Presenters are the face of every radio station – which is kind of strange when you don’t see their faces at all – well, not unless you go on the website! It’s their job to entertain you and keep you switched on, whether that’s by playing great music, interviewing guests, running exciting competitions or telling you about the latest releases and celebrity news. Here at Fun Kids, there’s Robyn, Bex, Dan, Anna Louise, George, Sean, Josh, and Conor!
What MIGHT be surprising is that a lot of what goes into the show has already been decided – before we even switch on the microphone!
Things like the songs that are going to play, features, competitions, sponsorships, celebrity interviews and even the general sound of the show is all decided beforehand by us presenters and our Programme Controller.
Presenters don’t just talk into the microphone, we also “drive the desk”. It means they have to start each song, feature and station jingle at the right time by sliding a fader on a mixing desk and by pressing buttons on the computer screen. And they can pause things when they speak, linking together the songs and features into a perfect flow!
That’s everything that needs to happen during the show. But the presenters also have to think of things to talk about in-between the songs as well! This means doing some research and making notes before they go on-air. They might check out comments on our website and from our app to see what you guys are talking about. They’ll also read through the papers and look online.
What if you want to be a presenter on the radio? The best way to start is to record your own shows in your bedroom and send them to your friends and family to get their feedback. That’s what Robyn used to do when she was a kid. The best advice she ever got was: “To talk to the listeners as if you were just talking to your friends – that way you sound really natural, and everyone will really enjoy listening to you!”