How creative is ABC local radio

This is not something ABC presenters seem to think is an issue - but listening to them fail to improvise on interactive structure has been a big issue for a long time for me .
Take reading and summarizing SMS's just as an example -its a jolly good thing BUT its taken years to get feedback to work well .
Jon Feine likes to think he is an innovator, but here he is, after many years of emails to ask his producers to stop him controlling the discussion, he has finally copied what Neil Mitchell's team have been doing for a long time - summarizing responses from SMS.....Yes about time.
So what interactive technology aren't they using ? The problem may not be technological , it may be more about losing control the ABC is too slow to really take up in practice the innovations that science and new technology imply .

And more than ever, Australians need to be brilliant in these areas of real innovation and construction , if education is going to cut ice ( ABc is often only running another predjudice driven quick fiz focus and it means even our election briefings etc etc for years, are on a fiz to nowhere on the real agendas - like: why is the liberal party ineffective in matters of conservative issue capture) .
The point is following Mcluhan , with modern communication, even high priests and contented congegations can have their cake and eat it ....and be ahead of 3AW (Have both shock jocks, stupid jocks and seriuos stuff as well)

As the ABCchurch members will finally be told - the future is not about the people on the switches, but the people at the end of the switches . ABC radio could be very innovative and lead the technological revolution by posting the callers contact details ( esp feedback) as they have been asked to do for years now--- plus other innovations that respect new media opportunities.
Never was this more obvious over the last few days than when 774 missed the chance to make the BULLYING discussion move on (to go beyond what Mitchell was doing with it) , by finding a way to link/ encourage the discussions/competency elements out in cyberspace (building onto RN too) .
Where is the link for 774 ? On aggression and how to deal with it
Sorry Jon ---we don't always want to talk to you - but each other. That frustrated doctor who called for a ban on alcoholic advertising was never likely to get the discussion to move well .
It would be great if 774 was the first shock jock station to actually move discussions on . At the moment it's all talk - infotaining perhaps ; the presenters are moving along and moving away.It can be very dissipating if you want political and media preoocupations to further than quick fix .
Most importantly, the ABC could be facilitating its busy listenership with food rather than snacks for the day. Now that would be really good for the wellbeing of the community !Communities and local - lets get real now and make our engagement more effective in finding concrete directions - at least !.

Religious nutters

It seems that when the ABC high priests are not standing infront of some truly inspirational paradigms , the sheep are seen to be .
It's true that one of the most cutting arguments against following a good cause .....of any kind, is the bleeting noises made by the unthinking people who tag along. ( Motherhood blah blah, for example ,particularly on some commercial current affairs shows )
Bleeting noises are enough to make anyone cynical, but so is sledging the sheep - Jesus after all could love them . Why can't we ?
Feine is certainly not alone in finding it difficult to think that something good could be happening inside a church - in his talk with the theology parliament rep to come to Melbourne in November -"Ok, say we take you seriously, BUT " he implies "how do you deal with the crazzies?"
Its a very natural big question. C.S.Lewis addresses it as best as one can in the Screwtape letters. Followers of Christ throughout the centuries have learnt that sometimes it not only the crazzies but " the very visible churches" which stand in the road of following Him. The concept of "the invisible church" is a very strong Christian tradition that attempts to deal with that paradox.
Mind you ,its easy for Feine to focus on those people - you never see "a normal christian" on the TV-- do you? You have to meet one to know they exist ! Sort of like reverse discrimination - until they become Presidents or something.
Unfortunately to be a Christian you have to be a bit "crazY '- its true . "you have to be a bit crazy to be a christian" I thought the spokesman might have said" . Christians too, ask why God doesn't seem to make it easy to believe.He clearly doesn't!
Wherever you, the reader , are on this , unthinkingness , is still something, in my mind , that offends . I would put it next to ungodliness in an adult, but their are still children and sheep around ; we need to educate them , as best we can.
We have believed until recently in education .Sheep are easily led - like in earth care issues there is often more heat than light in the crowd that gathers .

To sledge the sheep is often not to help the sheep . Rememember when YOU were a teenager - more passion than sense .But who wouldn't prefer to preserve their passion when it can clearly lead to the peacable fruit of a great job. Who wouldn't take their passion and help them run with it?
Theology talk, like green talk , paradoxically, is very rich with thinking and carefully applied actions. Its not threatening at all, unless you are afraid of words and ideas. Unless you want to be a sheep of a different kind?
Lets not get distracted then --- the subject of your or my/ insanity is a big one for another day .
Focusing on the followers, rather than the leaders, or the surface matter and not the substance ( theology) is to miss the chance to think.
( theology has implications-- focus on that ) .eg question What is it about christian theology that stops support for acting out terrorism - apart from "annoying type talk terrorism " ( not my wordsmate ) ???? What is about following Jesus that limits the revenge mentality that breeds bullying?

Can any one of us thinking aussies identify with those unthinking worshipful Michael Jackson lovers .....who ignore the real michael jackson?

If we care about reality and acting effectively with real compassion , we will think about what we say and reject a lot of what is said by " the sheep" . Well intentioned , maybe, but not well targeted . No use criticizing your teenage children for their enthusiasm - try to build on it .They are, for all their faults, the new conservationists .
If we are going to go somewhere together ( better earthcare for example) we will ALL be "followers" - we can agree to disagree and to discuss. Thats the democratic vision - unity in diversity- Making the west more effective .
Moving on then - If we are going to tackle other faith fanatics with thinking , we need to do tackle the talk not the perosn - take their theology seriously - If you know the balance between punishments and rewards theory in any theology , you can start even a green enthusiast thinking- and thats healthy for everyone. Share the rewards, .....as well as the fears ?

To focus on the sheep in the crowd is to miss the point. God loves em , so why can't we? Jesus got well beyond the handicaps , capturing the wonder of the reality that " you can even love sheep "
He said it , and He said it so well . Wow .
How can we mere mortals capture such paradigm shifts? Religious nutters- only God Himself could love them!