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I was presenting the programme from Manchester today; I do my Monday and Tuesday from here once a month, and Winifred does the same on her Wednesday and Thursday.

During a quiet moment in today's programme - and there weren't many of those - I found myself glancing up at the studio camera. It's small and unobtrusive enough to go almost unnoticed, but when I looked at it today it reminded me of two things: firstly the internal debate several years ago about the introduction of the webcam in radio studios, and secondly arguably the worst moment of Gordon Brown's recent election campaign.

The latter is a reference to the former Prime Minister's encounter with Gillian Duffy on the streets of Rochdale. After he made his unguarded remarks about Mrs Duffy in his car, they were - you'll recall - played back to him when he appeared live on Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 programme. The studio in which he briefly leant forwards, resting his brow on his hand, was the selfsame one that I was sitting in today. It resonated with me at the time because I happened to be presenting on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's TV news channel that lunchtime, and watched Mr Brown's reaction knowing exactly where he was and who was likely to be watching him from the adjoining cubicle. I don't suppose he had time to consider the décor around him, but the dark plum walls didn't improve from appearing on the small screen.

The webcam debate is a more interesting one. As someone who presents on both radio and television I've always had misgivings about the blurring of the former medium to make it more like the latter. One of radio's many charms is - surely - the pictures it allows the listeners to build in their minds. Pictures of their choosing, not ours.

I remember when webcams were first introduced and I was presenting on Radio Five Live at the time. One of my fellow presenters - who will remain nameless - took such exception to their arrival that he covered the one in his studio with a paper bag. Of course in the end he could only take his rebellion so far, but I remember having a lot of sympathy with him at the time, and still do. After all, as a committed 'Archers' fan I don't want to know what the actor who plays Jolene looks like in real life; Jolene exists in my head, and that's where she should stay.

Julian Worricker presents You and Yours on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 4

You & Yours is on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 4 at 1200 weekdays. Listen to today's episode on the Radio 4 web site.




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