Intern Chatter: Working at Heart 104.9FM

Many times, we tune to our favorite radio station and listen to the content being read and shared by presenters or rather our much loved presenters. Honestly speaking, even I was like that just before I got the opportunity to intern with Heart radio. I took things for granted. The best thing I did was to just listen laugh, criticize (which is OK) and turn off the radio when I felt like turning it off- I thought radio was a piece of cake!

Working with Heart radio has changed my thoughts and behavior towards life, but let me not go there yet.

I work with the “Phat Joe morning breakfast show” so ultimately I start my day very early than I normally do when I am back in school; I walk some distances to catch up with a cab which at such a time is the only available and closest means of transport and then head to Heart radio where as soon as I check into the production room where I operate from, phone callers from different callers, awaits me. One call after the other, one call after the other, until the breakfast show is done for the day- this can be overwhelming, but the experience is certainly rewarding! This is just part one, by the way!

Looking for content that Phat Joe can read on air and deciding which promos should be used is another task altogether. It’s not just getting any content, but the content I get has to be able to match our target audience’s interest, be interesting and produce responsiveness from our listeners. This is what I normally accomplish as a production intern, together with my fellow teammates, Melanie and Francois. It’s come to my attention that production is about creativity and the energy in you. Unfortunately, it can’t take on a subtle personality.

I am sent out to the streets to interview different people and extract their opinions on the daily breakfast show and also find out what they think about the characters of the breakfast team which includes Phat Joe, Nick and Julian. My first trial was petrifying, but the second trial was terrific and has completely shaped my personality and skills into something substantial and distinctive.

Last Friday 18th, I was assigned and as well given the opportunity to interview a new music artists like “Claudia  Mohr”- who launched her album-“GO IT ALONE”,  at The Fugard theatre here in Cape Town where I  managed to interview not only Claudia Mohr, but her entire family and invited guests. It was such an amazing experience especially  for my first interview. I was nervous, but I did it!

I am waiting and looking forward for more tasks that can challenge me and eventually unchallenged me!