After many emails back and forth I had sorted some local work experience in Exeter at Radio Exe.
I had no idea what to expect, but was surprised to find an office with not even six people working there!
This I deem very impressive; that a commercial radio station can run with a minimal amount of employees. Due to few employees, it meant that people at radio exe had multiple roles, resulting in me actually getting to stuff as I wasn’t stepping on anyone’s toes.
On my first day I was shown how to update aspects of their website, where I was trusted with editing the A-List, as well as editing audio for three of their ‘Job of the day’ features for the week, which were broadcasted the following days. I also wrote Live Reads for the presenters to read out on air about local events happening in the area. I was also shown how to download commercials from a national website to their software, informed of local projects and features, and the area in which they broadcast (a.k.a Exeter, mid and East Devon up until my town which it does not ironically).
On the Tuesday I got to do something very exciting, Ashley and I voiced idents to feature on a CD for the local VUE Cinema, where we read out summaries of films being shown that month. I then got the privilege of editing both our voices, alongside songs that I handpicked and mixed onto a CD to be played out at the cinema for the next month!! (I really want to just go to the cinema purely to hear my CD now). Also that day, after being shown the day before, I downloaded the national commercials from “GTN” into carts to be played out on the consecutive day.
On my third and final day at the station I went with Ashley to a local business to prerecord a feature they call; ‘Thank Taste it’s Friday’ where the local catering company; Taste give away free food to winners that answer three questions on the local area. I was asked to write the three simple quiz questions, and to go along and photograph this promotion. It was a great chance to see the interaction the station has with their audience first hand, and to see how much the station benefits the local area. Once again I downloaded the commercials in to carts on the station’s software, and wrote more Live Reads, as well as sitting in on two of the daytime presenters shows, and seeing how they present their shows and advice they had.
Overall it was a productive three days where I got to see how a local station differs to National and Regional stations, (which have more staff and more studios) and able to test my skills in a working environment.