The Original Sims

Last time I sat behind a microphone and flew a live radio programme was around 20 years ago.  But with the help and support of Maurice Jay, Ivan Martin and John Rosborough, I found myself in a self-op studio broadcasting to greater Belfast.

There was a wild surge of adrenalin during the first 15 minutes on the first night, but things balanced out over the four nights.  The big challenge for me is that I’ve got into the habit of "early to bed early to rise". So I was getting to sleep much later than usual, so there was something of a Jet Lag feeling by the third night.

So thanks to all - it was fun.

Starting today, I’m doing some voluntary work for the Digital Content Industries Group in Northern Ireland.  The Facilitator’s job has been advertised and until we make an appointment, I’m doing some of the donkey work which is great.  Shortly we will be re-named Digital Circle and launch the web site.  It’s more a manifesto published online rather than a full interactive web site.  But once we get going properly, I can see fantastic potential.

The best thing about it being voluntary is that when the sun comes out, I can escape to the garden in good conscience!

It’s always worth reviewing predictions.  My favourite is Epic 2014  which I first watched about three years ago. Start at This Page http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=85631 for the background to the story and links to the videos.

There are moves every day in the internet business which bring the predictions closer (and faster) most recently the Microsoft/Yahoo failed deal – or perhaps “stalled” would be a better word than “failed”

The Irish Times comes into the office each day – but I rarely lift it to read it.  Like the Guardian, I skim the online version and sometimes take a section to read on the train home.

This story in the Irish Times from about 10 days ago is in line with the EPIC prediction from four years ago.

The report, conducted by Zogby International for the World Editors Forum and Reuters, revealed that newspaper editors were still optimistic about the future of their publications but believed they would have to adapt further for the digital age.
Some 86 per cent of respondents believed newsrooms should become more integrated with digital services as two in three believe the most common form of news consumption will be via electronic media such as online or mobiles within a decade.
"For these editors the future is self-evident and our survey shows that they see the writing on the newsroom wall," said pollster John Zogby. "The evolution of the 4th Estate is no longer questions of if, when or how. Editors now know the solution: Innovate. Integrate. Or perish."
According to the survey, 56 per cent of respondents believed that the majority of news, be it via print or online, would be free in the future. That was up from 48 per cent who answered yes a year ago.

Oh, and another good thing about newspapers online is you can find a story like this when in analogue time the paper would have gone to recycling (or to light the fire).

A call from the Irish Digital Media Awards a month or so back; bbc.co.uk/northernireland  had not been nominated for an award. I decided there was not a lot of point going to the awards ceremony which is generally a pretty good night out.  Was also told that Will and Testament was not nominated for Best Blog.

But in the event held in Dublin last week, our site bbc.co.uk/northernireland was "Commended for the Outstanding Entry".  We were beaten by a web site about Energy Efficiency in Ireland http://www.powerofone.ie/. 

Will and Testament also received a "Commendation for Outstanding Entry".  The winner was deservedly The Waiting Game.

We had only the two entries this year and over the last four years have won two Irish Digital Media Awards (including my own Hall of Fame Award) and have been short listed every year
Naturally (and properly) best wishes go to the winners.

Now waiting to hear about The Webbies and  BAFTA Interactive for the NW200 site.  Breath is being held.

At the beginning of the 20th century - 108 years and 30 days ago - Belfast was a world economic power. It was a century of unparalleled growth, of technology, of invention. And Belfast was a leading player at the beginning of a technological century.

On this day 100 years ago, in this city, almost on this very spot was the

• world’s biggest dry dock.
• Belfast had the world’s biggest Rope Works, (just half a mile from where we are now)
• It built the biggest ships,
• it had the worlds biggest cigarette factory within walking distance from this room
• and the biggest fizzy drinks producer.

Belfast was a glorious example of the industrial revolution - and it’s products were distributed across the world.

• But the world’s biggest passenger liner sank - on her maiden voyage.
• Ship building moved from the Lagan - and the Clyde - to the Far East where even bigger ships costing less could be built.
• The demand for rope declined as the need for rigging disappeared.
• The Cantrell and Cochrane label was replaced by Pepsi and Coke in the world of fizzy drinks.
• And in the mid 1950s it was discovered that cigarettes were not the health giving cure-all that people had been led to believe.

In the closing days of the 20th century Belfast was known less for industry and more for civil unrest.
Yet new and emerging businesses here have Titanic ambitions for our Titanic Quarter.

100 years ago Belfast’s industry was based on gathering and manipulating Atoms and exporting them around the world. Today is indented to be no less than a turning point where we look to the future and begin to build industry based on the manipulation of Digits - not Atoms.
And not just Belfast, but all of Northern Ireland. Already much work has been done in this city and out side. One of the exhibitors this evening Dark Water is from Derry. Dermot Cavana is from the Moy. Did you ever think that the Moy would be at the beginning of Northern Ireland’s digital revolution. Today is about digital Progress for all of Northern Ireland.

This evening we will hear from leading thinkers and practitioners. You can see the work carried out through the Digital Content Initiative. And there is the important opportunity to begin to create your own networks.

We can’t foretell the future, but we can guess one thing at least; Future success will be based on co-operation collaboration and partnerships.

Digital Media

To the Radio Academy in Belfast last night. Host, UTV’s John Rosborough, introduced the man, once described by a UK tabloid as "Dann, Dann, the Hatchet man".  Trevor Dann is possibly the man who saved Radio 1 to become what it is today, cutting back the "old guard" (who I once worked with) and starting anew as a radio station for people younger than 25.

Radio 1 had become an institution (parts of which the inmates had assumed control) and like an institution it had it’s own set of mores and traditions, it’s own passwords and secret handshakes.  And it was very, very old.  In what was seen in very negitive terms at the time, Dann and his colleague Matthew Bannister made the significant changes which probably stopped Radio 1 becoming privatised and rejuvenated the station to develop into a creative force that it is now.

Some snow fell in and around Belfast on Wednesday evening and caused travel problems on the road and at the airports.  A news person and a weather person were chatting on a radio/tv outlet.  “What does this say about Global Warming?” asked the newsperson.  “Well you’d expect snow in the winter.” replied the weather person.  True, but what a missed opportunity.

I’m not an expert and a little knowledge can be a useless thing, but this is how I understand it.

• Belfast (Northern Ireland) is at around 54 degrees Latitude. 
• In January other places at around 54 degrees latitude are locked in by snow and ice for months at a time; Newfoundland, eastern Alaskan islands, Siberia.  They are place names associated with “the cold”.

The British Isles are not associated with “the cold”, so a sudden snow fall will cause disruption.  The reason is that these islands are un-latitudinally warm is that we are bathed in the Gulf Stream.
I’m told by people who know (and there is more information here) that

• as the world warms (yes there is warming), the Arctic will melt and the cold water – moving south – will cool the Gulf Stream.
• As the Gulf Stream cools, the protection it gives the British Isles reduces and what is “Global Warming” for us becomes “Welcome to the freeze – it snows in winter – all winter and parts of the autumn and spring, too.”

I’m not saying the theory is correct, I’m not saying that Climate Change is caused by industrialisation.  I’m just saying that among reports of Gritters, accidents and amusing stories of difficulty getting to and from work, there was room for a different discussion. I just thought it was a missed opportunity.

But you expect snow in winter, don’t you?

New Media Bytes

Many want examples of how to get comments on blogs and create communities on blogs. The blogs listed here have done a good job doing that, for the most part.