MEDIA CHOICE: Radio Five Live

MediaWeek, Media Week, Thursday, 21 August 2003, 9:00am,

I would like to offer my apologies to Mr Richards (Where Live TV treads, the terrestrials follow, p13, August 15) for inaccurately claiming that the weather reports were out of date (Media Choice, p6, August 8).

In a subtle rebranding, BBC Radio Five Live has added the Radio 1 Garage DJ, Spoony, to its presenters' roster for its hugely popular fans' phone-in show, 606.

Spoony - who, it seems, is also being lined up to be the new voice of golf - is presenting the show on a Wednesday, with Mark Chapman taking charge on a Sunday.

However, it is still the Saturday show that does the business for me.

It returned last week with the controversial Alan Green fielding the comically wide-ranging mix of callers.

606 has had some dodgy presenters over the past few years.

Danny Kelly was heralded as a great communicator who could fuse the workingclass football fan with the intelligentsia.

However, it wasn't long before the BBC realised that hatred for his cheeky style traversed demographic boundaries.

Then there was the bizarre David Mellor, whose only qualification for the job seemed to be being caught on the "toe" job while wearing a Chelsea shirt.

He was unrivalled in his ability to alienate callers by ignoring what they said and, instead, talking about himself.

And then there was Richard Littlejohn. Give me a voodoo doll. As with most individuals who think themselves funny, Littlejohn is singularly unfunny, and that, coupled with his questionable knowledge of the game, made listening to his shows an excruciating experience.

Alan Green and Adrian Chiles are a breath of fresh air - they have the same deceptively easy-going approach as Des Lynam, conversing with any fan with the same relaxed aplomb.

The secret? Being a true football fan and knowing how to close off a call.

For all TalkSport's domination of the commercial sports radio market, Kelvin MacKenzie must dream of employing presenters of the calibre of Green and Chiles.

Listening to TalkSport's hectoring football presenters is much too stressful an experience for a Saturday, Sunday or Wednesday evening and is just not as entertaining.

Five Live's 606 is in a different league - because it doesn't try too hard.

This article was first published on Media Week