This might be better suited to the main TalkRadio thread on here, but I'm going to bung it here as I mainly listen to Iain's show so here you go. I really hope Iain, Kath, Ed and others at the station read it and take note as I really want this to be constructive criticism. I love the show and want to support the station, but need to get this off my chest.
I am getting more and more flipping frustrated by the station and their slap-dash approach to, well, everything. It's becoming obvious that Iain and Kath (and Ed who I admit I don't know well, but seems a nice chap on twitter and from the bit I've spoken to him on the phone when I call the show) are working their socks off to make this show a success. I think they're doing a fab job whilst Iain's manner may not be everyone's cup of tea he's getting some great reviews, tackling a wide range of subjects and getting some great guests on board.
They're managing to do all this though whilst being apparently hampered by a pretty poor studio set up. Regularly the phone system doesn't work. Iain's bringing in how own headphones (nicked from 3CR's old Luton studio) which are as the ones provided aren't to his own specification, but they're held together with sticky tape. Why has someone from the station not come along and said - right, you're doing a fab show, but can't we buy you a new set of headphones to make your life easier? Surely they can't be that expensive.
He's running lots of clips etc off his own laptop - and I heard him mention he had to buy a new charger for it yesterday. He's periscoping from his own phone. He's talked about how a new iPad or even a Go Pro would make things easier for him on the periscope front. What he's doing with Periscope is quite ground breaking and surely this is a prime opportunity for the station to be jumping on this and helping Iain take it all to the next level. And getting some good media coverage too. Surely popping out with a company credit card and buying him a new iPad from the Apple Store should be a simple thing?
And even just someone from the marketing department printing out a nice piece of card with the station logo on, phone number URL etc to be stuck to his laptop lid during the show!
Don't get me wrong, this isn't Iain (or Kath or Ed) I'm having a go at here, but the slightly more anonymous 'talkRADIO". I've seen lots being done online with Virgin Radio across different social media networks and it all being a bit more corporately branded and cohesive etc, but I can't see why someone's not helping Iain out with all this here. And I'm not trying to write it here to be all anonymous hiding behind a pseudonym (Iain and Kath know who I am in real life and all that) as I'd happily say this in person to people. Iain's got a slick show going on, but everything around it just needs to be made slicker.
Or where do I send my CV for the role as talkRADIO social media manager?
Rant over.