1. HI KATY, HOW ARE THINGS?
Really good, how are you?
2. FIRST FINS FIRST, HOW DID YOU GET INTO RADIO?
(it must be hard, seen's most radio's are fairly small, he-he!)
I started doing work experience and then got taken on as a trainee Broadcast Assistant - that way I learnt how to do a bit of everything (how to rig a studio as well as knowing the way to go about getting interviews with politicians). Much later, I did the BBC's in-house journalism training scheme and worked as a presenter on news programmes for a few years. I've also worked in telly - with Alan Titchmarch on Gardeners World among other things! Top bloke!
3. WHAT'S IT LIKE WORKING FOR BBC RADIO HUMBERSIDE, AND ARE YOU PLEASED WITH THE WAVES THAT THE 'RAW TALENT' SHOW HAS MADE IN YORKSHIRE AND NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE IN THE PAST YEAR?
Working for BBC Radio Humberside is brilliant. The BBC is investing big money in it's services in Hull and part of that includes a huge new broadcast centre which opens in 2004. That means us Raw Talent crew will be moving, along with all our radio colleagues, the Look North television team and the website lot to a state-of-the-art new building. Raw Talent session bands will play in an open performance area - maybe even in front of a live audience. There's also a cyber cafe on the ground floor where you can walk in from Queens Gardens and log on! So loads to look forward to. As for Raw Talent, it's really taken off in it's first year. Very few bands get airplay on national radio and even fewer get feedback as to why they're deemed not good enough to be considered for the playlist. Raw Talent, as a regional show tries to give everyone a chance and if a band really is bad we'll try and give some them some pointers as to how they can make improvements. It's up to them if they take any notice. But plenty are really, really good and it's a privilege to be able to get them on air.
4. SO, 'RAW TALENT' IS NOW BEING BROADCAST TO AN EVEN LARGER AREA TO GARNER YET MORE EXPOSURE FOR THE GREAT BANDS AND SOLO ARTISTS IT FEATURES?...
Now we're going out all over Yorkshire, Northern Lincolnshire and the North Midlands it's good to know that bands from Bridlington are getting heard as far away as Barnsley and Huddersfield. As you know, we also stream live on the net on a regular basis and we have viewers/listeners as far away as California, so it's a great way to get your music heard. The show also works closely with the five BBC websites serving this area. Each has a band directory where you can feed in your band's details and each has an extensive gig guide. Check them out at www.bbc.co.uk/humber , www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire , www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire www.bbc.co.uk/leeds or www.bbc.co.uk/westyorkshire
5. WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL FAVE ASPECTS OF WORKING AS PRODUCER ON THE SHOW, AND WHAT STRESSES YOU OUT? (apart from Alan, ha-ha!)
Alot of work goes into the show itself. It's planned way ahead and we're currently booking bands into the Autumn to come in and do sessions. So I really love it when the show actually goes out on air and I leave Alan and Dave to get on with it and do their thing. The best bit is watching the band do their session and having a good time in spite of the studio space being so small. John Anguish is such a good engineer. The turnaround from a band arriving to actually going on air is about 90 minutes. Bands we've got coming up through the summer include Fulc, The Sonnet, Diablo, Bodixa, Sidewinder, Mindspin, Repomen, The Lost 45's and Blue Arsed Flies. Blue Arsed Flies are from West Yorkshire - we've only heard their demo so far but it's so good we can't wait to hear them play live.
6. IF YOU WEREN'T IN RADIO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK IN ANY OTHER MEDIA OUTLET? Not particularly. Plenty of other jobs I'd like to try tho'. Maybe working in films - anything directed by Woody Allen.
7. FOR OTHER FOLK INTERESTED IN WORKING IN RADIO, WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE THEM TO DO?
Don't be put off, thinking they wouldn't be interested in someone like YOU! There are so many opportunities now for people to get into broadcasting - in Hull alone the BBC is working with kids at Kingswood school on Bransholme teaching them production skills and the BBC's Digital Storytelling project is all about getting people into making their own films for broadcast on the web (check out how you can get involved by logging on to the BBC Humber website). If you're really interested in getting into radio, have a clear idea of what you want and make your first approach to BBC local radio like I did. If it's any encouragement to you, I was brought up on a council estate near London and never dreamt I'd end up doing a job like this. It doesn't matter where you're from, it's all about what you can achieve if you're given a chance. Get the best education you can, work hard, show some bottle and don't be scared to get involved.
8. HAS THERE BEEN ONE STANDOUT SHOW OF 'RAW TALENT' UP TO PRESS, AND IF YES, WHY? It was really good doing a live broadcast from the Welly Club in February. We put 6 bands on in 3 hours and linked up to the ICA in London to give an audience there the chance of seeing some Hull bands live.
9. WHO ARE YOUR FAVE BANDS THAT HAVE FEATURED ON THE SHOW? Lots of local favourites! But also Jim's Big Ego from the USA and Seedling from Holland - both appeared on the show in 2002. John Anguish recorded Jim's Big Ego live at the Adelphi Club in Hull. It was one of the best sessions we had all year.
10. ARE THERE ANY EXCITING THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO ON 'RAW TALENT' UPCOMING? Lots of good sessions planned for the summer.
www.bbc.co.uk/humber