It seems like months ago that I wrote my blog detailing my first experience of student radio. It was a wonderful occasion and one I look back on very fondly. However, I remember feeling extremely tense and nervous going into the discussion. Since that appearance, I’m pleased to have appeared on ‘RAW 1251AM’ a number of times as a guest. It’s been a delight to contribute towards their news shows offering my opinion and taking part in a good old fashioned debate.
Sadly though, the RAW studios I have been used to visiting have closed their doors this term. Given the coronavirus pandemic, the University of Warwick announced no teaching would take place in the third term. The Student Union building (aka RAW HQ) has shut with the university advising people don’t return. Both practically and medically then, there was little choice but to abort term three of radio. The RAW team have remained deeply innovative. It’s been enjoyable appearing as a guest on RAW’s Facebook and YouTube live streams to discuss the news (for the news never ends). The experience is definitely a change from the radio studio, as I ensure my microphone is of good quality, my background is suitable and I’m not wearing the same shirt two shows in a row. Along with the livestreams, I’ve been pleased to see that RAW want to replicate as best as possible what term three would have been like. This means individuals applying for shows, which are instead released on RAW’s Mixcloud account (or reposted by them). I was delighted, therefore, to be asked whether I wanted to host my own news show. I did take some time to think about this. Being a host is very different from a guest. As a guest, I only have to voice my own opinions and engage in the conversation. Hosting, as I’ve seen, is 100 times harder. Listening to comments, chairing a debate, retaining impartiality, keeping track of ads, songs and timings, moving the discussion on all while making the experience sound seamless and effortless to a listening audience. It’s a tough act. But I knew I had to say yes. University is the time for taking on new experiences; I may never get another opportunity like that in my life. I was honoured to have been asked and looked forward to how I could use my slot on the Facebook and YouTube livestream. There were always going to be challenges, I just needed to remember how I felt as a first time guest. Gradually, as I appeared more, the experience got easier. As the show was being livestreamed, there would be no need for music or ad breaks. With a panel, this is fine. Having six guests and a variety of topics should mean there is plenty for everyone to talk about for an hour. As an individual, it could be quite tricky. I wanted to add something new to our news output on RAW - there are already loads of brilliant panel shows looking at the news in an interesting way. Thanks to some help from my Dad, I came up with the title ‘Front Page.’ I wanted to do a weekly morning show, unlike many of other panel shows which are in the afternoon. The day’s newspapers would still be relevant and I think it’s important for even a student radio station to have a wider connection to the national press. How they cover events will inevitably shape what a news department like RAW's discusses. The wonders of the BBC’s ‘The Papers’ page means I would thankfully be able to see all the front pages for free. The news cycle is eternal and never ending. Though channels like Sky News and radio stations like LBC are fantastic for breaking news and covering events as they happen, I do rather enjoy opportunities for reflection that go beyond the current events. I like listening to shows that take a wider perspective as to why the world operates as it does, the key trends affecting our future and how the past has shaped the present. This was something I wanted to incorporate into my news show: reflecting on present events through the newspapers but also offering a new or different angle. While much of the hour is based on my own views, I tried to ground this in a wider exploration of society. Every good radio show requires a form of preparation. From the moment I had signed up to do the show, I knew this would be vital. Given I would be speaking for up to an hour by myself, no guests, only comments and the papers for respite, an adequate number of topics to discuss was going to be crucial. This was where fellow radio friends were so brilliant: they all recommended having extra items to talk about to ensure I didn’t dry up. Research was done, thoughts were committed to paper in legible hand writing that could easily be read under the pressures of being on air! I was nervous beforehand. I knew what I thought about the events but worried that I would go to pieces on camera. I wanted to talk for the whole hour without hesitation, repetition or deviation, but also didn’t want to spout nonsense just to fill time. I wanted to balance the seriousness of a news show, not least during the coronavirus pandemic, with a gentle ease into the new week. There were multiple factors at play. Oh, and most importantly, I wanted to enjoy myself. If that wasn’t happening, why an Earth would any audience enjoy the experience? I had done a few practice runs before the big day itself. There is a feature on StreamYard, the website used by RAW, that allows recording to take place without going live. This couldn’t have been more useful. It allowed me to practice speaking, position my laptop and microphone effectively, hear myself back and ensure the recording could only be better in reality. That element of practice was crucial for ensuring the real experience didn’t feel as daunting. The RAW News and social media team have been just fantastic in promoting my show. Their support in boosting my morale and remembering to feel excited about the whole experience helped so much. When the day came, I was of course nervous but also deeply focused. I listened to the radio to hear any key new stories, looked through the papers and tried to remain calm. The laptop was set up with plenty of time to spare. When going on StreamYard, I clicked for the first time ‘Broadcast Live.’ It felt like a big moment. The moment going on air felt precisely like my first ever time on the radio. I simply spoke. While on this occasion I had planned things to say, I recognised that I needed to speak. Dead air on the radio is a big no-no, two seconds of silence sound like two minutes. Once I got into the swing of things, there simply wasn’t time to feel nervous. I had to get on with speaking, engage the audience and begin my discussion. The hour flew by with every single paper - tabloid and broadsheet - reviewed and comments read out. The cultural elements where I recommended a book, podcast and tweeter, I thought worked well and helped to break up the political sections of the hour. It was one of the fastest hours of my life. The talking didn’t stop. Thankfully, I did make some tea to drink which broke up my speaking and hopefully acted as a cue for when the audience should drink! But with no guests, adverts or music, I was pretty much left to my own devices. Coming off air, I did feel tired. Who doesn’t after an hour of talking, however much of a chatterbox you might be? I felt relieved that, as far as I could remember, nothing libellous had been said that would throw me off air permanently. I felt privileged to have spoken to an audience, which felt, like the late, great Terry Wogan said, speaking to one person. But above all, I felt deeply liberated. Just to have the chance to discuss issues I cared about was a wonderful thing. The brilliance of having a weekly show is the chance to improve and refine it every seven days. I’ll look back on what parts worked well and where I could have improved my speaking. Other family and friends will no doubt offer advice on how to enhance the show. While it is lovely to have an audience and engage them, the most important part for me is being proud and happy of what I produce. It is a fine line to tread, after all, much of what we say on the internet can now stay with us forever. So, what will future weeks include? Well, I don’t honestly know. The show will always be defined by the morning papers and the current affairs of that week. I imagine coronavirus will feature heavily in many discussions and reflections. But I both want to explore the different angles the pandemic has raised, for there is so much to discuss. I also want to discuss other important news stories that, had the pandemic not arisen, would be receiving attention. Mixing up my cultural recommendations to include non-political topics is also important both to keep an audience engaged and demonstrate that I do have other interests! Let me conclude with a big thank you to all those who have supported me along the way. You know who you are. I don’t want this to sound like an ‘X Factor’ sob story, but I have been really encouraged, motivated and my boosted by the inspiring words and wisdoms of others. You have encouraged me to do this first show (hopefully of many) and provided vital advice along the way to improve my radio confidence. Thank you so much. From you all, I will remember in future shows that most important of radio features: a time check!
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