The Queensland Pops Orchestra and conduictor Barrie Gott teamed up with radio stars Spencer Howson (612 ABC breakfast host), Bruce Redman (612 ABC drive movie reviewer), Loretta Ryan (4BH breakfast co-host) and blast from the past Wayne "Wayney Poo" Roberts for a concert with a difference at QPAC on Saturday night. Here's an exclusive picture of the radio stars:

Here's some audio from the event and here's somebody else playing what they played.

The BBC's Have I Got News for You pointed out this gaffe from an item by Jason Beattie in the UK's Daily Mirror:
Guest host Martin Clunes quipped: "Forever, d-ckhead. The next one will be the 54th."

May 17 updateIn a similar vein, Channel 9 Brisbane has sent out this media release:
Sorry, but you can only win week 12 once.

Newspaper sales in Australia are declining, but in an impersonation of Nero fiddling while Rome burnt* or an ostrich with its head in the sand, the official body representing publishers is reportedly blaming a "slow news year". The simple fact is that the population is rising but newspaper sales are falling -- across the board, by 3.1 per cent. Not only are papers losing numerical sales, they are reaching a smaller and smaller percentage of the total population. They are in grave danger of becoming irrelevant. Rupert Murdoch knows this; that's why he's fast-tracking plans to sell online content (but, as I've mentioned before, some of his titles really haven't got their online act together). I'm not prepared to set an extinction date for newspapers, but the figures don't lie (well, not since they changed the methodology) . Urgent action is needed not just on the online front, but in bolstering the print editions by paying attention to what people who buy newspapers actually want to read, rather than filling them with dross meant to appeal to people who don't buy newspapers and never will. (I'd suggest it's no coincidence that the Sun Herald, a huge offender in this area, dropped by 7.7 per cent.)
P.S. Of course, if Newspapers Work boss Tony Hale is right and it has been a slow news year, maybe Fairfax and News should channel William Randolph Hearst and commission staff to go out and create better news.
* Yes, I know the fiddle wasn't invented in the first century AD and the story is spurious.

The Seven network's decision to invest heavily in The X-Factor will certainly bring a smile to the face of Simon Cowell, who is also trying to kickstart the franchise in the US. But does Australian television really need another talent show? What the industry really needs to do is invest in talent that can create and nurture new shows that aren't talent shows.