McColl On 4...Friday April 3rd 2009.
11:45 - Walked into the 4FM building and Cathy Cregan tells me they were comparing my shirts to Nelson Mandela's on the Breakfast Show this morning. Thanks guys (!?). Sitting at my so-called desk now with Gareth O'Callaghan opposite me and Jim Kenny working on the music. Big coffee and start on the show prep. Conversation about what our favoourite current music is...I love Lady GaGa - oh yeah, very hip for an old guy !!
12:10 - Jimmy Greeley is off the air and now we're talking about favourite concerts...might actually get some work done today too!! Uh-oh, Jim is playing the theme tune from 'Minder' on his computer. Dangerous territory :-)
12:50 - Working on the music for the Oldies Hour. Songs today are requested by Sinead McDonald from Limerick. We have Edison Lighthouse, Steppenwolf, ABC, Boz Scaggs, Sweet and John Lennon in the system so far. 3pm is when that kicks off.
More about the gig here:
http://www.4fm.ie/profile.asp?id=4
13:20 - Head of Music here, Gerry Stevens, is looking over the Oldies Hour while I have a sandwich (Turkey and salad, if you must know)!.
13:45 - In the Green Room here waiting to go on air. Kiberd's producer Alan is practicing his basketball moves throwing paper into the bin (missed) between talking to Dave Heffernan on the talkback. Dave is on for Kiberd today.
14:02 - In studio now. First song is Ry Cooder 'Little Sister'. Get comfy in the seat and adjust the screens in front to my liking (very particular)!
14:04 - First link done and dusted :-)
14:06 - Text from a listener: "What wavelength can i get radio 4 on n mayo"...BBC radio 4????? Niamh is PA today outside the studio. Tom McGurk in other studio doing a pre-rec for today's show at 5pm.
14:17 - Opening phone lines for the Big 4 Quiz.
14:20 - Text "Hello.What a great song". Someone likes the Four Seasons :-)
14:29 - Just played the Big 4 Quiz with Mike Ryan in Galway. Nice fella, he got 7 out of 10 and ties for the lead this week. Good fun that quiz...I enjoy doing it as it's all about having fun and chatting. Right - Simon and Garfunkel nearly over. Into the ad break next. Must promote Catriona dot com and the website of the day. On in ten minutes or so. Cold in the studio...will bump up the temp in a second.
14:48 - Catriona's website was fanfiction.net, where people can make up alternative storylines and endings to TV shows and movies. Got three and a half minute link talking about it. Am now 47 seconds over time for the hour...must trim something somewhere !!
14:56 - Faded the last 10 seconds of Patti LaBelle 'On My Own'. News Jingle hits at 15:00:09 now. A bit better.
14:58 - Punter text: "Liz wates ,,finglas love your music love the station". Listeners to this station are very positive. Nice change.
15:01 - In news now. No harm done! Next is the Oldies Hour with songs requested by Sinead McDonald from Limerick. Forgot to up the studio temp...but feels fine now. Weird !!
15:10 - McGurk lurking around the green room looking for papers...or maybe jelly beans :-)
15:13 - McGurk back at his desk now. My Twitter is going mad today...replying to folks during next song.
15:15 - I was just about to talk up the intro to Steppenwolf, when instead- on comes Toyah ' I Want To Be Free'!! Gerry Stevens had literally just inserted it into RCS from outside the studio as I was linking. Funny stuff. Thank God I'm such a pro !?! :-)
15:30 - McGurk producer Helen is in next studio editing. I'm eating a banana !
15:30 - Some texts I don't understand - "4 fm has only 2 letters sir..thanks mags". Can't argue with that :-)
15:40 - I'm minus 36 seconds on the hour, which is perfect. Not a lot of talking between 3 and 4. Means I'll get all of the scheduled songs in. Don't like dropping songs in the Oldies Hour. Four more to go after this one.
15:44 - Studio speakers are on full blast - Visage 'Fade To Grey'....Oh Yeah :-)
15:49 - One good thing about this studio is that nobody disturbs you. You're left to do your thing without distractions. I definitely appreciate that.
15:52 - Nearly blew my ears off with the headphones there...didn't realise I had them turned up so loud. Yikes....not good for the long term health of my hearing !! Was it worth it to intro the Thompson Twins???
15:53 - News coming in at 15:59:20, which is perfect. Bernie will be ready to read anyway...she's always there five minutes before the bulletin, which is great. One more song before news and then Hook the 4pm: Big talk break after second song, two traffics, a text survey, cross-over with McGurk and a couple of 'bits' if I have time.
16:00 - Oh yeah - news hit bang on the hour...little victories :-) The mic sounds great. It's a Neumann something or other. It's big! I like.
16:04 - Al Dunne and Alan Metcalfe outside in reception...someone should give them a job !!
16:05 - "Hi to mark hussey and eric o grady in limerick .love the station"...ain't folks nice.
16:05 - Bernie is back in the news booth next door to my left, ready for our talkie bit at :10.
16:13 - Bernie's great...what a brilliant laugh. We did The Story That Didn't Make The News...about police being politically correct in the UK. I enjoyed it anyway ! Two songs, then ad break and traffic with Helen. Will give her the five minute warning at :18 - she's outside working on McGurk's show at the moment. Traffic BED lasts 3:05, we use about 1:10 of it.
16:19 - McGurk just came in to the studio to bump the temp up to 22. He likes his warmth :-) He's funny.
16:20 - Ad break. Traffic has been bumped to :27 now. Move Wet Wet Wet up one.
16:24 - Must re-set my timing now that traffic is delayed...hmmm, what to do? Move a few songs? Minute twenty left on this, then traffic BED.
16:29 - Traffic done. Did a bit with Helen about how to tell the age of your car if it was human, (then into traffic). I know; the things you end up talking about. Total link duration three minutes ten seconds.
16:34 - McGurk crossover link coming up soon. Meantime, read some texts from the daily survey question.
16:37 - Just saw Gareth O'Callaghan walk back in. Hope he grabbed some sleep - long day.
16:39 - RCS just seized up...re-booting.
16:40 - Back up and running now.
16:44 - In mid link about a text response and McGurk walks in, sits down and just joins in the converstaion as if he was there all along. Deadly. Good crossover. Total duration of link was two minutes twenty. Am -1:32 on the hour but can make that up with next traffic at :52.
16:50 - Niamh is on the :52 traffic. Get a minute on it and the timing will work.
16:53 - News kicking in at +20...that's grand. Last link and I'm done.
Adios :-)
B.
Radio thoughts and bits from Brian McColl. www.bmacmedia.com
