Dissertation Dissection

I went for my meeting with Anastasia and it went pretty much OK. The only main issue with regards to the diss is that most of the questions I've asked in my proposal could actually be individual dissertations themselves.

Just a case of narrowing things down really although my main concern is that I won't be able to write enough words which is the complete opposite as to what all the other lecturers are thinking.

We did agree that it might be an idea to focus mainly on the BBC's phone in scandals, and issues such as the last series of Strictly Come Dancing in terms of phone votes,
John Seargant's departure and so on.

I was also reccomended a book by former University lecturer and Media knowhow Paddy Scannell called "Radio, Television And Modern Life".
Anastasia mentioned that one of the distinguishing marks are actual transcripts from texts and programmes so it looks like it will be right up my street.

I believe it also contains extracts from the late Graham S Brand's dissertation on Tony Blackburn that he wrote in 1987 whilst at the London Polytechnic as it was known then.
I'd love to read that at some point as I understand the library has a copy and in those days Tony's soul show on BBC Radio London was essential listening.

Well apart from my house where mum preferred to listen to either Derek Jameson or Jimmy Young.

I'm sure Tony had been sacked by the time I can remember listening to Radio 2 and had joined what was to become Capital Gold.

Anyway, there's no excuse for not finding the time to read this book, provided I've got a bit of music playing in the background as always.

I've still got the Spyro Gyra and Shakatak discographies on my hard drive that I haven't listened to yet and they could probably be up there with Incognito, The Sunburst Band, Jazztronik etc.

Even more good news is that on Monday they'll be showing in my opinion the long awaited Panorama documentary about swearing on television as presented by Frank Skinner who's no stranger to controversy on TV.

Especially with his You've Been Framed send up "You've Bin Laden" done just weeks after the War in Afghanistan was declared in October 2001.

I can remember several jokes made about the Afghanistan dictator whilst at college as I'd only just started doing my AVCE course at the time.

The day I started however was just two days after the World Trade Centre bombings and a couple of years later, Simon one of our lecturers on the HND course told us his story of what happened on the day, where he was in the gym and they were showing it on television, when a couple of ignorant young women just moaned "I wish they'd put MTV on, it's only a fucking building".

I can remember that day as we'd only just brought a widescreen TV and because I had a television in my own room, it was rather sad that this was one of the first things I saw on it.

Those were tough enough times for me already with the transition from school to college and the long gap in between them.

Nothing compared with that from College to University as just over a week after getting back from the visit to Venice, I had moved to London.

Once again, it proves time has shot by.