Indie interview with Bob Shennan, head of Five Live:
He will have been at the helm of Five Live for six years come August and, in spite of feeling so under the weather that he initially declines to have his photograph taken, he has the manner of someone who is comfortable in his skin. When television news breaks details of shots being heard inside the Capitol building in Washington, Shennan comes out of his office to alert his team. He is not above answering a ringing phone in the newsroom but also has to negotiate with a roster of on-air talent that includes such heavyweights as Nicky Campbell, Eamonn Holmes, Jeff Randall and Adrian Chiles.
Talking above the Hammersmith and City line tube trains that rattle past his open window, he admits his station will have to go some to achieve the impact it enjoyed during the last World Cup, where time differences ensured that many games kicked off as British audiences were having their breakfasts - a gift to radio. Germany 2006 will be much kinder to the television schedules: who wouldn't want to watch a game rather than just listen to commentary?
Shennan concedes this point but claims that many television viewers will be listening to Five Live. Games shown on the BBC will offer, via the interactive red button, the chance to mute the likes of John Motson and replace his commentary with a Five Live alternative, such as Alan Green or Mike Ingham.
"That was the sports department's decision to allow people the choice. Of course a lot of people will love to listen to Motty but we are expecting that when it's an ITV game everyone will want to listen to Alan Green."
ITV Sport will not, of course, be offering a red button link to Five Live.
The opinionated and excitable Green, Shennan, accepts, does not meet every listener's idea of the measured football analyst. "I know he sometimes alienates people because he's got a very, very distinctive style of broadcasting. He's an incredibly experienced football watcher, the one football commentator on the radio whom football followers throughout the land instantly recognise. They don't always agree with him but they unanimously respect him."
Shennan stood up for Green in January when Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce refused to appear on the network after the commentator accused his team of "ugly football". "Alan doesn't always get it right and we've had times, he'd tell you himself, when we've had words and I've thought he's called something wrong," says Shennan, who like Green is a big Liverpool fan.