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| The Latest talkSPORT News Regular News Updates & Information The latest news and analysis on talkSPORT's programming, schedule information, presenter arrivals and departures and sponsorship deals. Plus, a talkSPORT news archive since 2006. For general media and broadcast news, go to Media Guardian and Radio Today. talkSPORT Triumph at 2008 Commercial Radio Awards Added: Monday 7th July talkSPORT have triumphed at the 2008 Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards winning the Sales Team of the Year Award and Station Sound Award. The nominations were announced on Wednesday 11th June and contained two nominations for talkSPORT. Alongside Virgin Radio and Bauer Advertising, talkSPORT were nominated for The National Sales Team of the Year Award and The Commercial Radio Station Sound Award alongside Capital 95.8 of London and the Guardian Media Group, which owns Century, Real Radio and Smooth Radio. talkSPORT triumphed in both categories with judges at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in central London saying that “talkSPORT’s imaging was not only clever but unique, distinctive and with a certain style”. The event was hosted by Virgin Radio Breakfast Show presenter Christian O’Connell. Last year, talkSPORT dominated the ceremony picking up four prizes, including the Station of the Year and The Gold Award. Programme Director at the time Bill Ridley, whose team included Assistant Programme Director Steve Hodge and Programme Controller Matthew Smith, won The Commercial Radio Programmer of the Year Award and the station also won The Technical Innovation Award for broadcasting the station’s output throughout Germany during the World Cup in 2006. Other highlights of the 2008 event: London’s Magic 105.4 won the Station of the Year Award, whilst Gaydar Radio triumphed in the Digital Station of the Year Award. In addition, Presenter of the Year went to Trent FM’s Jo and Twiggy and the Feature of the Year Award went to Virgin Radio for their coverage of the V Festival. Radio Legend Praises talkSPORT’s Alan Brazil Added: Monday 7th July Chris Tarrant claims that it was listening to Alan Brazil on talkSPORT’s Sports Breakfast that gave him the enthusiasm to return to radio again, according to Scottish edition of The Sun. Last week, it was announced that the Guardian Media Group had signed the former Capital Radio presenter to host a new Saturday-morning show on their Smooth Radio, Real Radio and Century Radio stations across the UK. From 10:00am on 26th July, Tarrant will go head-to-head with BBC Radio 2's Jonathan Ross in what is expected to be a powerful battle for the Saturday-morning listener. But Tarrant claims that it was Alan Brazil, talkSPORT’s Sports Breakfast presenter, that gave him the enthusiasm to return to the radio airwaves after a four-year absence. Speaking to the Scottish edition of The Sun, he said: "A while back I started listening to talkSPORT, mainly listening to Alan Brazil in the morning. I think he's brilliant. He gets you going. He makes me shout at the radio but I never turn him off.” Adding, Tarrant, who also presents Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? said: "Alan voices his opinion, is clearly an intelligent man and says exactly what he thinks and obviously speaks from great experience. I like guys who really annoy me and is what radio is all about. They should make you laugh, think or even feel randy.” Meanwhile, it is expected that Neil Manthorpe will be part of talkSPORT’s commentary team for Twenty20 Cup Finals Day later this month at the Rose Bowl. Manthorpe formed part of the station’s team in South Africa in 2004-2005 during England’s Winter Tour alongside Chris Cowdrey, Jack Bannister, Mike Atherton, Robin Jackman and Andrew McKenna. Paper Talk with Ian Danter on talkSPORT Added: Friday 4th July Ian Danter is joined by Neil Ashton from the Daily Mail for the first edition of Paper Talk this Saturday night from 7:00pm on talkSPORT. A new show for Saturday night begins on 5th July hosted by Ian Danter alongside a leading-journalist to cast their eyes over the latest sports stories and get the inside-track on the summer football transfer news. For the first edition of Paper Talk, Danter is joined by Neil Ashton from the Daily Mail and will broadcast between 7:00pm-10:00pm following The Weekend Matchday with Bob Mill & Scott Minto. Andy Goldstein also begins a new show alongside a talkSPORT regular in Ray Houghton on The World of Andy Goldstein, which is to broadcast between 12:00pm-3:00pm each Saturday and Sunday afternoon throughout July. It is expected that Goldstein will be retained by talkSPORT once the new football-season begins in August but in a new slot on the schedule. He was released from his position as presenter of Soccer AM on Sky Sports last month and replaced by former talkSPORT presenter Max Rushden. The full schedule for Saturday 5th July on talkSPORT is as follows: 1:00am Mike Mendoza 6:00am Fisherman’s Blues with Keith Arthur 8:00am The Weekend Sports Breakfast with Jason Cundy & Mike Parry 12:00pm The World of Andy Goldstein 3:00pm The Weekend Matchday with Bob Mills & Scott Minto 7:00pm Paper Talk with Ian Danter 10:00pm-1:00am George Galloway. Meanwhile, Andy Townsend will be alongside Mike Parry on Drive between 4:00pm-7:00pm from Monday 7th July until Thursday 10th July standing-in for Adrian Durham and Ian Wright on talkSPORT. The regular duo return to the show on Monday 14th July. James Watt will also be making his first appearance as a talkSPORT presenter when he presents The Ultimate Late Show and The Incredibly Early Breakfast Show on Tuesday 15th July and Wednesday 16th July. Watt is currently a presenter on BBC Tees, BBC Radio Cumbria and BBC Radio York. talkSPORT Secures Deal with The History Channel Added: Wednesday 2nd July talkSPORT has secured a cross-platform advertising deal with The History Channel’s Ax Men programme, running for two weeks this month, according to Mediaweek. The station claims that the deal is the first it has struck that includes its on-air, online and talkSPORT Magazine, which launches tomorrow. The Ax Men programme on The History Channel follows the work of several logging crews in Oregon, United States of America, highlighting the dangers encountered by loggers and forms part of the "real-men-in-danger" season on the channel. The deal will also include on-air promotion on talkSPORT, online spot advertising on the talkSPORT website and a full-page advert in talkSPORT Magazine. Matt Wilson, Sponsorship and Promotions Director at talkSPORT, said: "This deal for us shows that we're no longer just a radio station. Now we are a sports brand that's available on air, online and in magazine." Charlotte Pilkington, Sponsorship Sales Executive, Matt Davis, Web Manager and Ashwin Saddul, Magazine Account Director at talkSPORT and Richard Huglin, Director at The Media Shop, on behalf of The History Channel, negotiated the five-figure deal. In May, talkSPORT’s owners UTV Radio said the station recorded an annual revenue boost of almost 20%, outperforming the industry and its sister radio stations. Between January and the end of April, talkSPORT’s revenues rose 19% year-on-year. This compares with UTV Radio’s 16 local stations in the UK, which between them saw earnings in the same period fall 3%. The Cricket Show on talkSPORT Added: Tuesday 1st July talkSPORT will broadcast The Cricket Show, presented by Andy Jacobs and Ronnie Irani, each Sunday evening between 7:00pm-10:00pm from 6th July. Sponsored by Marston’s, the show will focus on the England Test Series and One Day Internationals against South Africa, the County Championship and Friends Provident Trophy Plus, the Twenty20 Cup which culminates on Saturday 26th July with the Finals Day from the Rose Bowl with talkSPORT providing extensive coverage and commentary throughout the day with Jack Bannister, Ronnie Irani and Andrew McKenna. Presenting the show will be Andy Jacobs alongside former Essex and England all-rounder Ronnie Irani each Sunday evening between 7:00pm-10:00pm from 6th July. In 2005, the show was hosted by former England cricketers Chris Cowdrey, Jack Bannister and Allan Lamb, plus members of the Barmy Army. Marston's deal with talkSPORT means that they will provide tickets, merchandise for give-a-ways and exclusive interviews. Marston's Marketing Manager Ian Ward said: "Our partnership with talkSPORT is a fantastic opportunity to cement Marston's role as a true supporter of English cricket. With our sponsorship of the Twenty20 Cup and a host of in-ground and marketing activity planned we look forward to celebrating a great summer of cricket." Matt Wilson, talkSPORT Sponsorship and Promotions Director, said: "There is a natural synergy between talkSPORT, Marston's and the station's cricket coverage. talkSPORT was able to offer Marston's a unique and unrivalled proposition which will allow the brand to leverage its existing activity around the country's county grounds whilst being exposed to 2.5 million potential beer drinkers." The Open Championship on talkSPORT Added: Friday 27th June talkSPORT will not broadcast live commentary from The Open Championship this year, despite holding rights to the event until 2009. It is understood that talkSPORT will, therefore, only broadcast updates and reports from the 137th Open Championship from Royal Birkdale, Lancashire with Rupert Bell and Bob Bubka when the tournament begins on Thursday 17th July. This is despite the fact that talkSPORT currently hold non-exclusive broadcast rights to the event until 2009 after signing a contract with the R&A Championships in 2006. In February 2006, talkSPORT Chief Executive Scott Taunton confirmed that the station had secured the broadcast rights for live commentary of The Open Championship for a further three years. In an interview with X-Trax Magazine, Taunton said: “We’ve got the Open Golf rights for the next three years.” However, it appears talkSPORT are not exercising their right to broadcast live commentary from this year’s tournament. In previous years, talkSPORT has broadcast up to nine-hours of coverage for the First and Second Rounds and up to eight-hours of coverage for the Third and Final Rounds on the Saturday and Sunday each year. This has been preceded by a three-hour preview show on the Wednesday evening before the tournament’s beginning with commentary provided by Rupert Bell, Richard Boxall, Robert Le and Bob Bubka. talkSPORT will therefore broadcast a regular schedule of programming including a continuation of Andy Goldstein’s weekend show, Saturday & Sunday Sport with Adrian Durham and Bob Mills on Saturday evening between 7:00pm-10:00pm with Danny Kelly presenting on Sunday night. “Shocker AM” with Andy Goldstein says the Daily Mirror Added: Wednesday 25th June The Daily Mirror newspaper has described Andy Goldstein’s Eurostars show on talkSPORT as “Shocker AM” and the presenter as sounding “desperate.” Goldstein joined talkSPORT earlier this month as part of talkSPORT’s Euro 2008 coverage hosting the 12:00pm-3:00pm slot each Saturday and Sunday afternoon during the tournament. However, the Manchester United-supporting presenter was relieved from his role as lead-host on Soccer AM on Sky Sports after completing just one-year in the job fuelling speculation that he could be retained by talkSPORT for the foreseeable future in time fo the start of the new football season in August. But, Goldstein’s Eurostars show on talkSPORT has not been met with a seal of approval with the Daily Mirror newspaper quite stinging in its criticism of the former Soccer AM presenter. Following his first talkSPORT broadcast on Saturday 7th June, the Mirror said: “Well done to Andy Goldstein’s production team for pushing the envelope and giving the punters what they really want with three hours to go before the start of a major tournament. “Tell us about your first day at work nightmares,’” said a desperate-sounding Andy. Then he unveiled special guest and top football pundit Jim Bowen. Dismal.” And when Goldstein’s departure from Soccer AM was confirmed, the Daily Mirror also said: “Does it mean Goldstein be able to devote more time to his inexplicable Euro 2008 preview show on talkSPORT during which the football is largely ignored in favour of questions like “have you ever met a celebrity?” and “when did technology let you down?” talkSPORT News Round-Up Added: Sunday 22nd June Adrian Goldberg will present The Ultimate Late Show and The Incredibly Early Breakfast Show from Tuesday 24th June on talkSPORT. The former BBC Radio WM and television presenter will be in for Ian Collins from Tuesday to Friday each week on The Ultimate Late Show and The Incredibly Early Breakfast Show from 24th June. Goldberg had previously hosted the 1:00am-6:00am weekday slot on talkSPORT earlier this year and is expected to present the two overnight and early-morning shows for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Stan Collymore is expected to finally make his talkSPORT debut as co-presenter on Monday night Kick-Off tomorrow from 7:00pm alongside Danny Kelly. Collymore was signed from BBC Radio 5 Live in May and was expected to have already presented but his debut was delayed until Monday 23rd June. He is also expected to be part of talkSPORT’s Premier League and Champions League commentary team next season. Also, Assistant Programme Director Steve Hodge has parted company with talkSPORT after a number of years with the station. Hodge was part of the programming team headed by Bill Ridley, who retired from his position in March, and was replaced by BBC Radio 5 Live Managing Editor Moz Dee. The reason for his departure is not known nor is the identity of who will be replacing him in his role at talkSPORT will be. Finally, Virgin Radio owners Scottish Media Group have confirmed the sale of the national AM and London FM station. At an EGM last week, it was agreed that the sale to The Times of India Group will be completed by Monday 30th June. Virgin Radio will be rebranded and managed by Absolute Radio. talkSPORT Nominated for Commercial Radio Awards Added: Thursday 12th June talkSPORT have been nominated in two categories at the 2008 Commercial Radio Awards: Sales Team of the Year and Station Sound Award. The nominations for the 2008 Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards were announced on Wednesday 11th June and contained two nominations for talkSPORT. Alongside Virgin Radio and Bauer Advertising, talkSPORT were nominated for The National Sales Team of the Year Award and The Commercial Radio Station Sound Award alongside Capital 95.8 of London and the Guardian Media Group, which owns Century, Real Radio and Smooth Radio. The ceremony to announce the winners of each award takes place on Monday 7th July. Last year, talkSPORT dominated the ceremony picking up four prizes, including the Station of the Year and The Gold Award. Programme Director at the time Bill Ridley, whose team included Assistant Programme Director Steve Hodge and Programme Controller Matthew Smith, won The Commercial Radio Programmer of the Year Award and the station also won The Technical Innovation Award for broadcasting the station’s output throughout Germany during the World Cup in 2006. On receiving The Gold Award on behalf of talkSPORT, Managing Director Scott Taunton said: "I would like to congratulate my friends and colleagues at talkSPORT for this unprecedented show of recognition from our industry peers. To the best of my knowledge, no station has ever walked away with four awards. It's a fantastic result for all of those involved with the station." Meanwhile, Rupert Murdoch has suggested to former talkSPORT Chief Executive Kelvin MacKenzie that he run against former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis in the forthcoming by-election prompted by his resignation as an MP. Speaking to the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, MacKenzie said: “He suggested to me that if Labour doesn't put anyone up I would run. If that's the case and Rupert puts up the money, because it isn't cheap to run as a candidate, then I might well do it.” Mike Graham in for talkSPORT’s Mike Mendoza Added: Wednesday 11th June Mike Graham, former presenter on Talk 107 in Edinburgh, is to stand-in for Mike Mendoza from Saturday 21st June to Monday 23rd June on talkSPORT. Graham was relieved of his role as Programme Director and mid-morning presenter at Talk 107 earlier this year as part of a series of changes to the struggling Edinburgh-based talk station by Managing Director Matthew Allitt. Previous to this, Graham was the Editor of the Scottish Daily Mirror, Assistant Editor of the Daily Express and also ran a New York-based news agency. Now, Graham will be making his debut as a presenter on talkSPORT filling-in for Mike Mendoza from Saturday 21st June to Monday 23rd June and Saturday 28th June to Monday 30th June between 1:00am-6:00am. He will provide a unique perspective on the big breaking news stories of the day. Meanwhile, talkSPORT travel reporter Vicky Grainger is putting on her first solo play. Like A Fountain Troubled: The Tale of a Piece of Mind opens at Birmingham's Old Joint Stock Theatre in Temple Row on Monday 28th July and Tuesday 29th July. Grainger established her own company, Untamed Shrew Productions, in 2006 and her first production was Here After, a multi-media play she co-wrote for the Edmonton Festival in Canada. Also, Virgin Radio is set to be rebranded following the sale of the station to the Times of India Group and managed by Absolute Radio. The Virgin name will disappear from the station, giving its new owner freedom to build online, television, music and other spin-offs without having to consider branding restrictions imposed by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. OFCOM Approve 4Digital Launch Delay Added: Tuesday 9th June OFCOM have approved a delay in the launch of the second national commercial DAB multiplex, which is set to carry UTV Radio’s new Talk Radio station. The original timetable should have seen the new multiplex launch with eight services, including Talk Radio, E4 Radio, Channel 4 Radio and Sky News Radio, this Summer, but this will now depend on negotiations between the group and new GCap Media Chief Executive Ashley Tabor. An OFCOM spokesman told Mediaweek: "OFCOM has allowed 4Digital Group to delay the launch of its national radio multiplex licence beyond the original July 2008 launch date. However, OFCOM has not yet agreed a revised launch date and has asked 4Digital Group to provide updated plans, including new timings, by the end of the Summer for OFCOM’s approval." The new launch timetable depends on the outcome of discussions between newly installed GCap Media Chief Executive, Ashley Tabor, and 4Digital chairman, Nathalie Schwarz. The two sides are understood to be examining ways in which the planned 4Digital multiplex could be combined with Digital One. At present, there are too many digital radio slots provided across both multiplexes and not enough demand to fill them all. Channel 4 is understood to be continuing with its original plans for the 4Digital multiplex and the launch of E4 Radio should negotiations with Tabor fail to reap an agreement that suits both parties. A source close to 4Digital said: "Why would Channel 4 want to take on the cost of building a second multiplex when it could just partner with an existing one and launch its services as planned?” talkSPORT's Andy Goldstein Booted Off Soccer AM Added: Monday 9th June talkSPORT's new summer signing Andy Goldstein has been axed by Sky Sports management as the presenter of Soccer AM after just one year. According to The Sun newspaper, Goldstein is being replaced because “the fans didn’t like him” and “lacked the necessary charm” despite being appointed into the role just over a year ago following the departure of Tim Lovejoy. It is claimed that Sky Sports management came to the decision last week in a secret meeting at their headquarters in Isleworth, Middlesex. Goldstein made his debut on Soccer AM’s All Sport Show alongside Helen Chamberlain in 2004 before taking over from Lovejoy on the original Soccer AM show last year. But The Sun claims that Goldstein was always destined for departure: “As the season progressed and he blundered his way through interviews and made a hash of gags, it seemed more and more like The Helen Chamberlain Show.” Max Rushden, who appeared on talkSPORT in recent weeks as the temporary replacement for the sacked James Whale, is reported to be Goldstein’s replacement on Soccer AM. Rushden has previously presented the BBC London Breakfast Show and is also a regular presenter on Bid TV, a shopping channel. Goldstein was signed by talkSPORT to present series of weekend shows throughout the duration of Euro 2008, but now rumour is rife that he could be signed up on a permanent basis now that he is free from his role at Sky Sports. It is expected that a number of changes will be made to talkSPORT’s schedule in time for the new football season which begins in August. The Ultimate Late Show with Ian Danter Added: Friday 6th June Ian Danter is filling-in Ian Collins on The Ultimate Late Show and The Incredibly Early Breakfast Show from Tuesday 10th June to Friday 13th June. Danter, who presents Football First each Sunday alongside Alvin Martin and Jason Cundy and is a regular stand-in presenter on The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, is to fill-in for Ian Collins on The Ultimate Late Show and The Incredibly Early Breakfast Show over the next two weeks. Collins will be presenting The Late Show following the departure of James Whale from talkSPORT last month and Max Rushden this week From Tuesday 10th June to Friday 13th June and Thursday 19th June to Friday 20th June, Danter will host The Ultimate Late Show and The Incredibly Early Breakfast Show between 1:00am-6:00am in what will be his first role as presenter of a non-sports show on talkSPORT. It is expected that either Mike Mendoza, Ray Khan or Adrian Goldberg will host the show on Tuesday 17th June and Wednesday 18th June. Meanwhile, a trio of female guests will be standing-in on talkSPORT’s morning show on Monday 9th June: Ingrid Tarrant, Vicki Butler-Henderson and Keeley Hazell. Tarrant is the former wife of Chris Tarrant and is a television presenter having hosted Wish You Were Here? and This Morning for ITV. She has also appeared on a special version of What Not to Wear where she received a makeover from Trinny and Susannah. Butler-Henderson is a former racing driver and television presenter having hosted Top Gear for the BBC, Fifth Gear for Channel Five and ITV’s coverage of the British Touring Car Championship. She has also co-presented shows on Virgin Radio. Hazell, meanwhile, is a Page Three Girl and glamour model. She is also the face Sony’s Formula One 06 video game for the PlayStation 2, and F1 CE for PlayStation 3. talkSPORT’s Coverage of Euro 2008 Added: Friday 6th June talkSPORT will broadcast extensive coverage of Euro 2008 taking place in Austria and Switzerland, including live coverage of the latter stages. Beginning on Saturday 7th June, talkSPORT will broadcast a number of shows dedicated to Euro 2008 with new signings Danny Kelly, Stan Collymore, Andy Goldstein and Bob Mills at the heart of the coverage. Adrian Durham, Ian Danter, Alvin Martin and Jason Cundy will also be regulars throughout the four-week tournament taking place in Austria and Switzerland starting tomorrow with Switzerland v Czech Republic. The station will provide regular reports and updates from each game during Euro 2008 Matchday Live each Saturday and Sunday and on Euro Nights each day on talkSPORT with Danny Kelly and Stan Collymore as regular presenters of the show. Further updates and reports will be broadcast during Drive with Adrian Durham & Ian Wright each weekday afternoon on the 5:00pm kick-off. Andy Goldstein from Soccer AM on Sky Sports joins talkSPORT to present Eurostars throughout the month of June each Saturday and Sunday between 12:00pm-3:00pm with a special sideways focus on Euro 2008. talkSPORT say: “Andy’s got two mates with him, top name guests and loads of fun so enjoy the ride. It's a fact that Andy's show is 19% more entertaining than other radio shows.” Each Saturday afternoon, Adrian Durham is alongside Alvin Martin on Euro 2008 Matchday Live whilst Ian Danter presents the show each Sunday between 3:00pm-7:00pm. It will have full coverage of Euro 2008, including updates and reports from the team of correspondents around the country and Austria and Switzerland, plus regular news, interviews and discussion. Throughout the week, Danny Kelly and Stan Collymore team up to present Euro Nights between 7:00pm-10:00pm with further coverage of Euro 2008, plus news, interviews and discussion of events away from football taking place this summer. Bob Mills, a regular on Fighting Talk on BBC Radio 5 Live, is scheduled present the Saturday night edition of the show on 14th June. |
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