The Right Hook

brettmirl

Was listening to The Right Hook on Monday evening.

Managed to catch the first half hour from 4.30pm, which I usually don't get to hear.

When did he start going on about what the other talk shows are doing?

Before he went into each interview he was doing, he mentioned the interviews Matt Cooper and Mary Wilson were doing on Today FM and Radio 1 respectively.

At one stage he started ranting about how Matt Cooper was covering old stories (drugs in prisons) whereas he was doing "good news stories" (a good samaratin story about a man stopping to help an old man change a tyre)

Thought it was very odd.

In other news, I'm liking Keelin Shanley on Morning Ireland this week.

Badabing

Maybe bitter that he is coming last in the listenership figures?

Drag00n79

He had just gotten a text from some listener saying that he was switching over to Cooper because George was starting his show with such a lame report (a caller was laying into the AA because they didn't come out to fix an old man's flat tyre - despite the fact he hadn't been a member since 1999). George took this text badly and started laying into Cooper's show. I didn't hear him mention RTÉ at all to be honest.

Mr E

I was going to start a thread about Hookie's show - might as well jump in here.

Anyone else find todays broadcast from Cork really hard to listen to? Sounded like it was being broadcast on AM frequency from the bottom of an empty swimming pool (echo, static, feedback --- production seemed really poor)

I wanted to listen to TRH (especially for the film slot) but found myself flicking back to Cooper to give my ears a rest.

Badabing

Shamrok wrote: »

He had just gotten a text from some listener saying that he was switching over to Cooper because George was starting his show with such a lame report (a caller was laying into the AA because they didn't come out to fix an old man's flat tyre - despite the fact he hadn't been a member since 1999). George took this text badly and started laying into Cooper's show. I didn't hear him mention RTÉ at all to be honest.

Thats just sad. I think George needs a break and a long one.

More Music

I also heard that on Monday. He didn't mention RTE as such but did wonder "what topic Mary was covering" and then asked who Mary was.

He also suggested what I thought for a long time. He wondered if the competition had anything more serious during the 4:30 to 5:00 slot. I always felt that time was taken up with filler/lightweight topics.

I'm fairly sure the broadcast from Cork today was from their new OB unit. Anybody see it or got pictures? I think they're in Cork again tomorrow.

It was hard to listen to alright, mostly thought it was because George was talking to the guest and not into the mic. There was alot of background noise also, stuff falling, people talking and traffic (unavoidable I suppose).

irish_bob

i like hooky but i think he,s pretty crap on his drive time show
hes an extremly slow speaker and hes also very soft on his interviewees
take for example the slot on friday evenings where he chats with american republican hack, michael graham
i realise this piece is meant to be comic relief but hooky always ends up agreeing with graham who has perpetual chronic verbal diaroheaa

spank_inferno

The audio quality on yesterdays outside broadcast was very poor.
Newstalk have to get their act professionaly.
Hook didnt fail to remind everyone they had a new OB unit.
But when they use it the audio is choppy.
When its not choppy there was sometimes an echo & the volume was poor for some of the guests.
It actualy sounded like it was all broadcast over a voip connection?
(a mobile phone voip connection)

DinnyBatman

Totally agree with spanky. Newstalk are letting themselves down with what seems to be inferior technology and sloppy researchers. Hooky is well able to carry the show, but not if the topics are rubbish..........!

silvine

What's wrong with the topics?

More Music

5:45pm today and Hook was wondering aloud where his guest was. Silence for a few seconds (producer talkback into his ear). Looks like our next guest is upstairs with Matt Cooper on Today FM. He then wondered what Cooper was doing on air now. I then switched to find out!

PS.

Newstalk and Today FM share the same building.

Badabing

Hook is turning into a sad old man, he was moaning that Cooper had a quiz on his show when the world is falling apart! This from a man that talks 90% bull on his show. Cooper is head and shoulders better than him and Hook knows it.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

brettmirl

Poor old Hooky was complaining there one day that Cooper got a higher ranking government minister on for an interview than he did.

He went off on a rant about how his show was just as important than the Last Word.

Perhaps if he spent less time listening to Today FM and concentrated on asking the right questions during interviews, he'd have better ratings!

Bitter indeed.

Eoin

Hook also made a meal of how his was the only show covering Mary Harney's resignation (as leader of the PD's) in its entirety. As someone who hates soccer, I don't get why Hook has to cover the premiership right before a 3 hour show dedicated to sport.

I still listen occasionally though - Matt Cooper is a very competent interviewer, very up-to-date on most current issues and all that, but my God, is he a dry bastard.

Ham'nd'egger

eoin wrote: »

Hook also made a meal of how his was the only show covering Mary Harney's resignation in its entirety.

Resignation of Mary Harney? Maybe I missed this given the season that's in it but when was this? :eek:

Eoin

Sorry - that was ages ago when she resigned as head of the PD's. I've edited my post. Didn't mean to get anyone's hopes up.

komodosp

I don't mind that little banter, it's all part of Hook's humour...
What really annoys me is when he says something like "Coming up next, we'll be talking about how they get the bubbles into lemonade" (or some other interesting topic)

Then an ad break
Then he reads a few texts
Then an ad break
Then "Coming up next, we'll be talking about hwo they get the bubbles into lemonade"
Then an ad break
Then the news, weather
Then an ad break
Then finally, about 20 mins after it was "coming up next" he finally gets to talking about whatever.

Also annoyed me... He was celebrating how great it was to finally have a black guy as president of USA, and an African guy texted in saying that he found it condescending - a perfectly valid point... George's response... Angrily, "me and my wife were members of the anti-apartheid alliance (or whatever it's called)". What the hell has that got to do with anything?

ateam

George likes the sound of his own voice too much. He asks a question and then rudely interrupts his interviewee with a silly comment or "alright".. Very difficult too listen to.

Koloman

The only thing that keeps me listening to Hook is Michael Graham on a Friday. Best bit of the show every week.