The honeymoon is over for new Culture Minister and Wantage MP Ed Vaizey.

Ed is no stranger to the small screen – having been a regular guest on daytime talkshow The Wright Stuff – but our love affair with the gogglebox has put the MP in a testing situation.

Call it a “trial by TV”, call it a “baptism of fire” – but, with the main Freeview digital TV antenna serving Mr Vaizey’s constituents out of action after a fire, you can call it both.

And Mr Vaizey has to step up to the plate – because most roads in this sorry saga lead to his newly name-plated ministerial door.

He is the minister responsible for the digital switchover, his department – Culture, Media and Sport – sponsors key protagonists including Digital UK and public service broadcaster the BBC.

Mr Vaizey has called urgent talks and reassured the viewers of Oxfordshire their concerns will be heard.

Meanwhile, many of them are left without BBC, ITV and Channel Four channels – some even can’t watch Channel Five, the station that made Mr Vaizey a star.

Never let it be said that our councillors do not consider the impact of new development on all residents of the city, regardless of their status or standing.

City councillor Colin Cook was put on the spot this week about the railways’ plan to expand Oxford station – building a new platform on part of the long-stay car park parallel with Becket Street.

“Would the train noise cause a disturbance to residents?” asked one concerned member of the public.

A thoughtful Mr Cook quipped: “Well, the residents in the cemetery are not going to be too affected.”

But given the train delays some have to endure, the Insider can only speculate about where the new platform’s waiting room might be best positioned.

Huge yellow signs urging the electorate to vote Liberal Democrat still dominate the gateway to Oxford – high on the Jam Factory above Frideswide Square.

It must have taken some effort to get the placards into position, above the Lib Dem nerve centre, and presumably the will to remove them has all but disappeared after the party was dealt a surprise defeat by the Conservatives’ Nicola Blackwood in the Oxford West & Abingdon constituency.

It might be an early bid attempt at winning votes in 2015 – but until then the sorry signs seem to be winning smiles in the ranks of their political rivals.