Oli Wilson - Musicmouth - End of an Era. For now
So Channel M made huge redundancies last week... I think 2/3 of the work force are gone.
The loss of the jobs is so sad and a sign of the times. I'm gutted for everyone that has lost out there. It feels like the end of an era > I don't mean that Channel M being reduced to three hours programming is so significant apart from to those who will be watching the jobsearch programme this week rather than making it... I mean that small, independent organisations are so rarely seen now. Look at what my dad got away with on 'So It Goes'. Over the last few decades regional programming has diminished rapidly to the point where, this week, there is now NO regional music show. In the television world, the North West no longer has a voice. Thats sad.
With Channel M on the tv and XFM championing Manchester on the radio it seemed a year ago that perhaps these two pillars of north west media would be channeling the new musical revolution that has to come in the next year or two... but I guess it will have to find another way to amplify itself to a mainstream audience. The kids out there working their amps and drum machines making the next wave of new and exciting music (and recession always brings out creativity in the populace... it's all we have to turn to) will have to rely on Hype Machine.
Dan Parrots music show on Channel M will be sorely missed by a lot of people in Manchester. It was the last opportunity for anything commercially untainted to air from the huge mast on Winter Hill.
Back to prolonged ads on commercial radio. Back to watching T4 idiots read the autocue and introduce bands we once savoured at night and day pushed further along the corporate plank.
I only hope that things will turn around and Channel M will later this year/next year be able to open its doors once again to the kind of programming we have so far been enjoying.
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Published: Mon, 04 May, 2009
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