This story is fascinating, and a true marker of why news coverage is going down the pan....
http://james.cridland.net/blog/2007/03/ ... urnalists/
[quote]It all started - on the internet, at least - with an interesting story in the Daily Record, on 26 February 2007 - 5 million listeners - and radio boss Ryan is only 15. A heartwarming story, penned by Rod Mills, of a young boy making it big in the radio business, and teaching the big boys a thing or two. After two years, Ryan is employing 40 people and running an internet radio station; and the headline, while confusing ‘hits’ with ‘listeners’, is a great good-news story.
However, users of a radio discussion area, Media UK (which I run), were suspicious. “Some pretty big claimsâ€
80,000 listeners to drive time...? On the internet...?
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80,000 listeners to drive time...? On the internet...?
So sayeth His Royal Highness King Spike; greatest broadcasting talent of his generation.
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Dragging this thread up again to give you a quick update:
http://rysinonline.com/Hit/
http://rysinonline.com/Hit/
This guy called the new location and the secretary had no idea what he was talking about.Mr Dunlop couldn't resist wasting my time and phoning me up under the alias "Craig Harris" to arrange a meeting about a website design (he wanted me to work for his radio on a freelance basis).
The night before meeting Mr Dunlop, Tracy Hill his "P.A" contacted me on Live Messenger Via. Mr Dunlop's account
Mr Dunlop (while walking in the street) pulled out several pieces of paper with blatantly made up site visitor stats on them, millions of visitors were listed on the sheet of paper, and the line graph for visitors went up in a perfectly straight line over a few months. Surely Mr Dunlop, if you wanted to make it look realistic, you wouldn't make the line straight. Remember that next time you waste someone's time for no apparent reason.
Mr Dunlop answered his phone to "Craig" once again, who apparently said his servers were down. I found it hard not to laugh, i'm no expert but it was obvious by his body language that he wasn't talking to anybody at all.
When I got home, "Craig" sent me the below pictures of their London offices. Mr Dunlop's, sorry "Craig's" claims of this being his building have since been rumbled by Media UK members: Look! It's Quay House Business Centre! Whoops Ryan!
Unsurprisingly, there has - so far - been no retractions from the media who covered the fanciful story to begin with. Nothing.So Ryan Dunlop et al told Rysin3 that they were in the process of aquiring new plush office space. Another recruitment advert has appeared on radio website on March 18th, saying that within 1 month, the station would be moving into new offices. These offices are confirmed by photographs as being MLS, Quay House, London Docklands.
So I phoned up Quay House earlier this afternoon. The conversation went something like this;
Receptionist: Hello MLS Business Centres.
Me: Hello, good afternoon. I'm looking for the office of Hitz Radio UK Ltd. Unfortunately, I don't have a direct office number, but I have been informed that they have recently aquired office space in the complex.
Rec: Where is this at?
Me: Quay House?
Rec: Please just hold the line.
After about 1 minute being on hold, the receptionist returns.
Rec: What name is it again?
Me: Hitz Radio UK Ltd. It's spelt with a Z and not an S.
Rec: No Sorry there's nothing here. I know all the businesses here and that is not one of them. Do you have any names?
Me: Yes. Ryan Dunlop is the MD, John Lyndsay is Head of Sales, Tracy Hill is Mr Dunlop's PA and Craig Harris is the New Media Director.
Rec: No I've never heard of any of them. Where did you get the information about them being here?
Me: Well I'm phoning from an advertsising agency in the North of England, and I've been passed this information to contact them about advertising. I was only given the address, so I had to look up your reception number, as I don't have a direct business number.
Rec: Oh OK. Well sorry there's nobody here under that name.
Me: Right, That is Quay House in London's Docklands isn't it?
Rec: Yes it is.
Me: Well I'll have to check my information again. I'm sorry for wasting your time.
So sayeth His Royal Highness King Spike; greatest broadcasting talent of his generation.