As a group, to improve from our demo, we shared the speaking. To do this, we wrote into our run sheet our names and allocated spaces of who was speaking when. This allowed us to be organised and make sure we are all clear when one another is speaking. As a result, our voices are shared amongst the entirety of the radio show, as well as allowing us to be clear on who is speaking when, resulting in a smooth flow of the show. As we are not experienced in broadcast radio, having such a direct plan of who is speaking when really helped us to create an hour of conversation, interviews, and music, that flowed together.
On the day we pre-recorded our radio show, we faced a few challenges with our interview guests. Prior to the day we recorded, we were already facing issues with out interview guests cancelling and informing us of issues in terms of being identified. We were working through this by developing lots of other backup ideas to use in case we needed.
At the last minute, on the day of our pre-record, we had one of our interviews cancel on us due to a family medical emergency and we were faced with the challenge of finding another interview in a matter of hours and having our new ideas approved by Elizabeth for broadcast to Triple R. Luckily, we were able to organise an interview with another participant who was willing to speak with us, and have this approved by Elizabeth.
The set text of the interview checklist provided us with an excellent insight into the details we should be paying attention to to ensure we achieve the most seamless interview process as possible. It provided us with great insight and structure, which allowed us to focus on creating a cohesive interview, as well as trying our best to watch the time during the interview to ensure we adhere to the brief. The article discussing the pre-interview is just as helpful, to ensure a smooth interview, as it gives us the peace of mind knowing how our guest speaks and their ability to answer questions to a detailed extent and expand on topics to create an interesting and engaging interview for our Triple R listeners. Another text that I found interesting is the report and press release on ‘Who Gets to Tell Australian Stories’. It provides an interesting insight into who dominates the Australian broadcasting industry and who doesn’t have a strong voice within the industry. In our Room With A View episode, we recorded an interview with Emma Race from Making The Call, an organisation who aims to represent women in the sports broadcasting industry. I feel this discussion ties in really well with the points discussed in the ‘Who Gets To Tell Australian Stories’ initiative.
Our main feedback from the demo that informed our work was to create an even share of our voices amongst the hour, rather than having a main ‘host’. As mentioned earlier, prior to our show, we were able to map out who was speaking when. We also made our best attempt at having a good ratio of music and talk breaks, ensuring we play a song towards the very beginning of our show.
Overall, I have very happy with our efforts and attempt at creating the best radio show we could, considering our challenges. Next time, I would ensure we acknowledge our panel operator on-air, not just on the social media channels.
References:
Media Diversity Australia & Macquarie University, n.d. Who Gets To Tell Australian Stories? Report. [online] Available at: <https://www.mediadiversityaustralia.org/research/> [Accessed 20 April 2021].
Herships, S., 2021. The Art Of The Pre-Interview. [online] Transom.org. Available at: <https://transom.org/2016/art-pre-interview/> [Accessed 20 April 2021]
NPR Interview Checklist <https://training.npr.org/sources/the-show-editors-interview-checklist/> [Accessed 20 April 2021]