The alienation of the self, the annihilation of the body, the fracturing, dispersal, and reconstruction of the disembodied voice: the themes of modernism, even of modern consciousness, occur as a matter of course in the phantasmic realm of radio. In this original work of cultural criticism, Allen S. Weiss explores the meaning of radio to the modern imagination. Weaving together cultural and technological history, aesthetic analysis, and epistemological reflection, his investigation reveals how radiophony transforms expression and, in doing so, calls into question assumptions about language and being, body and voice. Phantasmic Radio presents a new perspective on the avant-garde radio experiments of Antonin Artaud and John Cage, and brings to light fascinating, lesser-known work by, among others, Valere Novarina, Gregory Whitehead, and Christof Migone. Weiss shows how Artaud's "body without organs" establishes the closure of the flesh after the death of God; how Cage's "imaginary landscapes" proffer the indissociability of techne and psyche; how Novarina reinvents the body through the word in his "theater of the ears." Going beyond the art historical context of these experiments, Weiss describes how, with their emphasis on montage and networks of transmission, they marked out the coordinates of modernism and prefigured what we now recognize as the postmodern.

A 30-part landmark series for BBC Radio 4, written and presented by Neil MacGregor 'The new blockbuster by the museums maestro Neil MacGregor ... The man who chronicles world history through objects is back ... examining a new set of objects to explore the theme of faith in society' Sunday Times In this major new BBC radio series, Neil MacGregor investigates the role and expression of shared beliefs through time and around the world. Using specially selected objects from the British Museum and beyond, talking to experts from various disciplines and visiting key locations from the river Ganges to Jerusalem, he examines how rituals and systems of belief have shaped our societies. Looking at communities from the distant past to the present day, both in Europe and worldwide, his focus moves from the beginnings of belief and the elemental worship of fire, water and the sun, through festivals, pilgrimages and sacrifices, to power struggles and political battles between faiths and states. Among the objects featured are the Lion Man, a small ivory sculpture which is about 40,000 years old; a 16th century ivory and gold qibla, used to find the direction of Mecca; and the Lampedusa Cross, made from pieces of a refugee boat wrecked off the Italian coast in 2013. Produced by BBC Radio 4 in partnership with the British Museum, this enlightening series explores humanity's enduring need to believe, belong and connect with the cosmos. Duration: 6 hours 50 mins.

Why is music so important to radio? This anthology explores the ways in which musical life and radio interact, overlap and have influenced each other for nearly a century. One of music radio's major functions is to help build smaller or larger communities by continuously offering broadcast music as a means to create identity and senses of belonging. Music radio also helps identify and develop musical genres in collaboration with listeners and the music industry by mediating and by gatekeeping. Focusing on music from around the world, Music Radio discusses what music radio is and why or for what purposes it is produced. Each essay illuminates the intricate cultural processes associated with music and radio and suggests ways of working with such complexities.

Twelve archive editions of the the much-loved BBC Radio 4 panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons Having matured like a fine wine for over 50 years, Just a Minute continues to improve with age. A full-bodied, cheeky little number, it's both sparkling and robust, and ideal for almost every occasion. A few bottles of the finest have been brought up from the cellar for this vintage collection. In these twelve humorous, enlightening and previously unpublished editions - harvested from between 1972 and 2004 - players once again attempt to speak without hesitation, repetition or deviation from the given subject. Challenges fly thick and fast under the unflappable adjudication of Nicholas Parsons. Seasoned players Kenneth Williams, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo, Clement Freudand Paul Merton compete alongside guests including Tim Rice, Sheila Hancock, Michael Palin, Jenny Eclair, Tony Hawks, Ross Noble, Ray Alan, Rob Buckman, Barry Cryer, Wendy Richard, Jeremy Hardy, Richard Stilgoe, Steve Frost, Graham Norton, Liza Tarbuck, Kit Hesketh-Harvey and Julian Clary. Which players will be allowed time to breathe uninterrupted, as they demonstrate they have the nose for a corking finish? Find out as we play Just a Minute! Please note: Contains mild innuendo. The humour in these programmes sometimes reflects the era in which they were first broadcast. Episode Guide 26 September 1972 Featuring Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo, Kenneth Williams 10 February 1976 Featuring Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Michael Palin, Kenneth Williams 20 February 1979 Featuring Ray Alan, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo, Kenneth Williams 22 January 1980 Featuring Rob Buckman, Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, Kenneth Williams 3 April 1985 Featuring Barry Cryer, Peter Jones, Tim Rice, Kenneth Williams 23 February 1991 Featuring Peter Jones, Tim Rice, Wendy Richard, Richard Stilgoe 11 February 1995 Featuring Jeremy Hardy, Tony Hawks, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo 1 February 1999 Featuring Jenny Eclair, Steve Frost, Peter Jones, Tim Rice 11 March 2002 Featuring Clement Freud, Sheila Hancock, Paul Merton, Graham Norton 7 July 2003 Featuring Clement Freud, Sheila Hancock, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Paul Merton 18 August 2003 Featuring Jenny Eclair, Clement Freud, Tony Hawks, Ross Noble 16 August 2004 Featuring Julian Clary, Clement Freud, Paul Merton, Liza Tarbuck

Ten archive editions of the the much-loved BBC Radio 4 panel game plus two very special programmes, chaired by Nicholas Parsons. Seasons come and go, and years fly by, but Just a Minute has been a constant ray of sunshine on Radio 4 for over 50 years. Now, in this new collection of programmes, ten previously unpublished editions - from the 1970s to the 2010s - are presented alongside two very special half hours: Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes and 50 Years of Just a Minute: Paul Merton in Conversation with Nicholas Parsons. Among the many guest performers attempting to speak for 60 seconds without hesitation, repetition or deviation from the subject are Kenneth Williams, Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, Peter Jones, Paul Merton, Andree Melly, Patrick Moore, Kenny Everett, Tim Rice, Wendy Richard, Richard Murdoch, Jenny Eclair, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Stephen Frost, Gyles Brandreth, Sue Perkins and Frank Skinner. Who will win enough points to take a commanding lead, who will find themselves trailing a little, and who will finish in a strong fourth place? Find out as we play Just a Minute! 1. 12 October 1971: Featuring Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Andree Melly, Kenneth Williams 2. 18 April 1978: Featuring Clement Freud, Patrick Moore, Derek Nimmo, Kenneth Williams 3. 5 February 1980: Featuring Kenny Everett, Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Kenneth Williams 4. 16 June 1984: Featuring Clement Freud, Peter Jones, Tim Rice, Kenneth Williams 5. 16 June 1988: Featuring Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, Wendy Richard, Kenneth Williams 6. 28 April 1990: Featuring Peter Jones, Paul Merton, Richard Murdoch, Wendy Richard 7. 2 August 1999: Featuring Jenny Eclair, Stephen Frost, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Peter Jones 8. 19 January 2004: Featuring Clement Freud, Paul Merton, Graham Norton, Linda Smith 9. 9 January 2006: Featuring Clement Freud, Stephen Fry, Paul Merton, Tim Rice 10. 18 August 2014: Featuring Gyles Brandreth, Paul Merton, Sue Perkins, Frank Skinner 11. 25 December 2017: Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes. Featuring panellists from across the years 12. 1 January 2018: 50 Years of Just a Minute - Paul Merton in conversation with Nicholas Parsons Devised by Ian Messiter Chaired by Nicholas Parsons Episode selection by Michael Stevens Music: The Minute Waltz (Waltz in D Flat Major, Op. 64) by Chopin Duration: 5 hours 50 mins approx. Please note: The humour in these programmes sometimes reflects the era in which they were first broadcast. Contains strong language and mild innuendo. Due to the archive nature of some of the episodes, sound quality may vary.

From Archibald MacLeish to David Sedaris, radio storytelling has long borrowed from the world of literature, yet the narrative radio work of well-known writers and others is a story that has not been told before. And when the literary aspects of specific programs such as The War of the Worlds or Sorry, Wrong Number were considered, scrutiny was superficial. In Lost Sound, Jeff Porter examines the vital interplay between acoustic techniques and modernist practices in the growth of radio. Concentrating on the 1930s through the 1970s, but also speaking to the rising popularity of today's narrative broadcasts such as This American Life,Radiolab, Serial, and The Organicist, Porter's close readings of key radio programs show how writers adapted literary techniques to an acoustic medium with great effect. Addressing avant-garde sound poetry and experimental literature on the air, alongside industry policy and network economics, Porter identifies the ways radio challenged the conventional distinctions between highbrow and lowbrow cultural content to produce a dynamic popular culture.

Rob Brydon tells story of his slow ascent to fame and fortune in Small Man in a Book. A multi-award-winning actor, writer, comedian and presenter known for his warmth, humour and inspired impressions, Rob Brydon has quickly become one of our very favourite entertainers. But there was a time when it looked like all we'd hear of Rob was his gifted voice. Growing up in South Wales, Rob had a passion for radio and soon the Welsh airwaves resounded to his hearty burr. However, these were followed by years of misadventure and struggle, before, in the TV series Marion and Geoff and Gavin and Stacey, Rob at last tickled the nation's funny bone. The rest, as they say, is history. Or in his case autobiography. Small Man in a Book is Rob Brydon's funny, heartfelt, honest, sometimes sad, but mainly funny, memoir of how a young man from Wales very, very slowly became an overnight success. Rob Brydon was brought up in Wales, where his career began on radio and as a voiceover artist. After a brief stint working for the Home Shopping Network he co-wrote and performed in his breakthrough show, the darkly funny Human Remains. He has since starred in the immensely popular Gavin and Stacey, Steve Coogan's partner in The Trip, and was the host of Would I Lie to You? and The Rob Brydon Show. He now lives in London with his wife and five children.

In Race and Radio: Pioneering Black Broadcasters in New Orleans, Bala James Baptiste traces the history of the integration of radio broadcasting in New Orleans and tells the story of how African American on-air personalities transformed the medium. Analyzing a trove of primary data-including archived manuscripts, articles and display advertisements in newspapers, oral narratives of historical memories, and other accounts of African Americans and radio in New Orleans between 1945 and 1965-Baptiste constructs a formidable narrative of broadcast history, racism, and black experience in this enormously influential radio market. The historiography includes the rise and progression of black broadcasters who reshaped the Crescent City. The first, O. C. W. Taylor, hosted an unprecedented talk show, the Negro Forum, on WNOE beginning in 1946. Three years later in 1949, listeners heard Vernon ""Dr. Daddy-O"" Winslow's smooth and creative voice as a disk jockey on WWEZ. The book also tells of Larry McKinley who arrived in New Orleans from Chicago in 1953 and played a critical role in informing black listeners about the civil rights movement in the city. The racial integration of radio presented opportunities for African Americans to speak more clearly, in their own voices, and with a technological tool that opened a broader horizon in which to envision community. While limited by corporate pressures and demands from advertisers ranging from local funeral homes to Jax beer, these black broadcasters helped unify and organize the communities to which they spoke. Race and Radio captures the first overtures of this new voice and preserves a history of black radio's awakening.

Focuses on the aural elements which combine with moving images. The New Soundtrack is fully peer-reviewed and includes contributions from recognised practitioners in the field, including composers, sound designers and directors, giving voice to the development of professional practice, alongside academic contributions. Key Features Brings together leading edge academic and professional perspectives on the complex relationship between sound and moving images. Covers a wide range of topics, including filmmaking, production, documentaries and macro-sounds. Provides a new platform for discourse on how aural elements combine with moving images.

The funny, heart-warming tale of Adam Carroll-Smith's enduring love of sport on the radio - a uniquely personal collection of memories with the power to generate a shared, nostalgic sense of deja vu. From furtively listening to Premier League matches under his duvet as a boy, to secretly following Ashes Tests and Wimbledon championships when he should have been working, all the way to sleep-deprived nocturnal sessions with the Super Bowl and the Ryder Cup, The Pictures are Better on the Radio tells the story of how one fan fell in love with sport on the wireless. Full of acute observations, touching anecdotes and Adam's customary mix of deadpan and absurdist humour, the memoir effortlessly gets to the heart of what it means to be a sports obsessive, and explores why radio continues to be such a cherished medium for fans across the world.

Now firmly established as one of the leading textbooks in the increasingly popular field of radio studies, Radio in Context provides students with a practical, critical and comprehensive understanding of the main principles and techniques used in radio programming. Organized around the most commonly studied radio genres and setting production within a range of different contexts - professional, institutional and historical - the text offers an ideal blend of theory and practical guidance. Readers of this fully updated new edition will continue to benefit from this core text, as it reflects important technological, regulatory and institutional changes since its initial publication in 2004 and expands on key areas such as digital radio, broadcasting over the internet, and the interplay between radio and social media. Supported by a full glossary, tips on getting into radio and exercises to develop practical and critical skills, Radio in Context is the ideal companion for anyone studying radio, the media, communications and/or journalism, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as short courses in radio or audio production techniques. Now firmly established as one of the leading textbooks in the increasingly popular field of radio studies, Radio in Context provides students with a practical, critical and comprehensive understanding of the main principles and techniques used in radio programming. Organized around the most commonly studied radio genres and setting production within a range of different contexts - professional, institutional and historical - the text offers an ideal blend of theory and practical guidance. Readers of this fully updated new edition will continue to benefit from this core text, as it reflects important technological, regulatory and institutional changes since its initial publication in 2004 and expands on key areas such as digital radio, broadcasting over the internet, and the interplay between radio and social media. Supported by a full glossary, tips on getting into radio and exercises to develop practical and critical skills, Radio in Context is the ideal companion for anyone studying radio, the media, communications and/or journalism, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as short courses in radio or audio production techniques.

The long-awaited autobiography of entertainment icon Jerry Blavat, You Only Rock Once is the wildly entertaining and unfiltered story of the man whose career began at the age of 13 on the TV dance show Bandstand and became a music legend. Lifelong friendships with the likes of Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra, a controversial relationship with Philadelphia Mafia boss Angelo Bruno that resulted in a decade-long FBI investigation, and much more colours this amazing journey from the early 60s through today. Now, some 50 years after his first radio gig, Blavat puts it all in perspective in this uniquely American tale of a little cockroach kid" borne out of the immigrant experience who lived the American Dream.

This unique anthology assembles primary documents chronicling the development of the phonograph, film sound, and the radio. These three sound technologies shaped Americans' relation to music from the late nineteenth century until the end of the Second World War, by which time the technologies were thoroughly integrated into everyday life. There are more than 120 selections between the collection's first piece, an article on the phonograph written by Thomas Edison in 1878, and its last, a column advising listeners "desirous of gaining more from music as presented by the radio." Among the selections are articles from popular and trade publications, advertisements, fan letters, corporate records, fiction, and sheet music. Taken together, the selections capture how the new sound technologies were shaped by developments such as urbanization, the increasing value placed on leisure time, and the rise of the advertising industry. Most importantly, they depict the ways that the new sound technologies were received by real people in particular places and moments in time.

Providing a fresh reevaluation of a specific era in popular music, this book contextualizes the era in terms of both radio history and cultural analysis. "Early '70s Radio" focuses on the emergence of commercial music radio "formats", which refer to distinct musical genres aimed toward specific audiences. This formatting revolution took place in a period rife with heated politics, identity anxiety, large-scale disappointments and seemingly insoluble social problems. As industry professionals worked overtime to understand audiences and to generate formats, they also laid the groundwork for market segmentation. Audiences, meanwhile, approached these formats as safe havens wherein they could reimagine and redefine key issues of identity. A fresh and accessible exercise in audience interpretation, "Early '70s Radio" is organized according to the era's five prominent formats and analyzes each of these in relation to their targeted demographics, including Top 40, "Soft rock", Album-oriented rock, Soul and Country. The book closes by making a case for the significance of early '70s formatting in light of commercial radio today.

As World War II drew to a close and radio news was popularized through overseas broadcasting, journalists and dramatists began to build upon the unprecedented success of war reporting on the radio by creating audio documentaries. Focusing particularly on the work of radio luminaries such as Edward R. Murrow, Fred Friendly, Norman Corwin, and Erik Barnouw, "Radio Utopia: Postwar Audio Documentary in the Public Interest" traces this crucial phase in American radio history, significant not only for its timing immediately before television, but also because it bridges the gap between the end of the World Wars and the beginning of the Cold War. Matthew C. Ehrlich closely examines the production of audio documentaries disseminated by major American commercial broadcast networks CBS, NBC, and ABC from 1945 to 1951. Audio documentary programs educated Americans about juvenile delinquency, slums, race relations, venereal disease, atomic energy, arms control, and other issues of public interest, but they typically stopped short of calling for radical change. Drawing on rare recordings and scripts, Ehrlich traces a crucial phase in the evolution of news documentary, as docudramas featuring actors were supplanted by reality-based programs that took advantage of new recording technology. Paralleling that shift from drama to realism was a shift in liberal thought from dreams of world peace to uneasy adjustments to a cold war mentality. Influenced by corporate competition and government regulations, radio programming reflected shifts in a range of political thought that included pacifism, liberalism, and McCarthyism. In showing how programming highlighted contradictions within journalism and documentary, "Radio Utopia" reveals radio's response to the political, economic, and cultural upheaval of the post-war era.

'This innovative and clearly written handbook does exactly what it claims on the cover, providing students with accessible and authoritative knowledge of the essential topics in Radio Studies... Chignell writes about radio with an engaging mixture of scholarly detachment and private passion' - The Radio Journal 'There is a need for a straightforward, wide-ranging, and up-to-date introduction to ways to study radio and other new audio-based media. Hugh Chignell's new book certainly fits the bill, and admirably takes the reader from initial ideas through to additional readings which explore the core issues in greater depth. It is crisply and engagingly written, draws upon a very good range of scholarship, and provides many useful contemporary examples... Students will find it an essential aid to their studies, and it may even go someway to ensuring that the study of radio is as important in the academy as its visual cousins' - Viewfinder 'This book is a useful starting point for radio students and staff, packed with citations and pithy comment from the author. It is a rich resource book for academic radio study at all levels' - Janey Gordon, University of Bedfordshire The SAGE Key Concepts series provides students with accessible and authoritative knowledge of the essential topics in a variety of disciplines. Cross-referenced throughout, the format encourages critical evaluation through understanding. Written by experienced and respected academics, the books are indispensible study aids and guides to comprehension. Key Concepts in Radio Studies: " Provides a comprehensive, easy-to-use introduction to the field " Grounds theory with global examples " Takes it further with recommended reading " Covers the central ideas and practices from production and media studies " Situates radio studies within its historical context and contemporary auditory culture

"This is not another turgid guide to digital editing, writing for radio and the structure of a newsroom team. It is an ambitious and accessible study that combines a succinct narrative history of radio journalism with an analysis of its power in the public sphere. It describes the development of British audio broadcasting before locating it in an international context and contemplating the contours of the convergent future. Such ambition is often the prelude to failure. Instead, Starkey and Crisell have written a precious introduction to the theory, practice and purposes of radio journalism that will be very useful to serious students of the subject... This is a very good book." - THE (Times Higher Education) Radio Journalism introduduces key themes in journalism studies to explore what makes radio reporting distinctive and lay out the claims for radio's critical importance in the news landscape. With their extensive experience in radio production and academica, authors Guy Starkey and Andrew Crisell take readers on a tour through the past, present and future of radio broadcasting, from the infancy of the BBC in the 1920s up to the prospect of rolling news delivered to mobile telephones. Grounding each chapter in a survey of scholarly writing on the radio, they explore the connections between politics, policy and practice, inviting critical reflection on who radio professionals are, what they do and why. Putting theory and practice into dialogue, this book is the perfect bridge between unreflective production manuals and generalised media theory texts. Witty and engaging, Radio Journalism provides an essential framework for understanding the continuing relevance of radio journalism as a profession, set of practices and arena for critical debate.

Started by the National Life and Accident Insurance Company in 1925, WSM became one of the most influential and exceptional radio stations in the history of broadcasting and country music. WSM gave Nashville the moniker "Music City USA" as well as a rich tradition of music, news, and broad-based entertainment. With the rise of country music broadcasting and recording between the 1920s and '50s, WSM, Nashville, and country music became inseparable, stemming from WSM's launch of the Grand Ole Opry, popular daily shows like Noontime Neighbors, and early morning artist-driven shows such as Hank Williams on Mother's Best Flour. Sparked by public outcry following a proposal to pull country music and the Opry from WSM-AM in 2002, Craig Havighurst scoured new and existing sources to document the station's profound effect on the character and self-image of Nashville. Introducing the reader to colorful artists and businessmen from the station's history, including Owen Bradley, Minnie Pearl, Jim Denny, Edwin Craig, and Dinah Shore, the volume invites the reader to reflect on the status of Nashville, radio, and country music in American culture.

This new Major Work from Routledge is a six-volume facsimile collection featuring long-out-of-print articles, documents and books that shed light on the key developments in radio in the USA - most of which took place in the 1920s and 1930s. The volumes cover most aspects of radio broadcasting in its formative years. Selections include professional journal articles, descriptive and critical pieces from more general periodicals, government publications, short books and industry publications. Each volume includes an introduction by the editor, placing the chosen reprinted materials in their larger historical and intellectual context.

Few inventions evoke such nostalgia, such deeply personal and vivid memories as radio. Ask anyone born before World War II about radio, and you'll see that person time-travel to the lost world of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Arturo Toscanini; to the jokes of Jack Benny and Burns and Allen; to the sobering commentary of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Edward R. Murrow. Those born after World War II grew up tuned to Jean Shepherd in the darkness of their bedrooms; cruising with Sam Cooke, the Beatles, or the Doors; talking back to Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, and Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Listening In is the first in-depth history of how radio culture and content have kneaded and expanded the American psyche.
But Listening In is more than a history. It is also a reconsideration of what listening to radio has done to American culture in the twentieth century and how it has brought a completely new auditory dimension to our lives. Susan Douglas explores how listening has altered our day-to-day experiences and our own generational identities, cultivating different modes of listening in different eras; how radio has shaped our views of race, gender roles, ethic barriers, family dynamics, leadership, and the generation gap.
How we listened, where we listened, who we listened to and why: With her trademark wit and erudition, Susan Douglas has created an eminently readable cultural history of radio that fixes its place in our lives as shaper and reflector of our passions and obsessions.

Young Johnnie Walker was obsessed with music and loved to share that passion. So it wasn't long after he'd started DJing in dance halls and pubs around his Solihull home that he got his big break: he talked his way into a slot with newly founded pirate station Radio England - and launched his incredible career. Here, he tells of forty years at the heart of British broadcasting, stints that involved working on the legendary Radio Caroline, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2; of the stars and musicians he's met and worked with; of how he won the hearts of his listeners and of his devotion to pioneering new music. Johnnie also speaks candidly about the personal challenges he's faced: divorce, exile and his very public struggles with drug addiction and cancer. His life has been inspiring and - above all - entertaining. His autobiography is no different.

A fascinating collection of revealing and entertaining interviews by the award-winning host of National Public Radio's premier interview program Fresh Air. Over the last twenty years, Terry Gross has interviewed many of our most celebrated writers, actors, musicians, comics, and visual artists. Her show, Fresh Air with Terry Gross, a weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues produced by WHYY in Philadelphia, is one of National Public Radio's most popular programs. More than four million people tune in to the show, which is broadcast on over 400 NPR stations across the country. Gross is known for her thoughtful, probing interviewing style. In her trusted company, even the most reticent guest relaxes and opens up. But Gross doesn't shy away from controversy, and her questions can be tough--too tough, apparently, for Bill O'Reilly, who abruptly terminated his conversation with her. Her interview with Gene Simmons of Kiss, which is included in the book, prompted Entertainment Weekly to name Simmons its male "Crackpot of the Year." For All I Did Was Ask, Gross has selected more than three dozen of her best interviews--ones of lasting relevance that are as lively on the page as they were on the air. Each is preceded by a personal introduction in which she reveals why a particular guest was on the show and the thinking behind some of her questions. And in an introductory chapter, the normally self-effacing Gross does something you're unlikely ever to hear her do on Fresh Air--she discusses her approach to interviewing, revealing a thing or two about herself in the bargain.The collection focuses on luminaries from the art and entertainment world, including actors, comedians, writers, visual artists, and musicians, such as:Conan O'BrienChris RockMichael CaineDennis HopperDustin HoffmanJodie FosterJohn UpdikeMary KarrMario PuzoNick HornbyChuck CloseEric ClaptonGeorge ClintonSonny RollinsSamuel L. JacksonJohnny CashIsabella RosselliniDivineUta Hagen *Carol Shields

Noel Johnson, Douglas Kelly, Duncan Carse and Gordon Davies star as Dick Barton in this exciting BBC Radio 4 collection set in the world of criminal masterminds, espionage and adventure! Dick Barton and The Secret Weapon In their very first adventure, Dick Barton and his army friend Snowey White join Colonel Gardiner of military intelligence to defeat the villainous Wilhelm Kramer. A new super-weapon has been stolen and Kramer plans to use it to hold the world to ransom. Dick Barton and the Paris Adventure In the second Dick Barton adventure, Barton and his friends join forces with the French police on the trail of an international smuggling operation. Dick Barton and the Cabatolin Diamonds The third adventure in the series sees Dick and Snowey's holiday plans for a Mediterranean cruise curtailed, when they are asked to help Freddy Belfont from the Home Office break a gang of diamond smugglers. Dick Barton and the Smash and Grab Raiders Dick, Snowey and Jock assist Sir Alexander Morton to catch a group of audacious smash and grab raiders. Plus a bonus CD including three previously unreleased isolated episodes; the earliest surviving recording from the series and the final episode ever made. Also included is a documentary featuring interviews with the principle cast and an extract from the now lost Dick Barton and the Bonazio Gang.

This title combines both theory and practice to lead, stepwise, to a full understanding of radio drama form. With the resurgence (though some say it has never left) of radio, due in part to new media practices and technological innovations, not only are there more theory-related radio courses, but also those teaching the production and practice aspects. "The Radio Drama Handbook" combines both theory and practice to lead, stepwise, to a full understanding of radio drama form. The handbook is broken down into two large sections: "A Contextual Guide to Radio Drama" and "A Practical Guide to Radio Drama". There will be a wide selection of case studies and practical exercises to make the book engaging and, above all, useful. Each section will be accompanied by practical exercises and suggested activities. Practice oriented and teacher/student friendly, this handbook is sure to become the new standard for all radio drama courses.