Both, simples. In the absence of producers on smaller radio staions, the prep companies and prep sheets (like X-Tracks Magaizine of years gone by) does come in handy. Besides, back in the day when there was very little internet access, I found X-Tracks Magazine easy to use for the things that interests listeners at breakfast, such as the celebrity birthdays. I did use facts books that I bought from bok shops that put twists on “this day in history” type features, to send them up as being something more humurous than they actually were. Other than that, my programs were a combination of me and my humour, plus lots of local what’s-on information but very little celebrity gossip.

I think the forward-planning aspects of the prep services I’ve seen can be useful – factual backbone notes to big events, new TV series, etc.; but for a jock to just read out those ‘gag lines’ is plain lazy and (more often than not) only fits the style of the writer.

And anyone who reads those ’19 days to National Odd Sock Day, 27 days until The International Day of Cows’ sections verbatim should probably be doing something else for a living.

Like Steve Wright?

First thing is who cares about celeb birthdays I have never gone into work and said guess what its Donna Summers Birthday. National Kipper day is of no interest to anyone. On this day in history WHY? its gone. A look at todays papers or wants on tv is rubbish you don’t see TV saying lets have listen to the radio. While I am on it time checks and telling people the date WHY (cept breakfast) if someone can turn a radio on then they can no doubt tell the time and read a calendar.

Prep sheets are nonsense if someone who wrote them was that good then they would be on Radio 1 and why have made up texts on em to, if you need to make stuff up then the topics no good.

Rant over

Please.

ha ha ha, none of you can actually spell properlee…...x.

Looks like you can’t spell it either. Unless you were being ironic ;-)

Mitch “voice of my childhood on Going Live!” Johnson didn’t you get thrashed on eggheads the other night, shame no spelling section you would have walked it.

Lovin the show

Touché Sparky! Dubai is great, say hello to Fiona Winterburn for me xx

Will do, get yourself over here you would be ideal for our station

OK what fun, I’d love to…..

My take on show prep has always been about research, and not rip and read gags –information led prep, in other words doing the work for the presenter / producer to use later. As a business the service is aimed at a proportion of the radio / broadcast market where people may not have the resource, knowledge or time to research all of the material they may wish to have for their programme.

Although having said that, we’ve also had requests to provide research services for well-known presenters and stations over the years.