So, John Laws is retiring. I liked Matthew Ricketson’s report, which talked about “a conga line of” praising politicians — surely referencing Mark Latham’s “conga line of suckholes”.
Lawsy might air on 71 radio stations around the country, but that doesn’t include any in Melbourne. I’d like to think we’re a bit more cynical (particularly after the Cash For Comment affair), and I’m not impressed at all by the conga line of Federal politicians who lined up to praise him on Monday. I suppose it was asking too much for any of them to tell the truth: on an estimated $8 million income, he’s not “everyman”, and the only reason the pollies suck up to him is the audience he commands.
Of all those who commented in The Age story, I agreed with 3AW talk host Neil Mitchell the most: “He has been quite brilliant in some ways, and quite frightening in other ways … The cash-for-comment time was a very bad era for talk radio.”
4 replies on “Bye bye golden wallet”
Can’t say this is particularly good news, I don’t think talk back radio is going to improve much. His sponsered comments are always very dislikable but mostly very blatant. Cash for comments is a bit different as, at least for banks his actions were mostly to keep quiet. Apart from those, he could be quite good (and in my opinion objective) but also quite bad, rude and waffely at times. But other talk back hosts barely seem to mention banks either, though in most cases it is probably the radio station being sponsered.
John laws… I’m one of those who despise him. His opinionated gibberish has driven… [shuts himself up]… anyways, he should have retired at least ten years ago. It’s not as though he needed the money… he’s just an attention and publicity whore. You wait and see… he won’t be able to stop himself from makking commentary on public issues in his ‘retirement’… too many people think the very stench of his [edit] smell sweet. It’s really really pathetic. John Laws? Objective? What carp! heh heh
Melbourne, consider yourself blessed not to have been cursed by John Laws. [rant ends]
Cyalayta
Mal :)
Fair dinkum corkhead of the highest rank – I first listened to him when I was about 18 (1979), and my first impression of him was that he was lost in the maze of his fundamental orifice – and that far removed from RL it’s not credible.
You may have garnered the impression that I deem his retirement no great loss.
You’d be correct.
I don’t have anything particularly witty to say though I wish he’d take his listeners with him they seem to be members of the SPOTW – Shite People of the World.