During the last few months, I have had the pleasure of producing some video content for a Bradford based company called Industrial Services Group (ISG).  They are a Supported Business, owned by Bradford Council, but self sustaining with financial budgets and targets to meet just like any other business.  Their main characteristic is that they employ people with disabilities through something called the Work Choice Programme.  It was a really interesting experience, as I had no idea companies like this even existed. Read More

Well after weeks of voting, the results are in, and it looks like the Revolution evening show is the best in the north west! Thanks to everyone who voted, see the report here: Read More

The official birthday of 96.2 The Revolution is actually August 30th, from when we launched back in 1999.  However, since its rebirth in 2008, it now has a second birthday (just like the Queen) on 22nd September.  By pure coincidence, this is also the date that we originally moved to the building we are now in, from our little temporary box room at the Spindles Shopping Centre, to the old Sarah Moor Restaurant in Oldham Edge which was officially presented by Jack Duckworth!

It gives us an opportunity to remind listeners how long we’ve been around.  So, 96.2 The Revolution has turned both 11 years old AND 2 years old this year, and it was with this in mind, listener John Hall kindly penned a rather long poem for us and sent it into the station.

Enjoy…

Happy Birthday, to the Revolution,
Two years since your new evolution.
Good tunes combined with endless fun,
The entertainment has just begun.

Sara starts her show at five,
The Revolution has come alive.
Then at six, the airwaves rock,
Penky’s show, at stupid o’clock.

Wake up songs, sound out North West,
Listeners awake, from their rest.
But whatever the weather, sun or rain,
Steve’s Revolution will entertain.

Birdie hosts the Top Ten at Ten,
TUnes from a year, to reminisce again.
He gives out clues and loads of cheer,
As listeners attempt to guess the year.

In Studio One, Big Al is along,
It is eleven o’clock, his coffee song.
He also asks for registration,
Reads out texts sent to the station.

There’s questions, flowers and of course,
Battles against the work force.
Music and laughter, all the way,
As Big Al takes you through the day.

At 3pm, with the airwaves alive,
Elliot present his show called Drive.
Fun and laughter in many slots,
With updates on bad travel spots.

The ultimate tune of the day,
anecdotes and BIG questions all the way.
An afternoon of music heaven,
As Elliot eases you through to seven.

Jay’s Jukebox is the feature next,
Your records played, just send a text.
Relax and enjoy your favourite dinner,
The Evening Show will be a winner.

There is much to do, with games to play,
Questions and teasers posed by Jay.
While all the greatest hits flow,
He prepares you for the Wind Up Show.

Penky presents the show ahead,
As listeners prepare themselves for bed.
But for anyone, not sleeping light,
The hits roll on, throughout the night.

Saturday morning, it’s Danny at six,
Continues the great music mix.
More wind ups, then an eighties treat,
Before, Birdie, again will greet.

His Saturday show is very amusing,
Fronting four great hours of Cruising.
The most fantastic jukebox sound,
A show, nowhere else, can be found.

The jukebox hits flow and flow,
Keep tuned in for Jay’s Love Show.
Smooch around as the clock ticks,
John will wake you up at six.

It’s Sunday, relax, as you should,
Preparing yourselves for Phil Wood.
He gargles songs and taps out morse,
With Sunday classics played of course.

Big Al, then Elliot, continue the flow,
Leading to Steve’s Rewind Show.
Four hours of hits, from the past,
Before more wind ups, what a cast!

John Hall.

First of all, if you’ve not seen Shrek 4 yet (Shrek: Forever After) then I suggest you go and watch it – in 3D.

This new batch of 3D films that they’ve started to roll out are a fantastic idea.  I had my daughter staying with me this weekend so we decided to take her to go see it.  Now, I’ve never seen one of these new 3D films, I rarely have time to go to the cinema in general, but the quality made me want to buy one of those new 3D TVs that are due out later this year.  Then again, are we going to have to sit there in the front room looking like morons with our 3D glasses on? 

Spent the rest of the weekend at the zoo and the beach.  My daughter and her friend decided to take it upon themselves to try and rid the beach of every single razorfish shell that they could find.  They weren’t happy until they had enough shells to make it a struggle to carry.  When she went home, luckily she insisted on taking all of the shells with her.

She also took home her brand new “daddy badge” as she called it.  It’s part of the new range of Revolution merchandise that is now available through the Revolution website.  She saw this stuff and immediately wanted it. So here’s a picture of Kal, sporting her new badge, along with a Rev coffee mug.

Let’s talk Big Brother. No… not that tiresome show on Channel 4 which we all say we hate, yet still watch so we all know what our mates are talking about.  I’m talking about the REAL Big Brother.  I’m talking cameras on every street corner, every supermarket, every car park, pretty much any public place that you visit.  Let’s face it, cameras are now everywhere.  But surely they are only there to secure our safety or protect against crimes, so they can only be beneficial… can’t they?

The growth in the use of CCTV footage in criminal investigations has seen a rise in the amount of prosecutions, particularly over the past decade.  A good example is the use of systems in the London borough of Newham in 2006, which nearly tripled the number of arrests compared to the previous year.  But while this form of evidence is usually called upon retrospectively, CCTV footage could soon be monitored live, thanks to a new company who are starting to pay for volunteers to watch cameras and report any crimes that occur.

The value of the use of CCTV cameras has been met with a difference in opinion, with some police officers still criticising London’s CCTV network and others complimenting them as a crucial tool to catch criminals.

One U.K. businessman has pitched an idea to stream CCTV footage over the web and get volunteers to watch the images live.  Tony Morgan of Internet Eyes has recruited “watchers” who will receive a cash prize of up to £1000 for spotting the best crime over the previous month – and approximately 10,000 people have already signed up.

The volunteer would have a series of camera feeds on their screen, and if they witness anything suspicious, or a crime being committed, then they simply click the “report” button, to report the crime as it happens.

A similar scheme is carried out in Texas, where volunteers can register as “Virtual Deputies” and monitor the Mexican border from the comfort of their own home.  However, civil rights campaigners are rallying against the proposals to begin the scheme in the UK, as they insist people are already being watched too much in Britain.

But if one is doing no wrong, then surely one should have nothing to worry about.  The whole concept is designed to make us feel safer, at very little personal cost.

Obviously, everyone who signs up to be a “watcher” would have to be securely checked out.  As long as the volunteers who will be watching us are put through a stringent application process, then the question we should really be asking is what harm could this cause?  If it is going to be beneficial to the arrest and prosecution of more criminals, then surely this can only be a good thing?

I suspect the decision to either abandon the idea, or go ahead with live monitoring of CCTV will take some time to be made.  The company plan to launch early this year, but currently are delayed due to certain stipulations that have arisen with the ICO (Information Commissioners Office) whose guidelines the company wants to ensure they are working within.  So those who oppose the idea still have time to make their feelings well known.

But as for the people worried about privacy, bear this in mind.  There is a hypothetical statistic from the 1999 book “The Maximum Surveillance Society: The Rise of CCTV” by Gary Armstrong and Clive Norris which states “a person can be captured on over 300 cameras each day.”  This statistic has since been mistakenly quoted as fact in many news reports.  However, the fact remains, no matter how many cameras watch us throughout our daily lives, they are still there, watching us and recording us, so does it really make a difference whether they are being monitored live or not?  The overall benefit is the fact that crimes may be responded to much quicker than if the footage had to be relied upon retrospectively.  CCTV images are monitored live in supermarkets, so why not roll this out on a bigger scale?

I’m all for personal privacy, don’t get me wrong.  But if you don’t want to ever be seen by anyone then go and live in a cave, because there is literally no escape from them now.

If properly policed, live monitoring of CCTV could be of much value to the UK public in terms of immediate safety and early apprehension of offenders.

On that subject, one of the services I provide is forensic video and audio enhancement and restoration. If you have any recorded footage that you require enhancing, cleaning up, or just preparing in a suitable format for presentation in court, please do not hesitate to get in touch. All enhancements and prepared work is supplied with a forensic report suitable for presentation in court.