I was planning a quiet meal at home yesterday when I got a call from BBC World Service Radio. The producer of World Have Your Say had just read my article Olympics and World Cup Big Events Waste of Tax Payers Money and wanted me to contribute to the program..
I rushed to ABC Ultimo radio master control (who connected me to the BBC) and an hour later I was a guest on BBC World Service Radio for a discussion about the legacy of Olympics past and present. Are the Games ultimately a waste of money – especially at a time of recession in the UK – or do they leave something worthwhile behind?.
I noted that while the people of the host nation feel very proud and happy during the Games, I think in the cold hard light of day the billions in public funds spent on big events like the FIFA World Cup and Olympic games rarely result in a net long term benefit for the host nation, while delaying or canceling spending on more pressing public health, education and transport projects.
The BBC World Service host was Robyn Bresnahan and the 5 guests on this World Have Your Say program included: American dual Olympic Gold medalist Ed Moses, British Paralympic sprinter Jonnie Peacock, Kimberley a teenage journalist who lives in the Olympic region of East London, Myself and Marie a citizen of Athens.
You can listen to the show as an MP3 audio file. Either the 23minute show as broadcast or just the edited excerpt of the show with the host introduction and all the segments where I speak. Since the BBC delete their podcasts after 7 days I have hosted copies on my site.
- BBC World Service Radio – 23min program as broadcast
- BBC World Service Radio – 6 minute edited excerpt of the program with the host introduction and all the segments where I speak.
Unless they invite me back sometime I doubt I’ll ever share my thoughts with a bigger audience again as the BBC World Service has an audience reach well over 150 million people!
PS For Doctor Who fans: ABC Ultimo radio master control is called the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space). These are photos of me from a previous visit to the TARDIS for a discussion on ABC Radio National.
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It is expensive, but it’s also good that it’s coming to the UK. Saying that though, I managed to get one ticket, so at least I can say I went – I prefer the Winter Olympics actually, but I don’t think the UK will ever hold those!
I agree with ed it is going to be expensive and lol uk will never ever hold the winter olympics..
I agree with ed it is going to be expensive and lol uk will never ever hold the winter olympics..
I concur. I mean you had China, a hotbed of human rights violation trying to show off last time. And now in the UK they were having riots over taxes, but now spending all this dough on this. Does it make sense?