Until quite recently, reaching 10 p.m. on a weekday night signalled a clear end to the day. The TV drama or Netflix film or football live stream was over. The options were to watch the TV news, which would be shite, biased and presented by muppets. Or to go to bed and read until sleep descended.
And then a friend told me she had been crying tears of laughter earlier that evening, listening on the Internet to the Richie Allen show. I had heard Richie now and again down the years, as I cast around for reliable forms of news alternatives, away from the growingly moribund, corporate-controlled mainstream. But I didn’t have much of a view either way. If a memory persisted, it was of a booming Irishman who sounded confident but polite as he talked to various people and tore apart what the TV and papers were saying.
From his dwelling in Salford, near Manchester, Richie puts out his show live from Monday to Friday, usually starting at 5p.m. I saw that the recordings were available later in the day on Podomatic, and so tuned in for the first time about six months ago. I didn’t know then that (if Richie is telling the truth, which he prides himself on) the show has the biggest audience for any independent European radio programme.
He has been a broadcast journalist for most of this century. It soon became clear that he focused on stuff that interested me. In particular, the sheer ineptitude of most news media. The endless number of well-paid journalists who lick arse and duck from asking the hardest questions. The frailty of our democracy. The corruption of global institutions. And, of course, Covid-19. Pulling the subject apart every night in a way that digs far deeper than the talking heads. ‘Covering the stories that the MSM won’t,’ is the show’s brand line.
Just as good, Richie likes sport and music. He likes ideas. And he tells jokes. He talks about his French partner, Carolyn, with an exquisite mix of love and wit. He talks about his friends, and his beloved Irish roots, alongside his despair at Ireland’s current situation. And he mercilessly mocks the people that run the world, without censoring himself or worrying about the PC/’woke’ communities. I like that about him more than anything else.
Generally, Richie talks for about 45 minutes, and allocates around an hour for his guests to talk. Every few weeks there are phone ins from listeners, often with unpredictably fascinating topics.
It’s definitely one of those shows that people will either love or hate. You cannot feel indifferent about the guy. Richie strives for balance, by lacing his show with a spread of fascinating guests, from all walks of life. His politics are leftfield, but he has no problem with talking to those on the right. As journalists should be, he is more interested in the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ rather than political choices. Take it from me though, it might be better to steer clear if you have fixed views or are easily offended.
I am anything but. Hence the last two hours of the day are looked forward to with relish. It has made the second half of this awful year so much more enjoyable.
The Biscuit Factory 
So refreshing and thanks for sharing this. I must listen in. Why am I not surprised that the embryo link between us is Hackney and in my case the Hubbard family of Kenworthy Road
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I’m not sure what you mean about the Hackney link Ed? I’m glad we have it…but is it somehow relevant to my thoughts on Richie Allen? I’m a bit slow at the best of times.
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That’s interesting mate. Strangely, I’ve never listened to him but of course, I’ve heard his name mentioned. I’m going to take a leaf out of your book and listen in this Thursday 👍
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Can’t promise that you’ll like him John. But I hope you do. 🙂🙂
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I’m glad you got this information from your friend, Kev, and this show has brought some sanity and stress-relief in the last part of this godawful year! Listening to people who are impervious to the PC Wokeness of our world these days are rare and unique, for sure. I can feel my blood pressure lowering already as I think about it.
In fact,you know what? I’m engaging in a two-week study with my husband’s hospital out here to help figure out adrenal crisis. I’m in the control group. So this involves me pricking my finger for blood a few times and taking my blood pressure twice a day in the morning at night and writing it all down.
At least two or three times when I’m doing the night blood pressure, I’ve noticed that if the news is on while I’m doing it, my pressure actually DOES go up many points. It actually has said “hypertension 1” or “2” several times. When the news is off, blood pressure’s pretty much normal. I guess that says it all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Wow. Your discovery doesn’t surprise me Stace. Even the sound of the TV makes me tenser, after a period when there is quiet in the house. Have you noticed that the musical introductions to the news also stir tensions? Like those sections in films where the producers crank up the music. Step back from news programmes for a minute and they feel designed to rile, divide and generally take us on an emotional roller-coaster. Richie has one 30-second news clip in his show, usually featuring three 10-second clips without any analysis or conjecture. Read in a calm and steady voice by a news agency staffer in DC. That’s all anyone needs.
Hope the adrenal study helps hubbie. Data like that is so invaluable. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Completely agree. The music sets off the Pavlovian dog response of tenseness and anxiety. Then the rest of it follows. Just not healthy at all and usually completely meaningless.
Richie’s the man. A pool of calm in the middle of all the chaos. Niiiiiiiice.
I hope the study helps too! Today was my last day. Yay! I think the system I’m synced up with is extremely conservative with its readings, tho. Since when is 120 over 82 hypertension or 123 over 77 hypertension 2?
Come on! Everyone in the world would have high blood pressure, if that was the case!
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