Friday, January 26, 2007

Behind the mic...

More now on how I got into the murky world of the media...

So after bombarding television stations up and down the country about `how it all works` my gran arranged for me to have a look around my local radio station in Preston, Red Rose Radio (now Rock FM / Magic 999).

I turned up one Saturday afternoon and was shown around by local radio legend John Gillmore. He kindly showed me around the studios and the newsroom, explaining how they broadcast. I was shown how the journalists edited audio, how the news bulletins were constructed and how the presenters prepared for their shows. I got to press a few buttons and to pretend I was actually live on the air. Little did I know that I would be working with `Gilly` several years later.

Something happened during my tour, I was bitten by the radio bug, and it confirmed that I must work in the industry. Seeing the faders in the studio, the CD's, the cart machines, the reel to reel players, the newsroom printer with national stories being sent up from London.... It was definitely for me.

John told me that I needed to get some experience, and had I considered hospital radio? No. I didn't know such a thing existed. Some hospitals have their own radio station broadcasting on the internal ringmain, playing requests for patients and giving out hospital information.

I contacted one of my local hospitals, The Royal Preston. They did have a local station, but it only broadcast on Sundays, and that was linked to the local church. They transmitted the church service for patients in the hospital. So that wasn't much good for me.

Disappointed I tried Chorley Hospital, and discovered to my delight they did have their own local station, Hospital Radio Chorley. I arranged to meet the station manager.

I was 13 at the time, and the manager, a local magistrate, was expecting someone older. She said she couldn't possibly allow someone so young to present a show. There was a glimmer of hope though, she spotted I was keen, and agreed that I could help out on one of the weekend shows.

There were four or five people involved on the Sunday night show. They presented half hour slots picking their own songs and playing requests they'd gathered from the patients.

Under supervision I was allowed to play three songs, and introduce them. Not exactly a big break, but I had managed to break into the industry.......

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