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How to produce a Tri-Lingual Radio Show

When deciding to create my student radio show, I knew it would be different from the majority of others. I wanted to do a one-hour evening show, with a range of music genres and for it to be presented in a mixture of English, French, and Spanish. Thus, Sobremesa was born.

The technique I used to plan my show was introduced to me by Chris Sawyer (BBC Radio 1 producer) at the Student Radio Association conference (SRACon) in 2015. Chris explained that using a pie chart image to prepare a radio show is a simple and effective technique. It splits the show into separate timings and allows you to appropriately plan an adequate number of songs and features. You can divide the pie chart into as many different sections as necessary.

For example, a standard one-hour show would consist of the news being played on the hour, followed by an ident specific to my show. I would then play an energetic, well-known song to lift listeners’ moods. I would introduce myself and the topics to be covered and some of the artists to be played, followed by some international music. Various idents and promos would be played throughout the show, advertising the station and other programs. I had many features, including one called ‘Concertation’ in which I would discuss in French a live concert I had seen and rate it out of 10. The chats and features were organised into segments of 20 minutes in English, 20 minutes in French and 20 minutes in Spanish. This was adapted depending on guests and my general confidence for a specific language on the day! There would be a handover and a news bulletin at the end of the show.

I would plan the playlist the day before my live show. Checking lyrics for profanity and offensive language, especially in languages other than English was key. Song length variations also had to be meticulously noted to be able to have enough time for a hand-over at the end of the show. Often when switching between languages and genres of music, seamless transitions can seem impossible. It is also challenging to contribute to the consistency of a radio station when the shows are so different. However, I think this adds diversity and interest when there are many shows with different themes. For example, a Tuesday evening on XpressionFM went from a country music show to a language-based program, to the Tuesday Night Sports panel. This considerable variation certainly made for an exciting Tuesday evening on Exeter’s student radio.

I mixed up my languages many times on air, forgetting a word in one language, therefore trying to say it in another. I found that explaining my faults, laughing off errors and reiterating that I am not bilingual made the show welcoming, friendly and encouraged others to practice their language skills. I learnt how to change and adapt conversations based on the language level and experience of guests.

Planning ahead was incredibly important. You can’t make up content for a radio show on the spot, or you can, but it’s much harder! This format tested my language skills, and one of the reasons I chose to produce and present a multi-lingual show was to practice speaking French and Spanish in a more fun and exciting way. Lots of students at Exeter study languages, therefore it is appealing to listeners, and I love discovering new music in languages I both do and don’t speak

I tried to find new music each week, asking friends for recommendations, talking with international students, using YouTube and researching soundtracks from European TV shows. I also played music from Spotify playlists and new album releases. The genres ranged from old school classics to throwbacks, to feel-good music and I alternated between male and female artists. This was not a huge focus, but a general rule followed at the BBC is to alternate voices and sounds. If I ever found myself playing four boybands in a row…I knew I needed to change it up

 

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Where Can Student Radio Take You?

I discovered student radio on the first day of Freshers week at the University of Exeter in September 2014. I had never heard of the concept, nor had any idea what it involved. However, I was drawn to the bright red XpressionFM logo, loud music and bustling crowd around the stall. Everyone looked like they were having a great time, all in their matching t-shirts and because I knew there was no chance of me joining a sports society, I decided radio would be for me.

For the first few months, I was only involved behind the scenes. I didn’t want to be on air at all. I was a producer for the News Hour (a weekly news show) and a creative producer for a daytime music show. I recorded the 9 am news bulletin once a week and trained other members how to write, record, edit and upload the news. I was quick to learn the technical side of the Alice board and simple editing on Adobe Audition, despite never having had a huge interest in technology before.

I was soon convinced to go on air by two students presenting a daytime talk show. They made me do a “Geography quiz” (in which I got 2/10, despite being a Geography student). After that, I was hooked. I did my production and presenting training imminently and applied for my own show. As I had a passion for languages and international music, it was very niche. I called it ‘Parlez-vous espagnol?’ and it was a one-hour evening show presented in a mix of English, French, Spanish. I experimented with many different features, formats, and music on the show, making it into something I was so proud of and loved to work on.

After my year abroad in Bordeaux, France, I returned to Exeter as ‘Head of Station Sound’ with a name change for the show: Sobremesa. It is a metaphor/untranslatable Spanish word that means ‘having a great conversation around a table with good people.’ It also means ‘dessert’ in Portuguese. In October 2018, my show won the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme award for ‘Student Programme of the Year.’ It was a great way to end my career at student radio.

Throughout the university, student radio lead to many exciting opportunities. I worked as an Artist Liaison at Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2016. I volunteered at PhonicFM (Exeter’s local radio station). I had career mentors at BBC Cornwall and BBC Broadcasting House that gave me industry insights and advised me about how to make myself more employable. I also worked with the XpressionFM team at Hijacked Festival and Poltimore Festival. Radio gave me unbelievable amounts of confidence and inspiration to find interesting jobs and experiences. I completed the formal BBC work experience in Newcastle on a CBBC TV Drama and attended TV networking events where possible.

I also carried out a marketing internship in the summer of my second year. My employer was impressed with the social media and event management skills student radio had given me. I could work both independently as well as efficiently in a team and could be responsible for content creation, production and promotion.

Student radio also leads to a great network. I have many friends and fellow committee members who have achieved “the dream” of working in commercial or BBC radio. There are also those who work in journalism, PR and everything in between! We have a great community and always congratulate each other when anyone gets an exciting job opportunity.

Since graduating in July 2018, I worked at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in a ‘Front of House’ role and made sure to learn as much as possible from stage managers, technicians, PRs and management. I then worked as a Runner for Thames TV. I am soon heading to Sevilla, Spain to work at a TV/film company as an assistant producer/proofreader. An ideal job that combines both media and languages! I truly believe that student radio added something noticeable and different to my CV as it was always brought up in interviews. I have friends who are featured as guests and part-time producers who are also asked about their student radio experience much more than academic achievements.

So to anyone considering student radio – go for it! And anyone who has done it, you’ll understand exactly what I mean.

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Richmond, VA – Women and Audio Open House

WRIR and SoundGirls Presents –

Women and Audio

About RVA Women in Audio Open House: On Saturday, August 12th from 11am – 3pm, at the studios of WRIR-LP 97.3 FM, RVA Women in Audio is hosting a Career in Audio day in conjunction with SoundGirls.org. We will have workshops and networking. Come and meet WRIR’s awesome group of audio engineers, show hosts and producers, board operators and technicians. Women are rocking audio in Richmond! Come learn, meet and network.

About WRIR FM: WRIR LP 97.3 FM, a nonprofit, listener-supported radio station, is operated by the Virginia Center for Public Press, a 501(c)(3) Virginia corporation, and has been on the air since January 1, 2005. A true community radio station, WRIR is committed to presenting underrepresented news, views, and music. The station is operated solely by volunteers, and by charter, can never be purchased by any non-local entity. To learn more about WRIR programming, operations, and volunteer opportunities, visit www.wrir.org.

 

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