If someone had told me when I started Uni that I would have been given amazing opportunities I’d probably have laughed it off. Yet, on Monday I made the trip to London for the highlight of my academic life so far… I got to visit Radio 1.
Now, from the outside it looks like a typical business building on Portland Street, but behind its doors is a whole different world. It’s hard to think from inside its structure lies a station that sends airwaves across the entire country. After a formal introduction we got to visit Radio 1’s Newsbeat programme, everyone was fast at work. We met Rod McKenzi who is the editor along with several reporters and watched Chris Smith present the 2:30 bulletin.
Not only did we spend time in the newsroom but I also got the opportunity to present a mock bulletin! It felt amazing from going to a small community radio station at Siren FM to something as big as Radio 1.
We were then taken upstairs and shown how the make all the ‘beds’ and jingles for Radio 1. It shows how much work and effort it takes to put everything together. The guy there showed us some of his amazing work! Seriously, a day not to forget.
Then, for our final part of the tour, we were taken down to the basement where everything happens. We saw Sarah Cox and even went in the studio for Tim Westwoods show on Radio 1 Xtra.
Thinking back on it now, everything seems like a bluh. If you asked me one thing I’d learnt from the visit, it’s that one day I will work for Radio 1.
