Farewell CW from 774

[gto-pontiac]

Farewell Chars from 774ABC radio, and peter moon.
its been a fun time listening to you and hopely you guys can come back to ABC 774 or as you suggested pod cast might be a good idea.

go the pod cast

[limeburner]

hmmm... i just caught the end of the show... what has happened??

[extulit]

Just caught the last part too. Seems like time and family constraints have a lot to do with it on both counts. Maybe if the ABC wasn't so cheap and actually paid the experts, this sort of thing might be averted. Still upset - Boo Hoo

[Ron Cook]

Thanks for the program. Enjoyed it and learned from it. Enjoy the wine. Cheers.

[Pacmanj]

I've enjoyed the computer help segment each week with Charles and Peter since Doug Aitons time on 3LO. I especially appreciate their honest opinions and recommendations on many aspects of PC hardware, software and business. Saved me a lot of wasted time and money.
I will really miss the computer help segment on ABC radio.

[Michaela]

I caught the beginning of the show but not the end. Was there a reason given by Jon Faine as to why they are ditching the show? Can't they put it in a different time slot, or pay them some actual moola? Surely their expertise is worth keeping. It's the best segment they have all week!

I would really like to know if this decision came from the ABC or from Charles and Peter.

It will be missed, but I really hope the podcast gets up.

Thanks for all the great shows Charles and Peter.

Cheers,

Michaela.

[Blackwatch]

No reason for dropping the segment was given that I heard. Maybe we should have seen this coming when the ABC dropped the web page. Perhaps I'm being too cynical in thinking they are connected.

[Stephen]

I missed todays finalě. Many thanks for all the years of service Charles & Peter.

[diddoms]

I'm devastated.. .... Thanks for all your advice over the years. I'll continue to stay with Bleeding edge. The podcast sounds good but hard to see how it will work with talkback.
So long and thanks for the fish.
Many thanks Charles and Peter.

[cw]

I think we may be able to do talk-back. I'll be investigating it over the next few weeks.

[eclipse]

I too would like to say a big thank-you to Charles and Peter. I've been listening to the computer talkback show for some time now and feel like I've learnt so much.
I really appreciate the generosity with which you shared your knowledge.
Will miss the computer segment very much.

[Michaela]

I think we may be able to do talk-back. I'll be investigating it over the next few weeks.

We could do a kind of "talk back" with people posting succint questions on a special thread on the forum, commonly asked questions, basics on how to install hardware etc. I'm sure that the people on this forum could come up with lots of questions we'd love Charles to talk about.

Just an idea,

Michaela.

[Graeme]

I am surprised the ABC took such an informative and relevant program off air. In this day an age it is critical to keep up with computer technology, of which users are on the increase. Perhaps the ABC will realise what an essential service this is and provide another program in the near future.

Thanks for your help! It has been of most benefit to me.

Graeme - Bendigo.

[Serley]

You both did an excellent job Charles, particularly given the pressures of live radio. Some others might know as much but very few could match your ability to respond so well. It was both informative and 'good radio'.
Many thanks.

[extulit]

[quote]

No reason for dropping the segment was given that I heard. Maybe we should have seen this coming when the ABC dropped the web page. Perhaps I'm being too cynical in thinking they are connected [/quote]






Just spotted the following quote from a Jon Faine producer in the ABC online "Guestbook", explaining the demise of the segment. I think they monitor how segments rate and it would appear others weren't as devoted to the segment as us. More's the pity.

Moderator Comment
"From the producer:
The answer is a bit of both. We have been re-examining every regular segment and had decided to make some changes. We did this in consultation with the regulars and, in talking to Peter and Charles, found that Peter was ready to call it quits. While Charles would have been happy to continue he understood that, after 12 years, ending the segment was not unreasonable.
More changes are being considered as we continually review the performance of all aspects of the program. As a result of the change television will move to Thursdays and there will be a new segment on Fridays. We appreciate that some people will be disappointed by the removal of a long-running segment but feel that renewal of the program is essential."

[newman]

Personally I think there is some "streamlining" going on at 774. Notice how 702 Sydney streams live - 774 Melbourne doesn't. Certain weblinks sort of dissapeared. Despite being a public broadcaster and supposedly unaffected by Oztam, it's painfully obvious by the previous poster's quote that somehow "ratings", whatever that is, has become important to 774 Production Staff.

Take note also that there has been a revolving door in Virginia Trioli's old time slot - she's been gone a while now and there hasn't been a firm decision yet. Stubbsy, no disrespect to him personally, is obviously on a short term contract - face it he's more of a commercial radio man and his style has annoyed the 774 alma mater.

Faine, being Faine is as irascable as ever, but I think by some of the questions he's asked Ian Mannix in the "Movers and Shakers" segment leads me to believe that all is not well at ABC Southbank. I'm thinking that Sydney management has tightened the reigns and we hear what we are getting.

Personally I think the rot started when Red Symons locummed for Lynne Haultain when she was on maternity leave. Redmond created the unfortunate problem of actually gaining more of an audience share - the standin was doing a better job than the person they were standing in for. Lynne had to be quietly disposed of, then Francis Leach (Haultain's husband) suddenly had his "When Saturday Comes" radio program suddenly finish. Scuttlebut says that there was an attempt at the unfair dismissal process, and a lot of the regulars were left with a sour aftertaste.

Sydney doesn't like this, and what's happening over time is that when peoples contracts come up, they're being pushed out - they call it "natural attrition"

Peter Moon, I believe unwittingly, has provided the chance for Sydney to make another change when he decided to finish up.

What 774 doesn't get is that I've come to these pages expressly because of the community service Peter and Charles provided on the now defunct segment. Without 774 I wouldn't have made use of the excellent advice here. Sydney has forgotten that ABC Local Radio as a form of on-air community that branches out everywhere. That doesn't matter anymore to them now, they worship and the altar of the Ratings God.

RIP segment, Vale 774, gone forever "Local" radio

[Paul]

newman,

774 have been chasing ratings for a long time - nothing new here.
Symons is really only following in the footsteps of Peter Evans - irreverant radio in the mornings - and even the ABC would be mad to let talent escape.
Leach has wandered off to commercial radio - again.
I'm sure we'll all get used to it eventually.

cheers, Paul

[extulit]

newman,

774 have been chasing ratings for a long time - nothing new here.
Symons is really only following in the footsteps of Peter Evans - irreverant radio in the mornings - and even the ABC would be mad to let talent escape.
Leach has wandered off to commercial radio - again.
I'm sure we'll all get used to it eventually.

cheers, Paul

Don't get me wrong Paul, I often listen to Red Symons & think he's o.k. But please don't mention him in the same breath as Peter Evans. Peter Evans, light-years, then Red Symons. That said, there are major changes occurring on 'Faine' and it appears to have coincided with the advent of a new producer. Think he wants to put his stamp on the program. I reckon he's making a botch of it, but time will tell.

[tarwin]

It's a shame to lose it but on the other hand the segment had become rather repetitive. How many times do you need to hear that a virus programme should be switched off to defrag or that popups are a result of spyware and lavasoft should be run etc. Or god forbid, those apple mac zealots that get on the line.
I really hungered for more of what the show would start with, new developments, the future of IT, convergence of technologies, open source developments etc.
The repetitive pc101 stuff is perfectly valid but would have been better being redirected to somewhere that the answers could be got without being done time after time over the radio
In summary the segment needed to be revamped not just ditched.

[lex]

Im very saddened to hear that the computer segment has finished - is this really true? Ive started a new job and thus am no longer in a position to listen.

What a shame, it was always so informing, enlightening, and i often picked up little tips that saved me hours and hours of time

Thanks Charles and Peter - You will be missed!

[jontee]

I agree with all of the previous comments regarding the Bleeding Edge segment of "The Faine Show" but as for Symons, yuck.

Since he began his morning segement I now turn on only just before the 0745 news. In that brief amount of time I hear him, I find him unfunny, silly and juvenile.

[maureen]

I know I should be over this, but I still mourn the loss of the segment. It led to me learning a lot through TAFE study, this forum and the green guide. I think the ABC should know that this was a very educational and relevant segment. I heard Tonya Roberts trying to explain podcasting on her program, along with her threats that if we did not use it we would lose it. I had no idea what she was talking about as she refused to use the term "MP3 player" and said we would download to "the listening device of our choice" as she would not, she said, endorse a brand name. What rubbish. I am really disappointed for all the people who are still to gain an understanding of computers - there are plenty of them still out here in the suburbs. Shame, ABC - shame. And thank you so much to Peter and Charles. My Thursdays are not the same. It was the morning I did all my computer "housekeeping" (anything to avoid the real stuff).

PS - illness and injury have messed up my year big time. Let's hope 2006 is a good one.

[extulit]

I also was most disappointed with 774 when Charles and Peter disappeared from the airwaves and expressed my views here and elsewhere. However, apart from this forum, one or two entries in the ABC 'Guestbook' and a few emails to the Faine staff, the demise of the computer segment has gone with little fuss. Maybe Jon's producers had done their research and the segment didn't have the wide appeal we all thought. Still miss it though.

[Goopie]

Does Charles still write for The Age? I just realised i havent read his stuff for awhile. Where has he gone?

[cw]

I'm still in The Age, but only in the print version. And if you take up a subscription, you can get the column emailed to you every week.