BBC Radio Sheffield

[Box11 28]

I agree with you totally Tigerfan.....

 

[pintor 32]

Has Rony finally packed in, another bbc presenter well past retirement age  (he's 80 in December), Paulettes show is tripe, "today we're talking about toenails, when did you last cut your toenails etc", new blood needed at RS

[wearysmith 140]

I bailed on Sheffield long back. It didn't suit my needs.

When I used to commute to Doncaster daily for work I'd have Toby on. He made me laugh. Now, years later, I find him abrasive. It's the nature of his show. If he disagrees with someone, he'll pull them apart. What he won't do is try to see any merits in their opinion. That's not a good interviewing technique. That's bullying.

 

As for the rest of Sheffield, just who is their target audience? The music they play throughout the day tends to be bland. There's nothing challenging, nothing out of their perceived demographic's comfort zone. Mumsy is a term that could be applied to many of their presenters, male & female.

 

Think I mentioned a dozen or so pages back that I still listen in a morning occasionally. If any of the class want to talk about local topics, it helps me prepare on pertinent issues. But even that info I could gain from Look North.

 

If it wasn't for the Praise Or Grumble football aspects on a Saturday tea-time, I doubt I'd turn it on at all. I used to love Radio Sheffield. Now I feel I've just outgrown it.

[darylslinn 10]

I used to like Toby, I probably still do, but I don't listen to him anymore.... the whole radio station has become stale and safe, nothing new.
The only time i listen now is if we have some kind of weather crisis on, floods, snow, locust invasion etc.

It used to be  permanently on in my car, now I prefer to flick between 5  Live and my MP3 player.

 

[shaash 13]

I know Rony was shielding during lockdown and used to do daily reports on Paulette Edwards show but I've not heard him lately .

Anyone have any idea where he is and if he's coming back on Radio Sheffield?

[Zarniwoop 10]

Hasn't his show been scrapped as part of the local radio cutbacks? I think there was a post about on the Radio Sheffield thread

[shaash 13]

Still nothing as regards Rony I thought there would be something in the Star if his show has been dropped 

[The Joker 10]

On 18/08/2020 at 09:40, wearysmith said:

I bailed on Sheffield long back. It didn't suit my needs.

When I used to commute to Doncaster daily for work I'd have Toby on. He made me laugh. Now, years later, I find him abrasive. It's the nature of his show. If he disagrees with someone, he'll pull them apart. What he won't do is try to see any merits in their opinion. That's not a good interviewing technique. That's bullying.

The two things about Toby's show that nobody seems to understand are:

 

1) Toby is a comedian and professional wind-up merchant. Yes, he's abrasive and it's all part of the act.  I've howled with laughter and cringed with embarrassment when he's tying some bigoted windbag up in knots who didn't bother to do their homework.

 

Here's a perfect example of him taking on former Doncaster Mayor, Peter Davies of the English Democracts.

 

It was such a trainwreck of an interview, somebody kindly made it available for your listening pleasure.

 

Listen and enjoy:

 

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/admiralty/episodes/2009-06-11T11_47_27-07_00

 

2) Toby's show covers current events in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire.  If his show is boring, then that is because living in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire is boring.  It's a little unfair to criticise Radio Sheffield for that.

 

You want Toby's show to be more interesting?  Then MAKE IT more interesting by contributing to civic life in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire. 

 

Edited September 9, 2020 by The Joker
Added URL

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

On 08/09/2020 at 14:19, shaash said:

Still nothing as regards Rony I thought there would be something in the Star if his show has been dropped 

 

On 09/09/2020 at 15:18, glitterballs said:

His picture on the window has been replaced by Sile's https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08pkg60

 The last reference to Rony on https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/search?q=rony+robinson was back on 27 March!

To be fair, he is 79 yrs old. Maybe he just retired?

 

[johnlittle 10]

I don't listen to Radio Sheffield much these days apart from sometimes tuning in to the football phone in whilst driving home from a home match. It seems to me that the station has forcibly been dumbed down like much of the rest of media and society in general over the last generation especially worsened given the cuts in funding plus political and economic changes.

When the station opened in 1967 it did feel like a breath of fresh air and for the first time it offered really local news (and promptly, rather than having to wait for the local morning paper to hear the latest). It actively engaged the community and gave a voice to many. Apart from the news, there was music and entertainment too. In the bad weather and power cuts of the industrial struggles it was  the main instrument to help people keep working.

Unlike today, there was no social media and folks were hungry for local news and interaction and the BBC local stations fed this need better than the older pirate radio stations and their music. It truly did feel exciting.

I confess (not sure I should need to use this word) I tend to listen to the BBC - R2, R3 (infrequently) and R4.

I think I'm correct to suggest that some of the producers at Radio Sheffield went on to higher things at the national stations. Personally, I grew with Radio Sheffield, left it behind and as I got older I learned to listen to more demanding content and to account for any suggestion of bias or other interference by means of my own intelligence and understanding, which is how it should be.

I regret the changing influences over what we see and listen to (and this includes social media and television) but have now learnt to accept 'catch up' apps and iplayers as a way to take in and even improve the quality of what I can listen to (never thought I would).

I suppose I'm biased by my own age but what I'm thinking is that local radio was just a staging post along the way which, at its inception, was a novel quality because it gave us local information  and entertainment we never used to have.

Incidentally, does anyone remember the weekly live Sunday morning show 'Answer Line' or the recorded quiz show 'The Panel Beaters' of early 1970s? I was involved in the production and presentation of those shows as a member of Junior Chamber of Commerce. That itself an example of the opportunities local broadcasting presented then.

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by johnlittle
correction

[Cyclecar 24]

Likewise, as a member of SJCC I remember both programmes. Alas, my performance on Panel Beaters was unmemorable.  And I suppose Answer Line was of its time - nowadays Wikipedia soon answers any question! But the programmes did did give me an insight into the workings of a radio station, although today I guess the electronics are smaller, yet more sophisticated.  Happy days.

 

I agree with the above, the chance for 'ordinary' citizens to have a go was of great value, I rarely listen today unless I am in the car and the footie results are on air.

[shaash 13]

On 13/09/2020 at 14:35, Jeffrey Shaw said:

 

 The last reference to Rony on https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/search?q=rony+robinson was back on 27 March!

To be fair, he is 79 yrs old. Maybe he just retired?

 

He did daily updates during lockdown in Paulettes 's show they used to be around 12 .45 pm each day till around beginning of August