The Godfather: Peter Corris on Radio National

Tags: Fran Kelly/ Michael Duffy/ MIchelle Grattan/ Paul Bongiorno/ Phillip Adams/ Radio National/ Robin Williams/ Waleed Aly

I calculate that I listen to the radio for about 20 hours a week and to only one station – Radio National. Virtually my first action in the morning, after the obvious, is to turn on Fran Kelly’s breakfast program. I listen for about an hour, catching a couple of news broadcasts, ‘AM’, Michelle Grattan or Paul Bongiorno’s political commentary, Warwick Hadfield’s witty sports resumé and Fran’s various interviews. When I come to read a newspaper later in the day, I find that most of what I’m interested in has been covered by ‘Breakfast’.

I listen to Michael Cathcart’s ‘Books and Arts Daily’ selectively. Ballet, opera, visual arts and other high culture items I usually give a miss. Books, theatre and film are more likely to hold me.

After my hour’s morning working session I turn on the midday news and ‘The World Today’ and listen until 1 pm. Certain topics are covered in greater depth than in the news broadcasts and there are a variety of voices and opinions.

My afternoon listening varies according to the programs and their content. I used to listen to ‘Counterpoint’ hosted by Michael Duffy and Paul Comrie-Thomson, the vaunted ‘only program of its kind on the ABC’. The pair presented conservative opinion, which I listened to in order to know what the enemy was thinking. In fact the show was more libertarian than conservative and it featured good popular music. Amanda Vanstone assumed the chair last year and I followed for a while but gave up on her. I found her too opinionated, her guests dull and there was no music.

Robbie Buck’s ‘Inside Sleeve’ is a hit and miss music session for me. Rock, blues, country, some folk and soul, yes; reggae, rap, jazz and experimental, no.

‘The Health Report’ and ‘The Law Report’ I treat as I do ‘Books and Arts Daily’; I listen when I’m interested and not otherwise. Norman Swan’s accent is attractive and items that touch on my own many health concerns hold me; the minutiae of microbiological research does not.  Similarly, criminal matters are of professional interest on ‘The Law Report’ while commercial law leaves me cold.

Following my second writing session I listen to the 6 pm news and Waleed Aly’s ‘Drive’ program to see whether the things I heard during the day have taken on new dimensions. Again, like Fran Kelly, Waleed Aly seems well briefed and interviews skilfully, often using humour to tease out the nuances.

Phillip Adams’s ‘Late Night Live’ can enchant or infuriate. The theme music is a disaster and I turn it down until it finishes. Phillip is sometimes too fond of his own voice and opinions but he frequently has interesting guests and his leftism and atheism are highly congenial. Having been interviewed by him several times I considered once that I was entitled to tell him that I listened to him selectively, avoiding such characters as Bulgarian blank-verse playwrights. He said they had sparked some of his best interviews.

‘The Science Show’ on Saturday usually interests me because Robin Williams has the knack of bringing dry subjects to life. Physics, chemistry and maths may well find me reading a newspaper but climate change and palaeontology will hold my attention.

‘Rear Vision’ and ‘Sunday Profile’ between midday and 1pm appeal to me as a former historian and now a novelist. There is nothing so interesting as the past and people.

French writer Stendhal was once asked what he most feared. His answer was ‘bad wine’. I might say that my fear is of anything adverse happening to this bit of ‘my ABC’.