ABC Radio's Geller obsession

ABC Radio’s Geller obsession

Thanks for putting some effort into the “Geller obsession” at ABC Radio. This was one of numerous reasons I had to get out ABC employment just under two years ago. Valerie Geller preaches mainstream American commercial radio techniques. Doesn’t anyone suspect that this may be just what the ABC doesn’t need. Back to basics here. […]

Crikey

Sep 07, 2005

Thanks for putting some effort into the “Geller obsession” at ABC Radio. This was one of numerous reasons I had to get out ABC employment just under two years ago.

Valerie Geller preaches mainstream American commercial radio techniques. Doesn’t anyone suspect that this may be just what the ABC doesn’t need. Back to basics here. The ABC is a government-funded public broadcaster expected to enhance Australian culture and knowledge. I fail to see the relevance here for the ABC with dear old Valerie. In fact if she spent too much time with the ABC the end result may just be what we don’t want. The ABC fought long and hard to rid itself of the BBC sound and culture, for what? To replace it with an American one?

Having said that, she really is far from being the guiding light of radio. As for commercial radio, it has long been recognised that Australian commercial radio has done it better than their US counterparts. So if the ABC needs a guiding light, why not try the backyard first?

Geller’s much lauded books are hard going for anyone with an intellect over 100. It is written for beginners and uses very large print with words not containing too many consonants.

You mention the cost of her services. Well, those figures are accurate according to her web site Geller International. However, if the ABC had any bargaining sense, given her years of service to the Corporation, they might now be getting a discount.

As for the basic teaching philosophy, I have selected a little gem from the section on the same web page titled “Creating Powerful Radio News Features”, something one would have thought was still of some relevance to a very down market ABC. Under the sub heading “GOING LIVE, BEING REAL AND TAKING THE LISTENERS WITH YOU!” it bravely states:

“Describe everything. If you realize it’s all about the imagination, you are already ahead of the game.”

This is news reporting?

Many of Geller’s techniques raise fundamental issues of journalistic ethics. While much of this has been applied to Commercial talk radio in the search for ratings it is surely very dangerous ground for a public broadcaster.

If this is not enough just check out the appalling spelling errors in the same web page, such as: