My radio show - 09/12/2015 - Professional Poker Playing and Radio Presenting

I do these most weeks between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Wednesday evenings. You can listen to the station live here.

This week I talk to professional poker player Neil Channing about his life at the felt and how he fell into this rather unusual line of work and to DJ Rick Edwards about his career behind the mic.

I have put an edited (sans music) version of the show on the House of Comments podcast feed so if you subscribe you should get it automatically.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Other podcasting software e.g. for Android can be pointed here to subscribe.

Or you can listen to the embedded episode below here:


Any feedback welcomed in the comments below.


PS: A big thanks to Audioboom for hosting the podcast.

My radio show - 25/11/2015 - Votes at 16, Autumn Statement and In Vision TV Continuity

I do these most weeks between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Wednesday evenings. You can listen to the station live here.

This week I talk to Henry Hill of Conservative Home about votes at 16 and Osborne's Autumn Statement and to cultural commentator and old school TV expert Steve Williams about in-vision TV continuity and why it's largely died out

I have put an edited (sans music) version of the show on the House of Comments podcast feed so if you subscribe you should get it automatically.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Other podcasting software e.g. for Android can be pointed here to subscribe.

Or you can listen to the embedded episode below here:


Any feedback welcomed in the comments below.


PS: A big thanks to Audioboom for hosting the podcast.

My radio show tonight at 8:30pm - Votes at 16 and has Osborne dodged a bullet?

On my Music Mill FM show tonight from 8:30pm:

First I'll be joined by assistant Editor of Conservative Home Henry Hill about votes at 16. 16 and 17 year olds had a vote in the Scottish referendum last year and the Lords have now voted for similar for the impending EU referendum. Would this be a good thing? Do under 18s understand the issues well enough to make an informed decision?

We'll also spend some time discussing the Chancellor's Autumn Statement today. Has he dodged the tax-credits bullet? And if so how has he managed to execute a U-turn that may have severely damaged the career of lesser politicians?

Then later we'll be joined by old-school TV enthusiast Steve Williams to discuss in-vision continuity. If you recall, back in the day, mainly on ITV lots of the regions had continuity announcers who we could see, usually sitting behind a desk. In some ways this gave the viewer a strong connection with the station in a way that perhaps we don't get any more. Have we lost something here? And could they be set for a comeback with some of the hyper-local TV stations that have started recently?

If you want to listen live the best way is either to find "Music Mill FM" on the TuneIn Radio app if you have a mobile device or via this link from a browser.

If you want to get in touch during the show I'm on twitter @MarkReckons – you can tweet your thoughts about today's topics or anything else. You can also e-mail me on markreckons@live.co.uk either during the show or if you're listening to the podcast version any time afterwards.

I will also be uploading a recording of the show to the House of Comments podcast feed in the next day or two as usual.

My radio show - 18/11/2015 - Nuclear deterrence and Police Commissioners

I do these most weeks between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Wednesday evenings. You can listen to the station live here.

This week I am joined by Emeritus Professor of War History at Kings College London Lawrence Freedman to discuss the nuclear deterrent and by Conservative candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall Alison Hernandez to discuss her campaign and politics more generally.

I have put an edited (sans music) version of the show on the House of Comments podcast feed so if you subscribe you should get it automatically.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Other podcasting software e.g. for Android can be pointed here to subscribe.

Or you can listen to the embedded episode below here:



Any feedback welcomed in the comments below.


PS: A big thanks to Audioboom for hosting the podcast.

My radio show - 11/11/2015 - FOI, Corbyn and Lib Dems

I do these most weeks between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Wednesday evenings. You can listen to the station live here.

This week I speak to media expert and former Labour adviser Paul Blanchard about Freedom of Information reform and how Jeremy Corbyn is doing and also former Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Kelly-Marie Blundell about how her party is getting on 6 months after the general election

I have put an edited (sans music) version of the show on the House of Comments podcast feed so if you subscribe you should get it automatically.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Other podcasting software e.g. for Android can be pointed here to subscribe.

Or you can listen to the embedded episode below here:



Any feedback welcomed in the comments below.


PS: A big thanks to Audioboom for hosting the podcast.

My radio show tonight at 8:30pm - FOI/Grayling and Lib Dems 6 months on from the election

On my Music Mill FM show tonight from 8:30pm:

I'll be speaking to media expert Paul Blanchard about the changes that the government are currently planning to Freedom of Information. In particular we'll be focusing on some comments that Justice minister Chris Grayling recently made about how FOI requests are apparently being “abused” by journalists.

Then later we'll be joined by Lib Dem activist and former parliamentary candidate Kelly-Marie Blundell to discuss how her party is now doing six months into the new parliament. With their number of MPs reduced from 57 to 8 are they still an effective force? Is the electorate perhaps starting to think they've had enough of a kicking and are starting to listen to them again?

If you want to listen live the best way is either to find "Music Mill FM" on the TuneIn Radio app if you have a mobile device or via this link from a browser.

If you want to get in touch during the show I'm on twitter @MarkReckons – you can tweet your thoughts about today's topics or anything else. You can also e-mail me on markreckons@live.co.uk either during the show or if you're listening to the podcast version any time afterwards.

I will also be uploading a recording of the show to the House of Comments podcast feed in the next day or two as usual.

My Show on Music Mill FM - 04/11/2015

I'll be doing these most weeks now between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Wednesday evenings. You can listen to the station live here.

This week I speak to journalist and BBC Radio 4 Analysis presenter Jo Fidgen about the ethics of eating meat and also to the comedienne Wendy Wason about fulfilling different roles in our busy lives and how much room is left for the real us. We also try to answer the question as to why Postman Pat is so incompetent.

I have put an edited (sans music) version of the show on the House of Comments podcast feed so if you subscribe you should get it automatically.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Other podcasting software e.g. for Android can be pointed here to subscribe.

Or you can listen to the embedded episode below here:



Any feedback welcomed in the comments below.


PS: A big thanks to Audioboom for hosting the podcast.

My News Show on Music Mill FM - 21/10/2015

I'll be doing these most weeks now between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Wednesday evenings. You can listen to the station live here.

This week I speak to drug law reform campaigner Steve Rolles about the current drug laws and how they might change and then to chief spokesperson for the pressure group Republic about the monarchy and republicanism as well as Jeremy Corbyn's recent royal related problems.

I have put an edited (sans music) version of the show on the House of Comments podcast feed so if you subscribe you should get it automatically.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Other podcasting software e.g. for Android can be pointed here to subscribe.

Or you can listen to the embedded episode below here:



Any feedback welcomed in the comments below.


PS: A big thanks to Audioboom for hosting the podcast.

My News Show on Music Mill FM - 14/10/2015

I'll be doing these every week now between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Wednesday evenings. You can listen to the station live here.

This week I speak to head of press for UKIP Gawain Towler about the EU referendum and technology journalist Nicole Kobie about broadband coverage and so called "not spots" in the light of a debate on this subject by MPs this week.

I have put an edited (sans music) version of the show on the House of Comments podcast feed so if you subscribe you should get it automatically.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Other podcasting software e.g. for Android can be pointed here to subscribe.

Or you can listen to the embedded episode below here:



Any feedback welcomed in the comments below.


PS: A big thanks to Audioboom for hosting the podcast.

My Radio News Show on Music Mill FM - 07/10/2015

I had my radio hosting debut yesterday on Music Mill FM.

It went quite well I thought. I forgot to put my fader up for a few second at the start until my producer gesticulated at me and I turned it on. I also had a problem getting the first song started but after that it seemed to flow pretty well and I really enjoyed it. I'll be doing these every week now between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Wednesday evenings. You can listen to the station live here.

This week I talked to Conservative commentator Rupert Myers about the Tory conference and author and cultural commentator Tim Worthington about famous TV defections of the past following Robert Peston's move from the BBC to become ITV's political editor.

You can also hear my attempt at an impression of Alan "Fluff" Freeman doing a chart countdown.

I have put an edited (sans music) version of the show on the House of Comments podcast feed so if you subscribe you should get it automatically.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Other podcasting software e.g. for Android can be pointed here to subscribe.

Or you can listen to the embedded episode below here:



Any feedback welcomed in the comments below.


PS: A big thanks to Audioboom for hosting the podcast.

My radio broadcast hosting debut tonight at 8:30pm

Tonight at 8:30pm I am going to be hosting my first ever radio show for an hour, from a proper studio and everything!

I am very excited about this and am grateful to the good people of Music Mill FM for having asked me to do this. I have been a guest on radio shows lots of times but never the host so this a new departure for me. We did a pilot last week and it went quite well so fingers crossed this one does too.

The show is a light hearted look at a couple of the week's top stories. We will have guests and also music from Music Mill's own recording studio.

The topics for tonight will be Tory conference (naturally) in general and Cameron's speech in particular. We are also going to cover top TV defections in the light of Robert Peston's move to ITV.

If you want to listen live the best way is either to find "Music Mill FM" on the TuneIn Radio app if you have a mobile device or via this link from a browser.

I will also be uploading a recording of the show to the House of Comments podcast feed in the next day or two.

Wish me luck!