Late Night Live

"Late Night Live" is an Australian radio programme which is broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio National as well as on Radio Australia shortwave radio and podcast and streamed over the World Wide Web.

It is hosted by well-known broadcaster and journalist Phillip Adams. Adams refers to the program by its acronym LNL.

Often the setting for a serious and learned discussion of culture and politics, the programme is shot through with Adams' gentle and ironic humour. Adams has a generally left-liberal/progressive stance on most issues and many of his guests are similarly inclined.

The program has been running continually for at least eighteen years.

Regular Contributors

As at August 2008, regular contributors include:

Australian Financial Review's Laura Tingle and The Australian's Christian Kerr. Tingle and Kerr are interviewed by Adams on alternate Mondays, in a feature called 'Canberra Babylon'. This segment of the show - normally the first segment of each Monday's program and lasting for between 10 and 15 minutes, deals with significant issues in contemporary Australian politics.
Tuesday's program usually commences with Adams talking to Bruce Shapiro, a leading American journalist and Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma. Shapiro and Adams usually discuss contemporary USA politics, though the discussion can often be wide-ranging and include global politics. Adams frequently asks Shapiro to comment on the significance of the life of an important public figure who has recently died.
Less frequent regular contributors include Beatrix Campbell on British politics and Eddin Khoo, a Malaysian writer, journalist and translator, regarding south-east Asian affairs.

Notable features

Most programs are divided into two or three segments. Each segment is deliniated by a short piece of instrumental music lasting about 15 seconds, and referred to as a 'sting'.

When introducing a guest who is a university professor occupying a named chair, Adams always asks the guest to briefly explain who or what the chair is named after.

In 2007, the show highlighted issues including climate change and water resources, the Iraq War, Guantanamo Bay detention camp, elections in East Timor and the election of Kevin Rudd as Australian prime minister.

On Tuesday 29th July, Bruce Shapiro joined Philip in the studio for the entire program. Shapiro answered questions which had been emailed by members of the listening audience.

The current theme music is "Russian Rag" by Uzbek-Australian Elena Kats-Chernin. Adams jokingly refers to the theme music as the 'Waltz of the Wombats'.

External links

* [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive/ "Late Night Live" website]