What's the frequency Luttsy?

What on earth is going on with Nova breakfast co-host and all 'round funnyman David "Luttsy" Lutteral?





First we read this story:

Radio personality and TV comedian David Lutteral is at a loss to explain why he was bashed and left for dead during a night out in Brisbane's
city centre. Lutteral, known as "Luttsy" in his roles on commercial FM radio in Brisbane and free-to-air television, suffered a fractured skull, broken cheekbone and broken nose after being attacked not far from a nightclub on Sunday night.


Lutteral said he was lucky to be alive, but the incident had made
him think twice about where he next ventured out in Brisbane.
"I guess alcohol plays a large part in a lot of these attacks ... but it's just no excuse,'' he said.

Now Luttsy has withdrawn his complaint:

Media personality David Lutteral has been accused of tarnishing the
reputation of Brisbane's city centre after withdrawing a bashing
complaint.

The Ten Network said the footage showed Lutteral in a "heated
discussion" with a female patron minutes before the attack. It also shows the woman leaving with two male companions and Lutteral following soon after along Charlotte Street, where he was later found bleeding in a gutter.


The television station said it had spoken with a man who claimed he
was involved in the incident, and contacted police to give them his side of the story. He reportedly confessed to punching the comedian once, after Lutteral pursued his group.


Phillip Hogan, who jointly owns Jade Buddha and is chairman of the
Brisbane City Licensee's Association, said he was annoyed the incident had painted a poor picture of a normally safe city.

Now I understand that the good folks of Brisbane are quite reasonably miffed by Luttsy's claim that he has no idea what happened when security footage says otherwise. It is a bit rough that Luttsy has questioned the safety of his home town, quite unfairly it would seem. And it is baffling that Luttsy hadn't made a connection between his earlier "heated discussion" with a young woman and then waking up from a coma in hospital.




However, that said, I won't hear a bad word about him. David Lutteral and his pal Ashley Bradnam were once the highlight of my televisual week when they clocked on as The Fat cadets. At a time when I needed cheering up I could tune in and be guaranteed at least five minutes of pleasure for that day. [Also I always quite fancied him as he reminds me of my good friend Tim.]

I have a vague memory of Luttsy in a kilt threatening to bash his band members while aghast passers-by looked on. Having one half of the cadets quoting Rosemary Margan to footballers while the other stared down the barrel of the camera was brilliant. And tossing around imaginary words and cliches with rugby players was always good telly.

They are probably best remembered for mucking around in racing car driver's Montoya's press conference and causing him to stomp off in a huff.


But today I'll leave you with a little snippet of Lutteral and Bradnam as The Aussie Cadets. They do not disappoint.







Update: Lutteral is now under pressure from Nova bosses to apologise for his behaviour.

MEDIA personality David Lutteral is under pressure from his employers to apologise for his behaviour and for bringing Brisbane's reputation into disrepute.Lutteral, who was assaulted on Sunday night after making advances to a woman, went to ground yesterday as tension grew for him to expound on the embarrassing incident. He was believed to be holed up at his girlfriend Nicole Matthews' place on Brisbane's northside

In related news the tabloids have gone mad for the headline:

Video Killed the Radio Star

The Ladies' Lounge #1 with George McEncroe, The Cage, Triple M, Brisbane

We're keen on celebrating women in the media here at re: soundings so we invite you into The Ladies' Lounge. Our first guest is George McEncroe from The Cage, Brisbane's breakfast radio show on Triple M. George co-hosts the show with three blokes: Marto, Sully and Ian Skippen. Please make here feel very welcome, George McEncroe...

*applause*

Welcome to the Ladies' Lounge. Would you like a pikelet?

Thanks for having me. Love your pikelets.

You came to stand-up, in your thirties and with four kids under your belt. What took you so long?

I took a long time to work up the guts to do stand up. Four kids can take your life from being just sad to being a sad joke and that's when it clicked. And I had to go through being a teacher, nurse, ethicist and human rights worker to get the material to make the gags. Yeah but mostly I was gutless.

You were quickly snapped up by the Austereo network. How did you make the move?

Yes it was a very lucky break. I had two influential people mention my name to the boss at Austereo on the same day and he decided he had to meet me. It was very much a case of having good friends helping me out. And being outrageously talented at the same time of course.

You're a Melbourne lass who's been part of The Cage Brisbane on Triple M for two years. Where feels like home to you these days?

I love Brisbane and before living there I had no idea of how physically beautiful it was. Having kids at the local school helped us become part of a community quite quickly but all our family are from Melbourne so I guess Melbourne will always feel more home like.

Like most women on-air, the rest of your team are men. Do you ever wish there were more chicks to chat to?

One day sisters we will rise and it'll be two women on air and two blokes and Oh My God yes. I wish there were more women to talk to in both programme directing roles, management everywhere. One day there might even be two ladeeeeeze just doing a show without anyone making a huge fuss about them being ladeeeeze. They might just be seen as funny humans.

Would a token gay, like Adam Richard do?

I don't like token anythings.

We're crazy for your daily blog. Blogging is becoming more popular with radio hosts but you've been banging yours out for quite awhile. How did it come about?

After much discussion about the various talents on the team we decided I should utilise my writing ability and the blog was born. I love it and never have to worry about what I am going to say. The blog is like the Magic Pudding it just keeps renewing itself. At 7am daily you can tune in to hear stuff wot I reckon about the world.

You talk and write a lot about your husband and kids. Do you think when your kids get older they will want to stab you with a knife?

Wanting to stab your parents with a knife is a crucial developmental stage and I would hate to deny my children that opportunity. And as I say to them...If you don't want me to talk about you stop being so darn hilarious. Just can't wait for them to hit puberty. The first period will make a GREAT blog. Ok yes I invade their privacy and exploit their innocence for ratings but hey...that's life. I mean I'm not putting them to work in a sweat shop despite the fact they do wonderful bead work. Lucky lucky bastards.

Do you have any radio heroes?

I don't really have heroes but I do love my on air colleagues (most of the time) and I reckon Tony and Ed on Get This are pretty damn fine. Tony Martin is as close to a radio genius as you can get. I have always admired Kate Langbroek for her insisting on being herself (harder than it sounds) and Judith Lucy with Kaz Cooke was a rare treat.

Austereo really copped a lashing in Judith Lucy's comedy show, "I Failed". Do you think she failed?

I don't think Jude failed. Warm, funny brave people can't fail.

Have you ever been given feedback from your bosses such as "Our research shows that our audience HATE you"? Discuss.

Yes I have been told that our male listeners aren't always so thrilled with me but I am there to talk about the world as I see it...not as some blokes would like me to see it. So it's not surprising. Always hurtful sure...but not unexpected.

You've featured in a Where's Wally promotion , frequently co-host Get This with Tony Martin and did a stint on Fox breakfast in Melbourne. What is Austereo going to get you to do next?

I think Austereo would like me to keep performing solidly and consistently and to eat fewer chips, especially on air. Beyond that I have no idea.

Recently you've been popping up on the telly on Spicks and Specks. Would you like to get your noggin on the tube more or less than Fifi Box?

Love doing a bit of tele. Spicks and Specks was top fun. As for my dear friend and colleague Fifi Box I don't see any need to compare the two of us. She is young and pretty and sweet. I am old and cranky and rather mean. Tele is good and yes I'd like to do more of it. Bless the edit.

I saw your husband drinking an icy cold can of coke at the train station. Was that your influence?

Sam has always loved coke. He's just not so keen on wiping down the kitchen bench and I seem to have no influence there.

In your very pleasant daydreams what are you going to do next?

In my most pleasant day dreams I am sitting on a hill side somewhere in northern NSW with a view to the Pacific Ocean writng a wonderful book.

We're all about celebrating wymmyn here at the Ladies' Lounge. What's your celebrity tip for keeping a happy home when you have to get up at 4.30 am?

I wish I could sleep till 4.30 am. I am up at 3.30 and there is no way to keep a happy home when you are that tired. Keep your head just above the shit line is my advice. Stay fit. Drink less and be rid of people who make you feel anxious or sad.

George, your producer has met with foul play. You are given free reign to produce today's show. What do you do, play, change?

If I had to put together a whole show at short notice I would panic. Then cry. Then panic some more and then call every person I thought was funny or interesting for a chat. There'd be less Chisel and more Gillian Welch and possibly quite a bit of nonsense about people only I knew. Maybe not a brilliant show for anyone to listen to but by golly I'd have a ball. In fact the idea is so much fun I might just go and kill my producer right now. Thanks for the idea pet.

We're mad for you here at re:soundings can we be blog sisters? We'll have to rub our hardwires together or something. Will you come back and have a shandy with us some other time?

Would love to return for a shandy one day.

Read George's blog here

George can be heard on The Cage, Brisbane from 5.30 - 9am Weekdays
Podcast

Occasional guest host on Get This

The Chaser's War on Everything (except male-dominated TV)

I know that with my demographic profile, socio-economic background, political leanings, lifestyle preferences and BMI that I should be raving like a lunatic about The Chaser's War on Everything but the truth is I have a lot of trouble watching this show. The Chaser boys are currently enjoying the number one spot on the iTunes podcast chart, so clearly they have plenty of fans. Don't get me wrong, I find Craig Reucassel in a pair of rocket poppers as funny as you do. And you'd have to be clinically depressed if you couldn't laugh at Andrew Hansen spruiking out the front of Channel 9 in a dodgy cockney accent. The truth is I just find it all too blokey.

Of course I don't mean blokey in a Footy Show way - I just mean that there are too many men. You know sometimes you can watch the whole show and not even see one woman for the whole half hour. My husband loves it. But this is a perfect example of how women are just not seen enough on Australian television, that is of course excluding McLeod's Daughters where they have to quote Aaron Jeffrey, logie winner and all round knob, "the best boobs in the business."

The Chaser Team is not alone here either. Just take a look at the line-up for Mick Molloy's new show for Channel Nine, The Nation. Oh yes, Molloy's got some chicks sharing air-time with him - but let's just take a closer look at the list. Nikki Osbourne brings with her a wealth of experience from her time hosting graveyard shift telly on Quizmania and a Ralph shoot to boot, Jackie (H)O will be the 'entertainment reporter' (the thinner and even more vapid version of Angela Bishop) and then for a bit of street cred the cutely-named Tiffany Cherry, Fox Footy reporter. The writing team is also wall-to-wall male. Fifi Box wisely turned down the role and it's easy to see why - I can smell the stink of middle-aged leering from here.

And what about Rove? The new and improved 2007 version has booted off funny broads Corinne Grant and Meshel Laurie and instead given new roles to the over-exposed Dave Hughes, the soon-to-be over-exposed Hamish and Andy and Nova newsreader Carrie Bickmore. Bickmore can play the straight role and then Peter Helliar doesn't have to worry about a chick getting a bigger laugh than him.

It seems we were better off decades ago when a woman like Mary Hardy, who had a head for radio but a wit that didn't quit, could get her own show up. It doesn't seem that long ago that Wendy Harmer, complete with hair-lip scar and a freshly broken heart, hosted the first episode of The Big Gig and tore her former lover a new one on air. The opportunities for funny women are becoming even fewer. Maybe all those Big Brother housemates are right - perhaps the way to fame and fortune lies in the pages of FHM?

Working Dog don't fare much better. The Panel only made Kate Langbroek a regular after her loyal Triple R fans made their support for her obvious in various entertainment journals. Even then Langbroek was often the lone female sitting on the five-seater desk, sometimes supported by another female though never more than one. Their new show Thank God You're Here certainly has showcased some very funny women - but never more than one per show.

And don't even get me started on Daryl Somers on Dancing with the Stars. The gorgeous and talented Sonia Kruger dances rings around the very-threatened Somers each week and still manages to smile.

Not concerned enough? Some extensive research uncovered the following quotes:*

Mick Molloy: "If we have to work with them then they've got to be rootable. I hand-picked these girls so we didn't get any doggy ones."

Rob Sitch: "Everyone knows women are only 25% as funny as men. That's why we only have one woman on each episode of Thank God You're Here."

Julian Morrow: "We love women at The Chaser. We have plenty of them in make-up and wardrobe."

Chas Licciardello: "And in catering - where they belong!"

Peter Helliar: "Women are just better at reading news and stuff. Leave the jokes to the short, fat bald dudes and everything's sweet."

Daryl Somers: "Sonia/Jacquie/Denise/Livinia's job description is to look pretty. If she sticks to that she'll do well."

* Some of these quotes may be complete fabrications.

Akmal with Kate Ritchie (occasionally) on Nova

Just when you thought radio was moving ahead The Akmal Show with sometime co-host Kate Ritchie on Nova brings us all back down to earth.

You might enjoy these two groundbreaking videos of Akmal shaving a listener's head. He even tells her she looks like a lezo. GUFFAW!

And here you can find Kate Richie pole dancing while Akmal and sound techs perv on the sidelines.*

Stay tuned for more cutting-edge clips from Akmal and Kate Ritchie:

• Akmal enjoys watching the footy while Kate runs to fetch him beers.


• Kate performs a striptease for Akmal and the guys in sales. Akmal records it on his mobile phone and posts it on YouTube.


• Akmal belches the alphabet in English AND Egyptian. Kate is so impressed she takes off her top.

* To be fair Akmal does have a crack at the pole dancing himself but doesn't flash his knickers.

Austereo's Where's Wally Game Promotion

Thanks to our favourite gossip site Defamer for pointing us towards Austereo's latest media campaign. Check it here.

Yes, it is a Where's Wally Game but instead of looking for the bespectacled nerd in a stripey shirt you get to search for their "BIG NAMES". There's even a legend at the bottom just in case you have never heard of their "BIG NAMES".

But surely a golden opportunity was missed when they decided to have the Tony Martin of Get This fame cartoon character dressed in a blue shirt and brown pants - wasn't he a monty for the role of Wally?

Perhaps this is just the first step in Austereo's campaign. Still to come:

• "Where's our ratings?" Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey style party game.
• "Where's Fifi Box?" Sticker book featuring map of Australian media and 973 stickers of Fifi. Logies, Dancing with the Stars, Thank God You're Here, Mick Molloy's new political panel show - everyone needs a token female - whack a sticker of Fifi anywhere you can!
• "Kyle Sandilands Action Figure" Comes complete with pins and voodoo instruction kit.

Hughesy & Kate Nova 100

If you've been living under a rock for the past ten years you might not know that Hughesy and Kate on Nova 100 are Dave Hughes and Kate Langbroek. These two got their flying miles up over on community radio station Triple R with former team member Dave O'Neil. All three had a brief stint on Triple M before heading over to launch the station and their brekky show in 2001. Dave has since jumped to sister station Vega and quite a lot has happened since this show began. There have been proposals, marriages, babies and a huge increase in their profiles. So six years on how are they holding up? Not too shabby actually.

OK, I don't like the music on Nova and there have been quite a few disappointing moments when Kate and Hughesy have appeared to be completely sucked into the commercial radio vortex, (the girly liplock photo comp springs to mind there), but these two have got a good thing going. Their breakfast show still has that rare feeling of spontaneity that we used to be able to get from genuine live television. It takes a pretty unique team to harness the kookiness of guests like Australian Idol judge Mark Holden and make his on-air appearances so refreshingly enjoyable.

Take last Friday's show, Holden came on air at around 8.45am to talk up the Melbourne weekend auditions of Idol. The talk very quickly turned to The Logies and Hughes' dig at Kyle Sandilands. Holden revealed that Sandilands had confided in him about the incident, telling Holden that the head honcho of Nova, Paul Thompson, had called Sandilands and apologised for Hughes' behaviour. Apparently Sandilands also claimed that Thompson thinks Sandilands has the best breakfast show in Australia. Now apart from the obvious fact that the only 'best' Sandilands can claim to have is 'head for kicking in' let's not let the truth get in the way of great opportunity. And this is where the Nova team shine. They got Thompson on the line and he was quick to set the record straight - he has never met or spoken to Sandilands. Nothing could make Sandilands look like a bigger tool or provide an opportunity for Hughesy and Kate to show their ability to fly by the seats of their pants and follow through for the laugh.

It is interesting that Nova's largest audience is in the 18-24 bracket but the breakfast show is hosted by a 41 year old mother of three and a dentally challenged 36 year old.
Obviously genuine funny works, no matter what the age. In the last ratings survey Nova's breakfast dropped slightly, putting them in third place for the FM stations behind Fox and Gold but there's still a lot of love in the air for these two.

What is re: soundings?

Well hello new friends

You have found yourself at the home of re: soundings; a place for ranting, raving and reviewing. It doesn't matter if we're streaming live, downloading podcasts or knob fiddling (yes an oldie but still GOLD) if we can tune in we'll churn out a comment.

Revisit re: soundings for some frank chat on what we have been listening to and who we like...this week.