Flupton while things were sorted out.

Oh & it's now 'Grandad' Nick Owen, courtesy of son Tim whose partner produced a girl recently!

(Still listening at the mo via Listen Again, as work prefers music stations instead!)

was Doolan not coming from the Mailbox then?

The Christmas Show normally comes off site from Symphony Hall, apart from last year when it came from the refurbished Brum Town Hall.

It's basically a live audience of the great unwashed seeing their 'fave' WM presenters, along with local personalities (Carrott, Stent & Maclean etc) along with showcasing bits from the local pantos!

Anyone remember around 10 years ago, you actually saw more of WM in the community, than you do now.

It all seemed to stop when Keith Beech took over as managing editor.(Which reminds me, I must send him an email about this text problem I've been having!)

Bob Warman seems to of been off duties for rather a long time now a good couple of months

It seems that he has been quite ill but will we ever see him return to screens or are the rumours true that he has retired ?

I certainly hope not - it's hard to take the programme seriously these days where it seems like a kindergarten programme with presenters who look like they've only been out of short trousers for five minutes.

Nothing against them but Central has lost some excellent experience recently and it's beginning to show in the programme. Not just the presenters, that's not always their fault. But the journalists just don't live up to the usual high standard. It may have just been me being overly critical but after hearing what felt like a dozen clichés in one report without actually telling anyone the six W's and then a girl who sounded like a cat going down a plughole, I just had to switch off.

Midlands Today is hardly the last bastion of truth and investigation but I'd watch it over Central News any day now. Sad really because the programmes really gave each other a run for their money a few years ago but now ITV's offering pales into comparison which ultimately will mean the BBC won't have to try so hard.

Or more likely the BBC won't have to invest so much money to offer a better service than Central. More cuts at the Beeb on the way. Sad times.

Slight mistake from Nick on the 1025 last night.

'Newsnight is just starting on BBC 2'

Oops, no it isn't this week!

Richard Wilford sitting in for Flupton today at WM Breakfast ( & there was no Cayte Walker either, so half hourly Travel came from Trafficlink or whatever it's called, rather than in house!), but the team will be back for a Xmas Day special at 11am, so the schedule goes, 6am Tom Manners, 8am Doolan & Santa(probably one of his mates from the local Rotary!), then Flupton & co 11 till 1.

Apparantly WM & CWR are sharing from 2pm on Xmas Day, which also includes a Late Show too, according to the RT. All the other BBC East & West Mids stations are going to 5Live as early as 8pm tomorrow! Why not just share with WM, like CWR, or is there a technical reason?

Back to today at 1pm, it's back by 'popular demand' , Les Ross presents 'Vinyl Day 2'**, assisted by John Platt, who also gained a repeat of his 'Other Side Of'' between 12 & 1 today, as part of the Doolan show.

(** - or if you prefer Vinyl er, Day er!)

The Doolan show featured the retransmission of another of his Dads Army tapes, this time the 1968 Xmas With The Stars mini special which was lost for 40 years!

For all you Emma Jesson fans out there, she has announced she is going to do freelance work for ITV Central weather over 2009-- so not "bye-bye" from Gas Street just yet....