Spin Talk with Ali & Jack - a Critique

[Euan Roberts]

Hi Anoraks,

Hey has anyone listened to Ali and Jack in the afternoon on Spin Talk. If you haven't i guess some of you should. It a really cool alternative not only to the existing music stations, but it gives you a breather from Spins usual diet of non-stop chart sounds

The two presenters in question are Ali who is Irish and Jack who is from Boston in the USA. As talk radio presenters they really click on air when ad--libbing about various items on their show, which by the way in aired between 1.45pm - 3.45pm. Jack acts likes a real comedian and Actor with his funny jokes and wild personality when interviewing his guests. He gives a whole new energy to radio with his quick wit and seriously casual interviewing style. Ali on the other hand is more measured and makes sure Jack doesn't get carried away with his jokes. They blend well.

THe only problem i have with their interviewees is most of them are American, so with Jack asking the questions and their guests responding you would think you are listening to Z100 in New York. They should have more Irish guests if they want to stick with the light- hearted topics, The odd American is fine just not every interview.


The sort of topics that are covered on their show range from discussing why students and young teenagers having little regard or time for politicans. These youngsters reckon our politicans have no dress sense or have little social skills when talking to young people on important issues such as Drugs, Crime, you name it. The word young is important because this station is targeting a 15-34 audience so i reckon this subject kind of suits this group.

In addition Spin Talk will give you all the latest music and film gossip. Believe me, most of it is pretty irrelevant, but they do give you the odd piece of quality sleaze that makes good pub conversation if your that desperate. Furthermore, i guess the presenters personable and engaging style and tone does add interest and suspense to their catalog of gossip items or general off the wall stuff they read out or make fun of in a good way. I suppose the station has found a niche audience for this type of mid-afternoon format. I think with their mix and match policy of having the odd serious item against the mainly light-hearted material is quite clever. Because at that time of the day you will have young students stuying at home or young housewives in their twenties rearing their children.

Keep talking Spin.


Good Luck

Euan Roberts

[The Mighty 890]

I know it's early days for them but to my mind the show has been embarrasingly bad so far. Technically and professionally the "American" chap just seems not to have a clue.

To be honest I'd rather listen to Joe Duffy !!!:mad:

Clontarf Caller.

[Daithi]

Euan, I have to disagree with you. The show is anything but professional - links are either scripted (and obviously so) or unscripted (and feeble). There's a serious lack of interaction. What you wrote sounds like an advertising blurb - I can certainly see that the show has potential but I couldn't imagine many people writing that the show is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Does Dublin need a youth talk show? Yes. Is this it? Not yet.

For further details on why this is so, please see the other topic on

http://www.radiowavesforum.com/rw/showthread.php?s=&threadid=167

(Isn't it much easier to post a reply on the same topic, rather than start your own thread?)

My view is that this show is trying so hard to be trendy. It's not as achingly painful as the evening show though: "they’ll be loud, annoying and occasionally entertaining…just like a good fart... ". How dumb do they think we are? Did I hear the chimpanzee call of Ireland's young people? This is just trying to be offensive without being offensive - the content is mild and week, but hey, if we say fart in the blurb we might sound edgy.

Try again, folks. The station is great but these two shows are talking down to us and dragging the station down (on first impressions).

[stayin alive]

well mr roberts ,you actually think this is good radio?
jesus i listened twice this week and could not believe irish radio could get so bad ..if it was hospital radio id understand but these two have obviously never done radio before ..
and please dont give me ''oh it's early days lets wait and see''thats not an excuse for being rubbish .....you raekon the american guy is funny ? he's about as funny as cancer .

if you want quality chat then i suggest you tune into simon mayo or nikki campbell on 5 live ....not a bunch of amatures who clearly have no idea what their doing

thats all .......

[vinylpusher]

Originally posted by Daithi
This is just trying to be offensive without being offensive - the content is mild and week, but hey, if we say fart in the blurb we might sound edgy.



Good points Daithi.
If it were in the mid-nineties, then we'd have something radical, exciting and dynamic on the airwaves.
But this is 2002 and the 'Beavis & Butthead / Waynes World' style humour just doesn't cut the mustard with the public anymore.

[Euan Roberts]

Hey guys, i guess i have hit a raw nerve with you radio anoraks. Sorry if my commentary was like an advertising blurb. Sure i suggesting the show is the best thing on Irish Radio, if i gave that impression i'm sorry. I should of explained my points in a clearer way. Nevertheless as one of you rightly said already the show has potential. I think the interaction is okay, but i do agree with you when you say the show is not scripted so naturally aren't the presenters more likely to sound a bit all over the place, yes probalby!

I suppose i was only listening to small snippets of the show so most of my views are based on the items i heard and the commentary from the presenters. Funnily enough they may of being the good parts of the show, ie interviews with guests you name it. Obviously, we all differ on what is good on radio and what is not. Clearly I am being naieve in my summaries or i just have fallen for that zany off the wall American accent on Spin Fm. I take all your points and they are very valid. Next time I guess a closer examination is needed by me. In the meantime happy listening anoraks.

Good Luck


Euan Roberts

[Guest]

Errrrr ... as an American ... I have to say:

1. Jack's accent isn't an American accent...any kind of American accent. His intonation, vocab, and ACCENT for crissake, are Irish!
2. The show doesn't sound like Z100, nor should it. What's wrong with a distinctly Irish youth-oriented talk show? If Spin must have a buffoon, they should get themselves an Irish buffoon.
3. Daithi makes some good points above.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Billy Bob T
Errrrr ... as an American ... I have to say:

1. Jack's accent isn't an American accent...any kind of American accent. His intonation, vocab, and ACCENT for crissake, are Irish!


Errrr, the chap has said himself on more than 1 occasion that he is an American. He moved here 10 years ago.

[Guest]

Somehow I doubt that Jack and Ally will be taking a look at this website like the zoo team did last night :rolleyes:

[Euan Roberts]

Okay if your all so annoyed with this American accent, write to Spin Fm and protest to them. Please don't hammer me for being vocal about radio.

Euan Roberts

[Guest]

Only one person actually commented on his accent, the second posting defended it.
For Christ sake Euan it been mentioned on this board before is that you opinion off the wall and you are only proving that with your comments on possibly the worst piece of radio in Irish history (this is not just my opinion but if you take the time to look back over a previous tread you will see this has already been discussed at great length.
So please Euan don pontificate about something you claim to know a lot about when in fact you seem to know very little. To prove that you told us all of your insider knowledge to the fact that Chris Barry would be appearing on Lite very soon, which turned out to be nothing but a bad guess although you claimed you knew this as fact.
So please with the greatest f respect answer me one question.
Why does your opinion differ so much to everybody else on this board?

[Brian O'D]

Euan, you're just a tad sensitive. When you make strong comments, expect some people to disagree with you, that is the basis for discussion - although admittedly, some characters (FMFreddie as usual springs to mind) have gone OTT and attacked you personally, which is unacceptable.

For the record, the show is dire, it just will not last in its present form. Callers aren't calling, texters aren't texting and they get so few emails that its very obvious when they do read out one.

[Mark Hunter]

I have friends at Spin so I'll keep much of my opinions to myself regarding the talk show. However you do have to cut them a huge amount of slack when it comes to calls/mails/etc. being a bit thin on the ground. Remember that they are a startup station that hasn't started any advertising campaign yet so therefore they're bound to be a bit short of punter interaction. It's not an easy job under circumstances like that but it will get easier. Have heard Emma Ledden though and she is fantastic at what she's doing for someone wil no real experience in radio. One to watch.

[Euan Roberts]

Hi Anoraks, regarding the spin controversy, i agree with Mark, once their advertising campaign starts, then they will really have to evaluate audience reaction to their first few weeks of programming. Audience research, listener reaction, music research review you name it. Hey, regarding Jack and Ali, sure what i was trying to say the show in some areas is okay, but as some of you have said, further development and changes are a must. Gossip items, less american guests etc

The station is in its infancy stages, give these two presenters a chance to develop their personalities as well as the rest of the Spin crew. They are not that bad at what they do, i personally think, they just need a bit of coaching, fine tuning, and station back up to make Ali and Jack's show more apetising for the nervous or doubtful listener.

Ps: Brian, FM Freddie comments were quite personal, and you are right, I am a little sensitive at times. Hey aren't we all occasionally.
I have no problem with discussion or people disagreeing with me,as long as they don't get into a personal slagging match over radio. Thanks Brian. Your points are well- made about Spin.

AnyhowI will be listening next week, like most of you anoraks. Let us wait and see.


Good Luck

Euan Roberts

[stayin alive]

i just cant believe the comments about these 2 idiots on spins talk show .
in my original reply i said the were a pair of amatures who've clearley never done radio before , and i still stand by that ...
first of all there's no pace to the show and it lacks entertainment
the american guy needs a broadcasting course quickly .
then i read stupid ridicoulous comments from people saying it's early days , wait 'till an add campaign begins etc , etc ,
you can do all the add campaign's you want but that still wont make them good presenters ..the reason theres no callers or texts is simply because nobody thinks they are any good so nobody wants to be part of their show , as for the show having potential , jesus christ ,thats typical irish attitude isn't it ,we just seem to accept any old shit in this country which is why radio in ireland is in the state it's in ....... whats the odds on them being gone before august ..........

bye .

[Euan Roberts]

Mark if you feel that strongly about Ali & Jacks show being terribly amauteur, why don't apply for Jack job. It would be interesting to see how well you do with all your unfair criticisms of these new presenters. Jack may need some coaching to fine tune but you need to calm down and chill out. Spin FM will be successful, but it will take some time like every station.

Good Luck


Euan Roberts.

[QtheHighlander?]

How did this pan out as I don't listen to Spin?

[anto]

How did this pan out as I don't listen to Spin?

how did what pan out exactly?

[Katy Lied]

why bring up a thread thats almost 7 years old?

[QtheHighlander?]

Because I was curious, that is why. I don't listen to Spin, but radio start-up teething problems are interesting and reading this early post seeing that Spin now features in quite a few threads, I wondered how it worked out with these two. That all! Ain't no big thing.:nutter:


i just cant believe the comments about these 2 idiots on spins talk show .
in my original reply i said the were a pair of amatures who've clearley never done radio before , and i still stand by that ...
first of all there's no pace to the show and it lacks entertainment
the american guy needs a broadcasting course quickly .
then i read stupid ridicoulous comments from people saying it's early days ,
bye .

[NetworkNews]

Because I was curious, that is why. I don't listen to Spin, but radio start-up teething problems are interesting and reading this early post seeing that Spin now features in quite a few threads, I wondered how it worked out with these two. That all! Ain't no big thing.:nutter:

Jack and Ali were let go by Spin a long, long time ago. They moved to Q102.

[QtheHighlander?]

Thanks NN.

[anto]

Jack and Ali were let go by Spin a long, long time ago. They moved to Q102.

they were car crash radio on spin!!