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Jon Zilkha Jon Zilkha | 17:38 UK time, Tuesday, 2 June 2009

Can radio make good "TV"? For the past couple of weeks on Today, we've been conducting an experiment: filming the goings-on in our studio so that it's now possible not only to listen to the programme, but also to watch some of it.

Many radio interviews, of course, aren't done face-to-face, but "down the line" with the interviewee in a different studio. It's fair to say that when presenter and guest are together, it usually makes their encounter a much better listen.

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As my colleague Brett Spencer has written regarding similar experiments at 5 Live, the results are making for interesting viewing. Our experiences can be seen on the , among them Sarah Montague's grilling of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Trust Chairman Sir Michael Lyons, Labour MP Stephen Pound describing the expenses scandal as "like a slasher-movie", and .

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Experimenting with what is grandly called "visualisation" is hardly new. For us, the idea was to see whether the cameras could capture something of the intensity of interviews, as well as to give an insight into the working of the programme.

It also gives us the tools to bring out the lighter side of what we do - the nervous swinging legs of the young Scouts accompanying their new chief Bear Grylls for instance.

We've also filmed the , so that you can see exactly what they thought of what we'd just broadcast.

And while we hope that the added visual dimension makes the programme more accessible and appealing online, Today TV isn't here yet. And of course the bigger question is: does it mean that the magic of radio is lost? We'll see. And so can you.

Goodbye Jane

Jon Zilkha Jon Zilkha | 15:25 UK time, Thursday, 27 September 2007

"The Italians change their prime ministers more often than some British men change their socks, what's been going on?" It's 05:04 AM on 28 March 1994 and Jane Garvey is asking the first questions on 5 Live. And so she set the tone for the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s new news and sport network, irreverent and to the point, and one, as the critics would say, having a continuous conversation with its audience.

Jane Garvey, pictured in 1994 and 2007

Thirteen years on, she's off. There've been countless awards for her and co-presenter Peter Allen, they've built an audience that is almost offended when one of them is away, and formed a double act which redefined how a news programme can sound - not that they would say anything so pretentious.

They've covered all the big stories, breathed life into any number of non-stories, interviewed everyone from the PM to the woman with the world's fattest cat and, no matter how dark the day's agenda, never failed to raise a smile.

For 10 days the texts and e-mails pleading with us to keep her have kept coming. "Glue her to that chair. Offer her more money," said one. "Forget Northern Rock, what about Ms Garvey leaving, that is the big news," said another. "How will we all cope? The two of you bring sanity and humour into our lives as we wind down from a day at work..."

Well we’d like to offer a permanent audio memento, the essential Garvey collection. Tell us about your favourite Jane moments - on the form on this page, or by leaving a comment below - and we’ll try to dust off the tapes and put together a compilation which you’ll be able to get online (there's a couple of clips available here already).

It's not been an easy decision for Jane, as she says - "I'm very sad to be leaving 5 Live, where Peter Allen tells me I've been fortunate to spend the best years of my life. When we started in 1994 I thought of myself as hip and happening, and of Peter as a cantankerous old git. 13 years on and I'm a weary wife and mother and he's still a cantankerous old git."

There you go.

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