The art of good comedy/journalism.... timing
Sometime around 1990 I recorded a destination feature for a travel programme that I was presenting on local radio, in Yugoslavia - or rather off the coast of Yugoslavia, it was a flotilla sailing holiday.
Six months later when it was due for transmission the director of the tour operator (Yugotours) sailing division and a local travel agent joined me in the studio for the live programme. I played the recorded feature and then we started discussing the holiday and the political state of Yugoslavia, because in the interim a fair amount of unrest had been flagged up in the media.
"What people will want to know most", I asked my guest from Yugotours, "is - is it safe?".
"Most certainly", he told us. And went on to convince us that their comprehensive network of workers and contacts in the travel industry throughout the country and tourism ministry officials were all very relaxed about the political tensions.
Within a fortnight all bloody hell had broken loose, and Yugoslavia, let alone Yugotours, was no more!
Timing.
Tricky stuff.
Yesterday I recorded some stuff about skiing in the Lebanon (See previous posting). During the course of today I wrote a short item about it, edited the audio, compiled it as an mp3 clip and inserted it in couple of locations on the Travel lists website. I also offered it to a colleague on a national newspaper for their website.
When I finished I got in the car and set off to collect my son from school. As I turned the ignition and the radio came on, Radio 4 started their news at the top of the hour.
Hezbollah in the Lebanon have kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and Israel has declared it to be an act of war...
Timing!!
Six months later when it was due for transmission the director of the tour operator (Yugotours) sailing division and a local travel agent joined me in the studio for the live programme. I played the recorded feature and then we started discussing the holiday and the political state of Yugoslavia, because in the interim a fair amount of unrest had been flagged up in the media.
"What people will want to know most", I asked my guest from Yugotours, "is - is it safe?".
"Most certainly", he told us. And went on to convince us that their comprehensive network of workers and contacts in the travel industry throughout the country and tourism ministry officials were all very relaxed about the political tensions.
Within a fortnight all bloody hell had broken loose, and Yugoslavia, let alone Yugotours, was no more!
Timing.
Tricky stuff.
Yesterday I recorded some stuff about skiing in the Lebanon (See previous posting). During the course of today I wrote a short item about it, edited the audio, compiled it as an mp3 clip and inserted it in couple of locations on the Travel lists website. I also offered it to a colleague on a national newspaper for their website.
When I finished I got in the car and set off to collect my son from school. As I turned the ignition and the radio came on, Radio 4 started their news at the top of the hour.
Hezbollah in the Lebanon have kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and Israel has declared it to be an act of war...
Timing!!
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