VentnorBlog‘s ‘fave’ Island Radio-Jock, Alex Dyke has today announced ‘some’ changes to the Isle of Wight Radio Phone-in.
During his show, there were a number of audio promos highlighting the “14 years and counting,” that the Phone-in has been running, making it, they say, the longest running phone-in in UK radio history. Quite an achievement.
Sounding considerably more agreeable than his usual confrontational self, Alex went on to explain changes that are occurring to the IW Radio Phone-In.
The new schedule
Thursday will have ‘experts’ available for people to ask questions or advice. He equated it to a feature by Paul Topping, “Extra, extra,” that used to appear on Solent TV, where members of the public were able to quiz Isle of Wight Council members and other leading figures on current Isle of Wight issues.
Friday will be the day that they hope to carry out their Outside Broadcasts. A great opportunity for IW Radio to try and raise their profile on the Island, during a time of increasing competition for Islander’s attention from other media sources.
A “Music feature” will replace the phone-in on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. No more details of this were given, but it sounds like playing music, not phone-in.
Phone-in on which days?
While old Dyke-y is saying that it’s “Not the end of the phone in, but we’re trying to see how we can rejig it,” it sound a lot like the Phone-in is just occurring on Thursday where the ‘experts’ will be the focus for the discussion.
It does sound like he has still kept his job, something the perhaps was in question given his recent broadcast where he raised the question of if he should “call it a day” – a great way of giving him a get out.
To keep it running for 14 (or is it 16?) years Alex and his assorted co-hosts have done an amazing job of keeping it going, especially on the days where no-one calls and he has to keep the air from going silent. With it being live, it must be a difficult and fraught business.
School’s impact?
It has to be asked if Alex Dyke’s coverage of the Island’s School reforms, that many felt were biased towards the council’s position, have damaged his standing in the hearts of the Island’s listeners.
