belford parrott

Late-career masterpieces. This week, John Laws

Submitted by Rick Eyre on October 3 2012, 3:41 pm

I like promoting on these pages the efforts of elderly artistes in the aftermath of their prime. Today, I present to you Mister John Laws, star of 2SM and syndicated radio stations across New South Wales, interviewed on ABC's 7.30 last night by Leigh Sales with regard to his former stablemate and adversary (often all at once) Belford Parrott.

Purely commercial reasons...

Submitted by Rick Eyre on June 30 2006, 8:17 am

Chris Masters' long-awaited unauthorised biography of infamous Sydney squawkmeister Belford Parrott has been shelved. The book, tentatively titled "Jonestown", was intended as a follow-up to Masters' Four Corners report on Mr Parrott in 2002.

The ABC issued a press release this afternoon, possibly the first press release I can ever recall announcing the non-publication of a book. The decision, according to ABC Enterprises director Robyn Watts, was made for "purely commercial reasons".

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Another day close to resolution?

Submitted by Rick Eyre on December 16 2005, 7:23 am

"What we've seen in the last 72 hours are more urban terrorists terrorising the community"

- Peter Debnam, New South Wales Leader of the Opposition, 15.12.05

Pete, in the words of another passionate Australian xenophobe: Please explain?

Pollies aside, the community is getting on with the job of resolving the underlying causes of Sunday and Monday's riots. The Lebanese community - Muslim and Christian - have offered curfews this weekend as a means of helping defuse things this weekend. The Sutherland Shire Council's website has a sequence of media releases online outlining their course of action.

Parrott's spell-check goes on blink

Submitted by Rick Eyre on August 25 2005, 2:08 am

Belford Parrott has an outstanding record of achievement as a man of letters. From his days as speechwriter to Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, to his current role as breakfast DJ on Sydney AM radio (that's AM the waveband, not AM the gong after his name), Parrott has regaled the nation's 55-plus demogaphic with his eloquence, his compassion and his Liberalism.

Parrott posts his daily op-eds to the Radio 2GB website every day, and indeed they are even podcast now. But who writes his transcripts? Presumably the text that appears on the website is taken directly from Belford's own notes...

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Xenophobia and Schapelle

Submitted by Rick Eyre on May 31 2005, 12:16 pm

Obviously Schapelle Corby has a fight on her hands.

So too, I might add, has the Australian government because people are legitimately saying why are we giving a billion dollars in tsunami aid, and why have 9 of our helicopter pilots giving their lives for a country which so transparently cares little about the humanity of individuals.

- Alan Belford Jones, Today Show, Channel Nine, 30.5.05

Waltzing Matilda: JH flouts international authority yet again

Submitted by Rick Eyre on October 23 2003, 3:56 am

Not content with ignoring the Kyoto Protocol on global warming or the UN Security Council over Iraq, JH decided to disparage a ruling of the International Rugby Board over the singing of "Waltzing Matilda" before Australia's Rugby World Cup games.

The IRB made a decision in August that only national anthems and performances such as the haka could be performed before the start of matches in the World Cup. While the haka was considered to be of "cultural significance", Waltzing Matilda was rejected because the IRB deemed the emotional Australian ditty about a suicidal sheep stealer not to be culturally significant.