In May 2010 Rossendale Valley in Lancashire got it’s own radio station. It’s an interesting patch in radio terms; the position of the transmitters in the area and the shape of the valley itself meant there was very little choice for listeners when it came to a local commercial station – hence Ofcom granted us a community radio licence.
I was lucky to be involved in the set up and build of the studios which is one of the only times that I have actually used my degree in music technology. Wiring stuff up is pretty cool.
Since the launch of the station I have hosted a specialist musical theatre show on a Sunday from 7-10pm called Stage and Scree. I really enjoy doing it. Even though I know my XLRs from my phonos I didn’t actually know how to drive a desk when I started – one of the disadvantages of being the female traffic “totty” is that the bloke always presses the buttons (and they say there is no such thing as sexism these days).
Producing each show and creating the play list generally takes about 2 hours each week; I am ridiculous lucky that I get a complete free reign in the content and music.
Attending radio events and conferences over the years has taught me a lot about using social media and visualising radio. Now, I can’t do what the big boys do but, I do maintain a Facebook page for the show that I update in real time for those listeners that want just that bit more content. It’s great getting feedback from listeners in real time, you really get a sense of what works and what doesn’t.
