A rant about the Manc media.

BBC Radio Manchester is fast turning into "Terry Christian FM." He seems to be on practically every day. It was bad enough when he took over the breakfast show; now he's even cropping up on the Saturday afternoon sports programme! What do the BBC think is so special about him? He's a smug little twerp with an excruciatingly nasal whine of a voice. He, together with Tony Wilson and the Gallagher brothers, are the most annoying Mancunians that have ever walked this earth-all arrogant sods.

In my opinion, the media in Manchester seems to be going downhill of late. While Radio Manchester gives the bulk of its airtime to loudmouthed idiots, the Manchester Evening News has become a carbon copy of the Guardian (the fact that the company that owns the MEN is the same one that owns the Guardian is probably a factor). They may have put the sport back on the back page, but the layout is dire and the standard of reporting is worse. If they want to get back the readers they've allegedly lost, they're going the wrong way about it.

As for radio, the only local radio station I regularly listen to is Key 103. The rest of the time it's one of Radio 1, Virgin, Core, Q radio, 6 Music or, at a push, Radio 2. I used to prefer local radio to national radio, partly because it was headed by local people, featured mostly local presenters and was broadcast from the city. Now, apart from the aforementioned Key 1o3, the majority of local commercial stations have shows presented by DJs based outside Manchester; the stations themselves are part of a franchise that broadcasts in a number of cities nationwide. You might as well listen to national radio.

Then again, the fact that I'm getting sick of the Manchester papers and radio stations is a sign that I'm beginning to outgrow this place. Maybe it's time I should consider getting out of this town.