WW112 🎙️ without a microphone permit
Hello you, dear reader!
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this.
I don't know if this is some astrology thing, but before my birthday, events always escalate like crazy and countless good things happen to me. I won't go into too much self-promotion here, but this: I have been invited to give a speech at Hungary's very first podcast festival in Budapest on May 31st.
If you're interested in the world of podcasts and you'll be there, be sure to say hi if you see me - although I'll probably be nervous as my performance time of 3:35 pm approaches.
I've pretty much written the text of my presentation on the topic assigned to me, but I'm still collecting opinions from listeners on who shouldn't appear on podcasts. What do you think?
Obviously, the topic is provocative and I'm glad there are no official bodies deciding who gets to hold a microphone, but it hasn't always been this way.
In Hungary until the end of 1980s, the media was under state control. Many of the cultural works were censored by government agencies, the ruling party, or the police.
These could be films, plays, books, or music pieces that in some way violated the interests of the ruling party or the system, or did not comply with communist ideology. The works of representatives of the underground culture largely fell into this category.
At that time, the issuance of microphone permits (yes, there was such a thing) was also within the purview of state agencies. The issuance of permits was shaped by the political and ideological interests of the media controllers and the decision-makers of the ruling party.
The criteria for issuing licenses could be as follows:
Political reasons: loyalty, interests, controllability, previous activities.
Professional qualifications: When issuing licenses, the professional qualifications and experience of applicants were taken into account. In the case of media professionals, journalistic education, verbal expression, and communication skills were particularly important.
Around the time of the regime change, the underground scene saw the emergence of illegal community radio ‘Tilos’, which were in many ways a huge novelty. We heard completely different voices, DJs murmuring and colorful curses being heard on the airwaves. They did not receive any microphone licenses in any way, yet they started, took risks, and created value that has been preserved to this day.
To me, the spirit of podcasting is embodied by the underground, pirate, and illegal radios, but as we can see, mainstream media quickly incorporated the genre during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I will be talking about these kinds of things at the Hélia Hotel. Oh, and who am I following on stage?! KAP (András Péter Kovács) will be before me, so it's certain that I won't have a chance to make a big impact after one of Hungary's best performers.
It's like being in an amateur punk band playing and having the Rolling Stones as the opening act before our concert. It's quite a challenge...
Podcast
On the "Bezzeg a Svédek" channel, I talked a bit about my life-changing period spent in a kibbutz.
In the latest episode of "Halottnak a Coach," I take a trip to the future, where personal assistants equipped with artificial intelligence will have much more intimate relationships with us than we can imagine today. Matthew McConaughey is also starring in this piece.
The English-language podcast is continuing, with a new episode released on Monday about why canceling a coaching session in the midst of the biggest workplace chaos is not a good idea.
Listen to it on your favorite podcast player and tell a friend about it if you enjoyed it.
TV
I found such a beautiful series on HBO. I watched the first season's 7 episodes in one breath, where through the friendship of some misfits, we get to know everyday stories in an entirely average American small town.
Somebody Somewhere | HBO
In my research, I found out that the lead actress, Bridget Everett, had a brief music career, during which she released an incredibly funny and vulgar album. What's more exciting is that the bass guitarist on this project was none other than Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) of the Beastie Boys.
Wow!
That's all from me for today. All the best!
Andras