Brekkie Crumbs (Notes from the NewsRadio Breakfast team) for Thursday December 3rd
Glen - Breakfast presenter …
I hear whispers that the ABC may be screening The Colbert Report from the US Comedy Central cable channel next year. I hope so - ‘tis a great show.
In fact, the more I see of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show - where Stephen Colbert got his break - the more I understand why Jon Stewart’s long running program is the ‘news’ program of choice for many Americans - young & old. Its ‘fake news’ approach not only manages to highlight the lunacy of politics American-style and target the media’s often dubious frenzied tactics & practices, but also features a daily interview with influential people from all over the world. Recent editions have featured different members of the Obama cabinet, Vice President Joe Biden, Al Gore, and columnist Tom Friedman all calmly expounding on the challenges facing the US and the world. They were amusing, accessible exchanges that proved more educational than most so-called serious programs that often provide more heat than light. I’m always tempted to steal some of the interviews for replay on NewsRadio but sadly Comedy Central is not one of our partner networks.
By the way, I’ve noticed the key to Foxtel’s many new channels seems to be an increase in the repeating and rotation of many movies - if you miss something not only will it probably be coming up again soon, but may well be featured on another new channel in a few days. Not sure there is really that much new content there - just new delivery channels. I could certainly do without the lifestyle offerings like the ‘You’ channel cluttering up my program guide. To each his own, I suppose.
___
Mark - Breakfast E.P.
Glen read out a interesting bit of copy on air yesterday:
“Former Prime Minister John Howard has told ABC Online that he had spoken regularly with all three leadership contenders in the run-up to Tuesday’s Liberal leadership ballot.
Mr. Howard says that although he’s an “observer” and not a player, his goal “is to see the Liberal Party restored to government”.
“I’ve taken the approach that if anybody wants my advice, they can seek it and I’m happy to give it,” he said.
Mr. Howard says Tony Abbott is ‘articulate and energetic and I think he’ll make a very good fist of it’.”
Hang on…
Mr Howard spoke regularly to all three leadership contenders?
Okay, he and Tony Abbott pretty much sing from the same hymn-sheet.
After all Tony Abbott once described himself as “the ideological love child of John Howard and Bronwyn Bishop”.
Joe Hockey?
Well, John Howard’s always had a soft spot for the North Sydney MP, even though Big Joe’s an avowedly small “l” Liberal and John Howard a big “C” conservative.
But Malcolm Turnbull?
The man who once described John Howard as the Prime Minister “that broke Australia’s heart?”
You bet.
If anyone thought that after becoming only the second Prime Minister in this nation’s history to lose his seat at a general election that John Howard would do a Stanley Bruce and slink off to a quite life in the British House of Lords….think again.
The Liberal Party is John Winston Howard’s life.
Always has been, always will be.
Nothing of any consequence in the Liberal Party will happen without someone placing a call to John Howard…whether they be a “wet”, a “dry”, a “moderate” or a “conservative”.
He’s no “observer”.
You won’t hear John Howard publicly railing against alleged architectural crimes like Paul Keating, or promoting business links with China or advocating Australia take the world’s nuclear waste like the Silver Bodgie.
He’s got far more important things to do.
