[cleese] gutless radio these days

John Cleese has told a radio conference in Sydney that networks were too willing to play safe with the programs they put to air. "Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love radio. But it has certainly lost its willingness to go with its gut instinct on what makes good radio," said Cleese, who started writing for radio in the '60s for shows such as I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again. "There is too much reliance on marketing rather than taking chances with new, edgy talent. And the worst thing is, I don't know how it can be reversed." Cleese said both television and radio relied too much on marketers. "This is a major problem around the world," he said. It leads to restrictions on programming and prevents radio from being the brilliant and vibrant medium it can be. The only advice I can give is for radio stations to take a chance with young talent and give them their head. Cleese said the BBC's anarchic The Goon Show, made in the 1950s and starring Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe, was the best radio comedy show in history.