FIVE more students of the Frome FM radio production training course passed with flying colours this month.
Volunteer Patrick Abrahams said, “Frome and surrounding area residents have been queuing up to take advantage of these courses, which are run on Saturdays in the Frome FM studios at the Frome Town Hall. The course covers planning a show, operating the studio equipment, editing, location recording, presenting and live transmission.”
Lead trainer and Frome FM director, Rupert Kirkham said, “The course takes just six hours, members of the public who want to join our 100-strong programme-making team, usually have an idea of the kind of programme they want to make or ways in which their skills can be used in the radio production process. At the start we talk through the reasons people are joining the station and go from there.”
Tim Hardy, delegate on the February training course has had indirect experience of the station already. He said, “My son Noah was trained last year as part of a special weekly training course run by Young People Frome. I was astonished at the knowledge he gained and the quality of the show that he and his co-presenters produced over such a short period of time. Reflecting on what they achieved inspired me to get involved, so I am now really excited about producing my own show. At the same time, I feel better equipped to support him and his pals behind the scenes with their future shows.
“On arrival for the training I was a little surprised when Rupert stated we would be producing and recording a ‘live’ 10-minute show by the end of the day! However, after some short bursts of training on specific aspects of producing a show and how to use the studio and recording equipment we achieved it, learning a lot, and exercised our ‘chuckle muscles’ during the process too.”
Roger Bell, another trainee said, “For me, as someone who was coming back to the radio environment, after a 30-year lapse, it was ideal in allowing me time in the studio with other volunteers, hearing their ideas for shows and at the end of the day, completing and recording a 10-minute piece. Good day out.”
Sheila McClurg had her first experience of a radio studio; she said, “I found the course totally worthwhile and inspiring. I am really excited to be a part of Frome FM and can’t wait to get my show on air! My plans are to have a radio show about funk, the origins and history behind it. The working title is What the Funk. The show will have a chronological timeline – of sorts – and will chart the genesis of funk, the etymology of the word and how it applies to the music and the social and cultural events at particular times in the genesis and history of funk.”
And finally, Mike Grenville said, “Although I’ve been co-presenting the monthly Sustainable Frome FM show on the station for a while, I hadn’t been involved in what made the studio tick. While there is more to putting a show together than one might think, the training session gave me enough confidence to start my own biweekly show, Dead Good Musicians, profiling musicians who have recently died. Frome FM is a great community facility and I’m really pleased to be able to be a part of it.”
Youth Radio
Pictured: Trainees of the Frome FM radio production course.