More Than a Voice
March 5, 2010 by Jason Shaw
It’s strange how life pans out sometimes, I was sitting at work the other morning pondering my very place in the universe.
I’d just spoken to an international DJ, who, in the space of a month was visiting six different countries, all for work, traveling all in business class. It made me wonder, what and where I’d have been had I stayed in the radio and broadcasting industry?
I wonder if I’d have made it in to the big time, or whether I’d be the morning jock at a popular local radio station? The king of the schedule – breakfast host? The friendly afternoon drive time voice? Over the year’s I must have contemplated such positions a multitude of times, but knowing my luck, if I’d still been in the world of radio, I’d be doing the graveyard shift on a small local station in the middle of nowhere talking to myself and playing old songs, going ever so slightly mad, with each passing night!
I loved working in radio, I loved the immediacy of being ‘on-air’ of counting every single second, of playing so many great tunes. Being part of a select group. Yes it could be nerve jangling at times, whilst others could be mind numbingly dull, especially if you had to listen to Tina Turner’s The Best one more time! But on the whole, it was a great job to have, an interesting industry to be in. Of course, it was back in the days when there really was ‘local independent’ radio stations, not large conglomerate groups that seem to own pretty much everything and dominate the airwaves these days. It was also in the days when local radio stations really were seen to be significant parts of the local community, and listened to, loved and respected as such.
I also met a lovely bunch of people, broadcasters and back room boys, presenters and news readers, I could reel of a list right now, Tony Myatt, Jon Scragg, Kevin Spector, Paul Anderson, Peter Stewart, Chris Oxlade, Nigel Ansell, just a few that trip off the tip of my tongue of some of the lovely guys I used to work with. People, who at the time shaped the person I was and the presenter I tried to be. Kevin with his encyclopedic knowledge of music, his ‘on air’ charm, Paul with his passion for new music, Peter for his journalistic skills, Chris for his creativity and Nigel for just being simply a nice guy.
I have no idea of where I’d be had I stayed in the industry, but I know now, that those days were some of the happiest days of my working life and the source of more than a few memories that will stand the test of time and last a life time!
I look at this photo and marvel at the beauty of the location and consider myself lucky that I worked in such a place for a number of years.
Such fond memories, such happy times, without a care in the world - well just as long as there wasn’t dead air and the DCS was working!
However, back then I did have a pretty bizarre taste in brightly coloured clothes. I’m telling you now, that it was the fashion back then, honest - but I’m not sure even I believe that!.
I look at this photo and marvel at the beauty of the location and consider myself lucky that I worked in such a place for a number of years.
Such fond memories, such happy times, without a care in the world - well just as long as there wasn’t dead air and the DCS was working!
However, back then I did have a pretty bizarre taste in brightly coloured clothes. I’m telling you now, that it was the fashion back then, honest - but I’m not sure even I believe that!.
Taking another look at the photo, something else that would be so out of place these days in a modern radio studio, that is the record decks or turntables! Yep, see them, to my left, real actual turntables! You don’t seem them anymore, not these days. I remember they were capable of playing 45′s - the singles, 33′s Albums of the day, plus also 78′s of yesteryear. I can so clearly remember playing few of the old 78′s that the station had in it’s once vast record library. For me at the time, it was like a step into musical history, a real treat, but one that at the time I probably took for granted.
Connor - he’s a fan!
More soon from Jason Shaw
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