[RegTheHedge]

Originally Posted by clitheroe1

Clearly he is basing his broadcasting style on that of Nick Ferrari.

He worships Ferrari as some sort of broadcast deity

[Crawley Cutie]

Originally Posted by chinchin

LBC 97.3 Digital Spy Foamers’ League latest:

http://files.myopera.com/FOAMAR/STATS/lbc/?1340140172

As Martin began posting a year before me, I therefore win King Foamar status by a clear margin!

How could we choose ? You, chin, are the charmer - Martin, the Sexpot. . .......We have it all.

I didn't listen to JO'B - which, if Benefits was his main topic, was a wise decision.:Yesterday's drive time did it to death.

Afternoon to everyone - cloudy in Sussex.

[JoLuc]

Originally Posted by jack patterson

To be fair to Steve he is only a working tool.

How is he going to manage when he has to wear the same pair of socks twice!

[Ken Tun]

Originally Posted by clitheroe1

Clearly he is basing his broadcasting style on that of Nick Ferrari.

Even Ferrari doesn't first speak for 10 solid minutes to his own POV before an interview or a taking a caller.

[RegTheHedge]

Originally Posted by Crawley Cutie

I didn't listen to JO'B - which, if Benefits was his main topic, was a wise decision.:Yesterday's drive time did it to death.

(

There's that natural progression....

Ferrari introduces the news topic 'du jour '

passed onto OB and HB who strut their trotsky / obsessive talking stuff

...and on to Whale (or stand in)to do the grande finale

So there's like 9 hours of tortuous repetition before ID kicks in....

[Kiko H Fan]

Originally Posted by chinchin

I thought he was already in Brinsworth?

Steve doesn't qualify for Brinsworth. He's not in showbusiness.

[Natterlee]

Hi
Not listened to LBC in the day for a while since going back to work as I can't get it on the car radio in deepest Leicestershire...

As a rule I am not a fan of JHB- too right wing for my liking and critical of those who do not comply to her standards. She is going on about being long term unemployed atm and amazingly she is almost expressing sympathy for those unlucky enough to be in this position.

I speak from recent experience having had 19 month's of unemployment and being turned down for jobs as 'too experienced' or 'not enough experience in this field' to the extent that I had to downgrade a little to get me working again.

A caller said about 'living within your means'. I had little choice as I had £67.50 a week plus £18 council tax benefit- also a week. As I have no dependants, am single and have a mortgage that was the extent of my help from the DWP. I have worked in the public sector since leaving school in 1983 and have paid plenty of tax and NI so consider myself entitled to benefits- not scrounging them- when I was in a position to require them. I had no payout when I left my last job.

JC+ was a waste of time- they simply had no idea to help someone who is middle-aged (groan) and with a professional qualification and long work history. Didn't seem to fit into their boxes of being able to push into a factory or a workhouse job- not that I was even considered for these.

Amazingly I managed not to get repossessed as I paid 60% of my mortgage (remember I am in the Midlands not London) each month- which equated to about the same as my JSA. That left me with about £130 a month to pay my compulsory car insurance (no drive therefore have to keep it on the road, taxed, MoT etc) and compulsory TV licence. This left me with about £60 to pay everything else. Food expenditure was about £15 a month- fortunately I tend not to eat much and only then once a day.

During my time off I have developed two large gastric ulcers which I am now having continued treatment for and lost about a stone in weight worrying over things. It certainly was not a lifestyle choice being jobless and when I would hear well paid and employed LBC presenters going on about this and repeating ad infinitum the Daily Flail's offensive 'jobless, scrounging, thieving, idle, lazy, scumbag layabout' remarks and also allow callers to express this opinion without rebuttal then this would help my mental health no end- not.

I had to beg my mortgage company each month not to commence repossession orders against me- even to the extent of them leaving me feeling humiliated, undignified and in tears on the phone. It got to the stage in the end where I really could not care what they did anymore. There were times where I considered briefly lobbing myself in the river but this was only for a few brief moments as I did not want to die- only get a job. I tried to keep my mind active and keep up some normality in my life- but this was not always possible. I do not smoke, drink, have a contract mobile, broadband (had to go to a payg), was barely able to buy fuel for my car and don't have satellite or cable television.

I have come out the other side and am now working again. I like to think that I am a strong person mentally but being unemployed for the time I was very nearly cracked me up. It certainly is not a picnic or a lifestyle choice and until you have experienced yourself then you have no idea how demoralising and undignified it is. I was determined not to let them beat me but it was very very hard not to cave in at times. Thankfully I have a great mum who helped me enormously- without her I may not have made it.

Hopefully with his new report that LBC are featuring there can be a bit more sympathy and understanding for those struggling to manage whilst long term unemployed.

[Gildersleeve]

Natterlee, I hope all works out for you. I'd like to say that more sympathy would be shown by presenters on LBC and the callers who phone and the media in general but I doubt it's going to happen.

They all think because of the odd scrounger they find and splash across the newspapers and then follow it up on phone-ins that its great being on benefit, If I could come off tomorrow and not have to jump through the hoops to get what I do I would...but they are not just going after the unemployed but the genuinely ill and the private company they are using hasn't a good reputation. And the assessments are unfair as you are not allowed to take in any medical information from your consultant or Dr.

And when the changes come in next year, DLA is being scrapped, the replacement is going to be reduced by 20% and you have to be medically worse to get it. It does not take into account conditions that vary nor pain or fatique so a lot of people are worried what the future may bring...

[clitheroe1]

Originally Posted by Ken Tun

Even Ferrari doesn't first speak for 10 solid minutes to his own POV before an interview or a taking a caller.

No, but he'll give a soft interview to someone that agrees with his point of view to introduce a subject before taking calls (or an agressive interview with someone he disagrees with). He will then interupt and talk over callers who don't share his opinion. Contrast his style with Iain Dale who welcomes opinions that differ from his own.

[makeba72]

Originally Posted by Gildersleeve

a lot of people are worried what the future may bring...

There was a report in the Guardian about how many working people are now just 'one bill away' from disaster, scraping in terms of pennies, not pounds, each month.

LBC are like ostriches with their heads in the sand on many of these issues.

[Gildersleeve]

They may start to worry if the revenue takes a dip.
I heard about that Makeba72 but did not actually hear ir read the report. I think I'll see if I can look it up...

Well, it's been said that most jobs just pay the minimum wage so it has to be topped up by the Government, well that still means that the employer is let off from paying a decent wage and the Government/tax payer subsidises the wage trying to gt it up to what could be seen as a "Living Wage" something wrong there...

[jack patterson]

Originally Posted by JoLuc

How is he going to manage when he has to wear the same pair of socks twice!

heaven help anybody around him

[amyawake]

Originally Posted by jack patterson

To be fair to Steve he is only a working tool, you have to remember that the producer is the one that is suppose to freshen up the shows,guide the presenter and provide the info the listeners might be interested in.

Oh, I didn't realise this....but surely the presenter doesn't suggest that Vallen rambles on incessantly about shopping? Guess that's regarded as his choice....either that or the presenter should be sacked!!

[Natterlee]

Originally Posted by amyawake

Oh, I didn't realise this....but surely the presenter doesn't suggest that Vallen rambles on incessantly about shopping? Guess that's regarded as his choice....either that or the presenter should be sacked!!

I reckon I had a hard past 19 months but I am still not as bitter and jealous as Steve Allen appears to be. He should be grateful that he is still earning a salary based on what I have heard of him. I wonder how he would cope if he had real problems to worry about rather than the likes of Mark Wright (whoever he is but Allen is certainly not a fan ) or Cheryl (Cole) again another unimportant so-called celebrity.

Steve Allen can bitch more about absolutely nothing than when I was 15 and that is saying something.

[Crawley Cutie]

Jimmy Carr's tax affairs will be topic of the day..... all day.........ad infinitum............

I am trying to fathom JOB's alternative interpretations. - will slope off & listen to SA's shopping list.......easier on the brain.

Morning All - you can get up now, the sun is coming out.

[jack patterson]

Originally Posted by amyawake

Oh, I didn't realise this....but surely the presenter doesn't suggest that Vallen rambles on incessantly about shopping? Guess that's regarded as his choice....either that or the presenter should be sacked!!

It was, in the old days, dont know about now? The producer was the guy or guyess that was in touch with the real world,
his job was to research subjects & articles and guide the presenter so that he knew what he was talking about and was pleasing his audience.
Could be wrong but I think today LBC producers just make the tea and answer the phones, except on shows like Ferrari's with a budget?

[Gildersleeve]

Originally Posted by Crawley Cutie

Jimmy Carr's tax affairs will be topic of the day..... all day.........ad infinitum............

I am trying to fathom JOB's alternative interpretations. - will slope off & listen to SA's shopping list.......easier on the brain.

Morning All - you can get up now, the sun is coming out.

I am only going by what I have read/heard on the radio but the newspaper that brought this story to the public followed it up by saying many in the music business have been doing similar, I have no idea if this is so but one who was mentioned has recently been given an award in the Queens Honours and organised the Jubilee Concert. Must feel a little awkward.

So far all I have really heard is about Jimmy Carr and so far I have only heard the PM criticise him in particular.

[Gildersleeve]

Originally Posted by Crawley Cutie

Morning All - you can get up now, the sun is coming out.

Not here,

A neighbour has caused one of my trees to be cut back and not its a mess It will never be the same again. Because of that, my gardener did not manage to finish the work he originally came to do and now its raining again And we have to get rid of the branches that were chopped off, the only good thing is because he liked Mum and he knows financially I am not well off he did this work for free.

I have found a tear in the roofing felt that covers the garage and outhouse so that will have to be seen to but that will be repaired for free(thank heavens)

There's always something...

[occy]

I'm sure we hear some of the same callers quite a lot? I'm I correct?

[RegTheHedge]

Originally Posted by occy

I'm sure we hear some of the same callers quite a lot? I'm I correct?

Yes,very familiar voices do seem to repeat...

On a similar topic I remember last weekend Nick A was miffed (and honest) enough to admitting he had NO callers on the line,despite his usual thought provocative spiel .Felt kind of sorry for him as he evidently takes time to prepare for his show.

[Charlie Drake]

Originally Posted by RegTheHedge

Yes,very familiar voices do seem to repeat...

On a similar topic I remember last weekend Nick A was miffed (and honest) enough to admitting he had NO callers on the line,despite his usual thought provocative spiel .Felt kind of sorry for him as he evidently takes time to prepare for his show.

Hi Reg

If I were him, I'd take it as a compliment, as potential callers would perhaps just want to listen to his excellent monologues and not interrupt the flow!

[RegTheHedge]

Originally Posted by Charlie Drake

Hi Reg

If I were him, I'd take it as a compliment, as potential callers would perhaps just want to listen to his excellent monologues and not interrupt the flow!

An excellent point Charlie !

[Radiomaniac]

Originally Posted by Charlie Drake

Hi Reg

If I were him, I'd take it as a compliment, as potential callers would perhaps just want to listen to his excellent monologues and not interrupt the flow!

Tha's how I believe it to be. I'd much rather hear Nick 'ramble on' (which he does in a superb way) than any LBC caller, even though he does that brilliantly too.

[occy]

I wouldn't call and speak to anyone whilst driving on the M25 either.

[Mutleykaz]

Originally Posted by Natterlee

Hi
Not listened to LBC in the day for a while since going back to work as I can't get it on the car radio in deepest Leicestershire...

I speak from recent experience having had 19 month's of unemployment and being turned down for jobs as 'too experienced' or 'not enough experience in this field' to the extent that I had to downgrade a little to get me working again.

.

I've been catching up and just read your post Natterlee. What an articulate and moving one it was too.

I can't bear the thought of people who become unemployed through no fault of their own, strive to put their lives in order again, but have to go through such terrible lows both financially and mentally before the sun comes out on them again.

Thankfully, for you it has. You sound like an inspiration to others who find themselves so unlucky. I wish you all the best.

Um, oh and LBC. I think you can be forgiven for not being able to listen during the day, I'm sure some of us here more than make that up for you!