Boo Hoo 7 and 8

Well, after a little break, myself and John Luke Roberts are back with the topical comedy podcast, "Boo Hoo - It's The News".

We're two episodes into the new batch, but if you want to relive the MP expenses scandal and the police getting a bit handy, episodes 1-6 are still available from the show website and iTunes. There's also a Facebook group so you can stay abreast of our rather erratic release schedule.

Also, I notice than in my last update I mentioned Newsjack as a great opportunity for new writers. Newsjack has finished now, but this seems a good opportunity to mention another open door show I'll be working for later in the year - Recorded For Training Purposes Series 4. Deadline for submissions is Oct 2nd. Check out the details on the BBC writersroom website.

Boo Hoo Update, Newsjack and JLR's Street Dares

Boo Hoo - It's The News

Thanks to everyone who has downloaded our topical comedy podcast "Boo Hoo - It's The News!". If you haven't heard it yet, there are currently 6x10-minute episodes available on iTunes, or you can download the shows directly from the "Boo Hoo - It's The News" webpage.

Myself and John-Luke Roberts are actually taking a short break from the podcast, but will return in the not too distant future. If you subscribe via iTunes you'll get the new episodes automatically, and we've also set up a Facebook group to keep people informed of our slightly wonky release schedule.


Newsjack

Just a quick note to any budding writers - I'm currently working on a new show for BBC Radio 7 called "Newsjack". Presented by Miles Jupp, it's a topical sketch show with an open door policy, so a great opportunity to get your stuff on-air.

All the details regarding submissions and deadlines are available from the Newsjack website and you can listen to a full episode on iPlayer right now, which should help any potential contributors get a feel for programme.


Street Dares

And finally, make sure you check out John-Luke "Boo Hoo - It's The News" Roberts' brand new video "Street Dares" video.

Boo Hoo - It's The News! Episode Two

Episode 2 of "Boo Hoo - It's The News" is available on iTunes now. Click here to be taken to our bit of the iTunes store.

If you wish to download it directly you can do so from here, or alternatively this is the RSS feed.

We've also set up a new email address, boohooitsthenews@googlemail.com, if you want to get in touch with the show.

Boo Hoo - It's The News! - Now On iTunes.

Our topical comedy podcast "Boo Hoo - It's The News!" is now on iTunes! Of course, those of you who prefer to use RSS feeds directly can get hold of it here.

Boo Hoo - It's The News!

Hello. John-Luke Roberts and myself and have written and produced a new topical podcast called "Boo Hoo - It's The News!". You can get hold of Episode 1 from this page, and the RSS feed is here. We're currently waiting for it to appear on iTunes too.

It's the first one, so do have a listen and let us know what you think!

http://boohooitsthenews.libsyn.com/

Twitter Taglines

If you're viewing this blog via my webpage, you'll notice that along the top of the page, just underneath the big "www.garethgwynn.co.uk", there's a tag-line.

When we set this website up, Tom Natt suggested we open a Twitter account and use the feed from that to update the tag-line. This was great it was simple to update and no-one really looked at the Twitter feed itself, which just sat as a list of things I had worked on with dead iPlayer links.

However, as people began to use Twitter properly, I started to join in too. This means that in the last few weeks, garethgwynn.co.uk has displayed messages detailing where to find a 1p breakfast, how I fixed my malfunctioning toilet cistern and my shock at seeing a small child doing a little poo in a potty in a crowded family pub.

Do y'know what, I'm in two minds about even posting this now. I think I prefer the thought of visitors seeing the tag-line "I've just seen a child 'do potty' in a pub" and thinking that was my catchphrase.

It might still be. It certainly has potential

If you want to follow me, by the way, check out www.twitter.com/garethgwynn

My job does exist, doesn't it?

Only the second post of the year, but that's because, to date, 2009 has been largely characterised by me working increasingly unsociable hours at BBC Radio Wales and spending my days wandering around towns pretending to be a pensioner. Not really blogging material.

However, this week I discovered that I am to receive the BBC Radio Entertainment Writers’ Bursary for 2009. This is tremendously exciting stuff. It means I get to work across all sorts of BBC Radio 4 programmes that my grandparents have heard of (The News Quiz, The Now Show etc.) as well as new stuff too!

I tried to find something I could link to for this post. I've been searching for some kind of online explanation of what the role entails. I couldn't find anything, but knowing that one of the previous recipients of the bursary was Richard Herring, I headed to the "History" section of his website in the hope of finding a witty explanation of the job (And thereby save me writing one... I am clearly saving up the funnies for when I start).

It appears he does mention the bursary, but only in the context of it not happening any more (See the bottom of this page).

I do hope he's wrong... I've sorted out a flat now, and everything...

B.A.D. Radio - Now on YouTube!

GWR Bath's Roop Jones has been a very busy man! Not only has he put the Christmas Eve episode of B.A.D. Radio up on YouTube, but he's also put the as-yet-unbroadcast second episode of the show online too! Links below:

B.A.D. Radio - Episode 1 - Part 1

B.A.D. Radio - Episode 1 - Part 2

B.A.D. Radio - Episode 2 - Part 1

B.A.D. Radio - Episode 2 - Part 2

And if you're still looking for something to listen to after all that, you could do a lot worse than check out the latest episode of BBC Radio Wales' "Jest A Minute", which I have been producing and editing. The episode on iPlayer now features We Are Klang's Greg Davies and Eggsy from GLC!

URB on 6Music

Oooh, here's an excitement! Steve Lamacq is doing a regular feature on student radio stations as part of his BBC 6 Music show. He kicked off with 1449AM URB (the place I tended to hide when I should have been doing problem sheets, coursework or socialising during my time at the University of Bath).

I am particularly pleased by the URB representative's answer to the question, "So has anyone famous ever come from the station?". Whilst she was unable to recall my name (frankly, I don't particularly blame her), I am impressed that "a man who used to work for XFM" sprung to mind, rather than the current Magic breakfast show presenter, former Capital Radio DJ and fellow URB alumni, Dr Neil Fox.

The whole thing is on iPlayer (Spin to the end of Friday's show... It's the last ten minutes). I'm certainly going to be listening to the subsequent interviews in the hope that the students involved begin a game of desperate one-upmanship, to prove themselves superior to the station that has occupied the slot before them. I can't help feeling that by half-remembering myself as the best example of a former DJ, 1449AM URB has underplayed their hand, somewhat.

B.A.D. Radio (GWR Bath)

B.A.D. Radio, the first in a series of occasional sketch shows written and performed by myself, Roop Jones and Tom Bowker, will be going out on GWR Bath (103FM) this Wednesday (that's Christmas Eve!) at 9.30am.

Of course, you don't even have to be in Bath to catch the show - You can Listen Live via the GWR Bath website!

Roop and Tom were, of course, Breakfast Show presenters at the short-lived XFM South Wales (where I worked as producer), so those of you in South Wales who remember what was on 106.8 and 107.3 before Nation Radio came along can tune in and pretend it's an early morning in the spring of 2008, as the old gang get back together.

In addition to this historic reunion, it is also an emotional moment for myself as it marks the first time I have been on FM in the Bath area since the University's student station (1449AM URB) embarked on 2 weeks of FM transmissions in the spring of 2003.

That kicked off with a fondly remembered live performance from The Cheeky Girls, who abandoned their set prematurely after successfully negotiating their way through "The Cheeky Song", "The Cheeky Song (Remix)" and The Cheeky Dance Competition (to the tune of "The Cheeky Song").

I can't remember quite what caused them to halt the performance of their second single after just one verse, but I think we'd all seen the track we'd paid our £2 entry fee for (as their Cheeky-Song based set list would concur).

In stark contrast, I can assure you that no-one's bum was touched in the making of B.A.D. Radio.

Happy Christmas!

Things I'm in, have helped with, made or like...

Thanks for popping by. I've been involved in a few bits and bobs dotted about the iPlayer which you might want to catch before they drop off...

Listen Against is still on BBC Radio 4. If you head to the iPlayer now you'll catch Episode 3 (I did the Boris Johnson and Radio Wales bits), right up until 6.30pm on Tuesday, when it'll turn into Episode 4 (I don't know what of mine has made it into this... I haven't heard it yet!).

I've also just been told that Play And Record is being repeated on BBC Radio 7. The episode currently on iPlayer includes me battling with an uncooperative Terry Wogan.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been producing the second series of Jest A Minute, a panel game for BBC Radio Wales hosted by Rhod Gilbert with team captains Chris Corcoran and Lloyd Langford. Episode 1 is on iPlayer now and the shows go out on Sundays at 2pm, and are repeated on Saturdays at 1pm.

That's all for now!

Listen Against 2 (And other things too...)

Sorry this hasn't been updated in a while. Having said that, I read something recently which estimated there are 112.8 million blogs on the internet, so I doubt you've been struggling for something to read...

Here's what's going on:

Listen Against Series 2

Well, I've just heard some proper trails for this on Radio 4, so it must be happening! The second series of Jon Holmes' Listen Against starts this Tuesday (18th November) at 6.30pm. Just like last year, I've contributed sketches, ideas and all manner of strange noises to this show, staying up well past my bedtime to slice up audio of Robert Peston, John Humphrys, Jenni Murray, Steve Wright and countless others. A lot of it leaves my email inbox and I don't hear it until it's going out on the actual Radio 4, so I'll be hearing it for the first time too! How exciting.

Jest A Minute

Right now, I'm editing down 6 episodes of this BBC Radio Wales panel game, chaired by Rhod Gilbert with team captains Chris Corcoran and Lloyd Langford and panellists including Elis James (who now has a rather splendid blog. Read it!), Jon Richardson, Lucy Porter, Milton Jones, Greg Davies and Eggsy from GLC (who is still doing those Rhys and Eggsy podcasts which you can find here) and loads more. It should be going out in early December.

Roop and Tom

I've also been busy working on some bits and bobs with former XFM South Wales Breakfast Show presenters Roop and Tom, which should be hitting an airwave sometime soon. In the meantime, they're now presenting the Breakfast Show on GWR Bath, so listen to that if you're in Bath, or on the internet before 10am in the morning. Oh, and listen their Beyonce parody on youtube...

Feedback?

A few weeks ago, Tom Natt (the man responsible for this website) mentioned to me that an episode of The News Quiz, which I had contributed towards, was featured on the following week's edition of "Feedback" on BBC Radio 4.

It's was a little too far back to make use of iPlayer or Listen Again, but I have just managed to track down the episode of Feedback in question. Two clips of the show were used - both featuring jokes written by myself.

I'm now trying to decide if I can legitimately add "Feedback (BBC Radio 4)" to my writing CV... I’m worried that might convey the wrong message… Any thoughts?