Hi folks, another regular event I'm finally able to bring back is our weekly
playlist contest. Each week, I choose a volunteer that played an underplayed or
underappreciated playlist album and award them with free music. Pay attention
to what's being played, what's on the charts and the playcards on the albums on
the playlist and work to find underplayed and underexplored albums. Not only
does it make your show more interesting by exposing your listeners and you to
new music, it also makes it more likely you'll be picked for that weeks
playlist winner. Variety and uniqueness are key to any good campus/community
radio show.
This week's playlist winner is Thamindu Widyarathe, host of Counting Sheep
(Fridays, 9-10 PM). Thamindu played a track from Timothy Fallon's new album
(#229 on the playlist) and wins a CD from the promo box. Good luck next week!
--
Another regular feature is the bi-weekly programming tip. Every two weeks, I
will pass on useful information on keeping your show interesting and creative,
or focus on a problem I'm seeing regularly with on air programming. Please give
each tip a close read, and work to incorporate the information in the tip into
your show.
This week, we'll be starting with tips for beginner programmers. Veterans will
get a nice brush up on some of the basics as well, so don't discount these tips
even if you've been volunteering for a while!
Beginner's Tips for Programming
*
Prepare, research and plan! As I've said in training to all volunteers,
preparation and research are the backbone to any good show. Without proper
research and planning, every show will fail. Remember to research the artists
you plan on playing on the air, as well as listen to the music you want to
play. Never go on the air before knowing what you will be playing or airing.
Talk shows need to plan what topics will be covered and what questions will be
asked. Write yourself a script as detailed as you need it to be as to what will
be done in your show. Keep in mind that you will have an hour (or possibly two)
to fill, so plan for an hours worth of content, not 55 minutes and not an hour
and 5 minutes.
*
Use the station's resources. Remember that the station has a vast amount of
resources you can use to make your radio show better. We've got our music
library, over 40,000 albums of music that you can play. Remember to get down in
the library and listen to the music there. Take a look at the playlist as well
to see what we have. The music is there for you to use and to play and
shouldn't be ignored. We have lots of research sources to use as well, from the
books and magazines in the lobby and the library database in the basement. Use
the lists of the library in the binders, and the Google drive on our website
(click on the Online Library link on the front page, at the bottom of the
righthand column). We also have archived genre lists in the “Thematic Lists”
tab, from lists of international artists, and list of genres like punk,
progressive, ska/reggae, funk and more. Research the playlist adds that come
into your email account every Friday, and you can search out the artists online
to preview their music before you come into the station.. Remember that your
fellow volunteers are very knowledgeable about programming and many have been
doing it for more than ten years, so ask questions! Use station staff to give
you tips on your show. We try to make the work at CFBX as easy as possible for
you, so use what we have at the station to make your experience better!
*
Variety and exploration are important. Almost everything we do is the opposite
of what a commercial radio station does. Commercial radio runs on repetition,
we don't. Variety is key to what we do, so make sure that you avoiding
repeating artists and topics from week to week on your show. Pay attention to
what other programmers are playing and strive to make your show different from
other shows at CFBX. Find a unique identity for yourself. Push yourself to
discover new artists and new information to bring to your listeners. Avoid
cliche and avoid relying on what you personally know and are familiar with to
program your show. Challenge yourself and challenge your listener to branch out
of your own biases. Use the library and the resources at the station to push
yourself in new directions. Be curious, take chances, be innovative, explore
and experiment!
*
Take pride in your work. While we are a small station, we take a great amount
of pride in what we do. We strive to put a quality product on the air, one
which the people in Kamloops and TRU can enjoy as an alternative to what's
already on the air in town. Our mandate is important to us and our commitment
to our audience is an deep one. The type of work you do at the station reflects
back upon the station as a whole, and our other volunteers. We keep an ear on
each other's programs and work to make our station as a whole a great place to
work. Keep in mind that what you do is a reflection of everyone at the station,
so put some work into what you do and treat the equipment in the station
station as if it were your own property.
*
Promote yourself and the station. CFBX, again, is a small station and though
we've been around for more than twenty years, some people still aren't aware of
us. Furthermore, because our schedule is always changing, it's often difficult
to keep track of the changes. Be sure to promote the station to anyone you
think might be interested in listening to us and promote your own show in the
same way. Send prospective volunteers to the station and encourage people to
get involved as volunteers. Set up social media accounts for your show, post up
posters to advertise your show to let people know when to listen. Use our own
social media accounts to promote your show. Play promos from other shows on the
air. The more people that know about us, the better!
*
Join in social media. Use the station's social media accounts to promote what
you are doing. Post on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts (links are
on the website), and follow them yourself. Join the CFBX Volunteer Facebook
group for social chat and sharing info between volunteers ( [
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1576165279371162/ ;|
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1576165279371162/ ] ;). Set up social media for
your show, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or set up a website for your show.
Invite volunteers and listeners alike to follow your pages, and post your
content on them to better connect with your audience.
*
Volunteer outside your show. Sign up for committees. Get busy in the library
keeping it tidy and orderly, which helps everyone at the station. Interview
bands. Attend concerts. Learn how to produce audio. Blog for our website. Come
to station events. Get involved! The more you can experience, the better your
experience at CFBX will be and the more your programming will improve and
expand.
*
Have fun! Remember that this is a volunteer experience, so everyone is at the
station because they want to be here. There are a lot of rules to follow, but
you'll find after a while that the rules are pretty common sense. Campus radio
is designed to be enjoyable to do and to listen to. It is a lot of work, but
after a while, you'll find it doesn't feel like work at all. So remember to
enjoy yourself and your time at CFBX!
--
Steve Marlow, Programming Coordinator
CFBX 92.5 FM www.thex.ca
Campus/Community Radio for TRU and Kamloops
