Some radio shows I listen to in the line of duty, some I actually enjoy, and it’s great when a show ticks both of these boxes. I really enjoy a relatively new feature on The Hard Shoulder (Newstalk Monday-Friday) – it’s the daily ‘Afternoon Update’ at 4pm when presenter Kieran Cuddihy chews the cud with…
I don’t know anyone who approves of rudeness, though obviously there are people who are guilty of it. Maybe they don’t realise their behaviour is rude. Anyway, I’m not sure how many words we need to describe it. On Drivetime (RTÉ Radio 1 Thursday) there was a largely tongue-in-cheek discussion of ‘microaggressions’ – including eye-rolling…
So, referendum time has come around again. It’s hard to deny the centrality of the process in a democracy. In a way it’s the purest form, though you can’t have referendums on everything – it’s just not practicable. Because it’s so important, it is essential that it be fair and transparent – treated with respect.…
Priests have been more in the news of late, thanks to that ‘Last Priests’ programme reviewed last week. Yet again we got another fine example of a priest in action on Mornings with Wendy (Spirit Radio, Friday) when Rob Clarke interviewed Fr Gabriel Dolan – a Kiltegan missionary in Kenya for the past 40 years.…
You know the way you sometimes get the impression that someone is trying to give you a hint, but you’re not quite sure. I felt that way when I saw two programmes flagged – about the last priests and nuns in Ireland – was this a nudge? Wishful thinking? An attempt at self-fulfilling prophecy? The…
When organisations are caught out doing something wrong it often happens that they get defensive and opt for cover up and obfuscation. Whistleblowers can be treated as pariahs rather than being welcomed as liberating the organisation from corruption or malpractice. This certainly seemed to be the case in Mr Bates v. the Post Office (UTV/ITV…
Looking back on the year just ended, I had a whimsical notion to reflect for a change on what we rarely if ever see in the broadcast media. And if I appear to be complaining too much, check out my Review of the Year from the December 21 edition for its positivity! It’s so rare…
When I look back on the year in the media I usually see what comes to mind before re-reading my columns. This gives me a good impression of what really stands out, though I’m often surprised by what I’ve forgotten about. The first thing that springs to mind is war. Last year it was the…
A Christmas Hero RTÉ Two Sunday December 17, 11.40am A guardian angel shows a disillusioned war veteran what he means to others and that his life makes a difference. Songs of Praise BBC One Sunday December 17, 1.15pm Sharing the Joys of Christmas: Rev. Kate Bottley visits County Durham to find out why one primary…
Last week I finished on a somewhat positive note with the release of child hostages in the Holy Land. However, the positivity was short lived – it was abhorrent to see the end of the ‘humanitarian pause’. Now it’s more like humanity itself being on pause. Once again, the news programmes last weekend featured images…
Brendan O’Regan