A VOICE SILENCED

In the past I’ve blogged about many varied things, and peppered through some of these blogs, I make mention of MTR.

MTR (Melbourne Talk Radio) was a radio station I listened to on the way to work in the mornings.  It was primarily as the name suggests: a ‘talk’ based station.

I found this station quite by accident, when I was searching for something different than the usual tripe spewed up by Melbourne morning radio.  I got sick of the attention grabbing gimmicks churned out on a daily basis, that were full of sexual innuendo, social dysfunction and egotistical crap.

Basically, I was looking for something a little more ‘intelligent’.

Now, I’m not saying I’m smarter than the average peanut; I’m not.  I was just searching for something that stimulated my mind instead of numbing it, if that makes sense.

So, MTR filled that void for me, albeit for only sixty minutes on the way to work.

I was really sad to learn yesterday that the station had been wound up.  After two years on air, MTR just could not make ends meet.  Advertising was insufficient, their ratings were poor, and Macquarie (the major backer of the station), refused to sink any more money into it.

It is such a shame that this voice had been silenced.  It was a very different radio station to anything else out there.  No music; just talk, and sure; you would be fair thinking ‘how fucken boring’, and let me tell you; I feel ‘old’ knowing that I listen to ‘talk back’, however, it was incredibly entertaining.

I didn’t agree with everything they said, or all of the views they presented, but it got me thinking, and I think at this stage in my life, that’s exactly what I was looking for; something to make me think.

I’m surprised that I’m this sad about the station shutting down, because after all: it’s just a radio station.  However, it was something that formed a part of my small, insignificant little life, and it’s sad to see it go.

*sigh

Thanks for the memories.

Peace out.