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[Billy McBride]

urchin said:

- Jonathon Porritt, politician
- Cathy O'Dowd, climber
- Mike Leigh, film director
- Michele Roberts, authoress
- Terry Durack, food reviewer (I decided he was okay when he wrote about 'the erotic pleasure of dish-washing')
- Sophie Grigson, cook (who's said to like Echo and the Bunnymen)
- Phil Liggett, sports commentator
- Jenny Agutter, actress
- Neil Young, musician

Neil Young was nominated loads of time on the old R4 DID board (before its undemocratic removal), but I doubt if you’ll find one Neil Young record amongst any R4 producer’s or presenter’s record collections. Anyone recall the interview between Libby Purves and Loudon Wainwright 111 in the last series of Midweek? You could certainly tell that Ms. Purves had never been a fan - and that's why R4 is losing listeners.

I'm pretty certain that Jonathan Porritt (Don’t recall that he was very interesting) and Jenny Agutter have been on already. Quite honestly, I think it's time to get rid of DID.

[sea horse]

If Porritt and Jenny Agutter have been on, I'll nominate Neil Kinnock and Charlotte Rampling instead.

I think the basic idea of DID is good, maybe just the format needs altering. Interviewer too. I'd happily accept a longer programme, with whole pieces of music being played and a more in-depth interview.

[Billy Morris]

urchin said:

If Porritt and Jenny Agutter have been on, I'll nominate Neil Kinnock and Charlotte Rampling instead.

Errrr, I hate to mention this, but I’m pretty certain they’ve both been on already!

I think the basic idea of DID is good, maybe just the format needs altering. Interviewer too. I'd happily accept a longer programme, with whole pieces of music being played and a more in-depth interview.

Yes, I’m willing to go along with this, but I’m suffering from both presenter and programme fatigue in respect of R4 at the moment. I don’t know if you listened to the interview with Andrew Caspari on the last series of Feedback, but I was certainly left with the impression that R4 is a radio station that isn’t remotely interested in getting close to its listeners. Similarly, the open hostility that it’s adopted towards posters on its message boards generates the same kind of message.

I’d be interested if you have any suggestions or names for a new presenter. Richard Ingrams is a name that often crossed my mind, but I guess he’s be written off as too old and uncool.

I recall David Gilmore choosing Neil Young’s ‘A Man Need A Maid’ and that choice really did give great insight into his musical and personal character. However, I like to be surprised whilst listening to DID when it comes to relating musical choices to the guest’s character. I’m not sure if the former Fed Chairman, Paul Volker, has been on, but he would certainly interest me – especially if he chose a record by Neil Young, Devo or Jonathan Richman (hee-hee).

[sea horse]

Billy said:

urchin said:

If Porritt and Jenny Agutter have been on, I'll nominate Neil Kinnock and Charlotte Rampling instead.

Errrr, I hate to mention this, but I’m pretty certain they’ve both been on already!

I’d be interested if you have any suggestions or names for a new presenter. Richard Ingrams is a name that often crossed my mind, but I guess he’s be written off as too old and uncool.

Ok, we'll move out of the UK and choose Daniel Cohn-Bendit as politician (former student leader in the 1968 Paris riots and now European MP) and Nina Hartley as actress (former porn film star, and now writer, photographer and activist for a more open moral climate in the USA)

(Wikipedia has a bit about both)


Ingrams sounds fine as a choice of new presenter, he can be both pleasant and humorous, and also firm and penetrating.

(oops, not a good choice of words there, perhaps)

[Billy Morris]

urchin said:

Ok, we'll move out of the UK and choose Daniel Cohn-Bendit as politician (former student leader in the 1968 Paris riots and now European MP) and Nina Hartley as actress (former porn film star, and now writer, photographer and activist for a more open moral climate in the USA)

(Wikipedia has a bit about both)

Yes, even though one hears Daniel Cohn-Bendit quite a bit on R4, I don't recall hearing him on DID before and I'm sure he'd interest younger listeners. Strangely, I've just started thinking about Prof. Angela Davies (don't think she's been on) - haven't a clue what she's doing these days. Her musical choices would also be interesting.

Nina Hartley would also be fine by me - always interesting listening to Americans discussing morality!

I don't know if you listen to The World Service, but I heard Heather Paton interviewing a dominatrix about a year ago (@ 0430 hours) and it was fascinating. Ms. Paton scored high points for me, because she didn't resort to nervous laughter whilst discussing the subject.

P.S. Charlie Gillet would also be a personal choice. I love his modest style of broadcasting.