East Coast FM - Day 3

Laura Wood and Rob G

 Bright and early on Wednesday, I went in to the Radio Center to meet Rob and Laura, presenters of 'Freshly Squeezed'. From 8am, I sat next to them as they presented their award-winning breakfast show. I was amazed at how much they could do ad-lib, and how they presented so naturally. The banter between the duo was so natural, and was definitely not rehearsed - I can confirm this. The pair have worked together for a number of years on the station, yet the show maintains an energy that is unbelievable when one considers that they've been up since 5am. I observed them run competitions, a quiz, play requests and read out the traffic and travel. It was an excellent experience watching two seasoned presenters who are so good at their job.

 Next, I met Claire Darmody. She produces the 'Declan Meehan Show', East Coast's flagship magazine programme. She gets in each morning at seven to prepare for when they go on air at 10. I was immediately struck by this woman's passion for radio. While producing Declan's show on East Coast, she also juggles a job as a producer for the Vincent Brown programme on TV3.
 Declan's show is a mix of guests and chat about topical issues; ranging from light-hearted talking points to politics. Declan was joined by a number of guests including Gavin James, and up-and-coming Dublin singer-songwriter. He performed in studio and talked to Declan.

Declan Meehan with Gavin James

 After the show, I got talking to Declan, who is an Irish radio veteran. We had an enjoyable chat about the Irish radio industry today, and the challenges it faces. I then joined him in studio 2, where he edited out the best bits of the show for a 'best-of' edition broadcast on Saturdays.

 After lunch I joined Tommy Greene. Tommy is East Coast's afternoon jock, and presents weekdays from 12 'till 4. He explained how the studio equipment works and told me about his show. Tommy, who has worked for stations including Today FM, Q102 and Sunshine, expressed his worry about the lack of security in radio - "One day you can have a job, and after a bad JNLR book, you'll be unemployed". This is the attitude taken by some stations in Ireland, but he told me that luckily East Coast FM is not one. Tommy gave me some advice regarding entering the radio industry and how I should be wary of the low salaries and freelance arrangements.

Tommy Greene