The view from my seat in the studio. (c) Roger Overall 2010
I’ve never given a live radio interview before. Consequently, much of my brain was engaged in a single task: preventing myself from saying “Fxxk” on air.
I’m not really able to tell you what I said using the rest of my head, but I’m told I didn’t sound like a vegetable. So that’s good.
There had been talk of an interview to promote the Bid For Haiti auction on a local radio station for a couple of days. I wasn’t sure which one, or where I had to be, or when. All I knew was that if it were to happen I’d find out about it fairly last minute.
At 11.55 today I was pulled over in my car, blocking someone’s driveway, speaking to Paul O’Mahony, my main co-organizer on the Bid For Haiti project. Through the wonderful Sabrina Dent we had been invited on to John Handelaar‘s one-hour lunchtime talk show on CorkFM. I needed to be at the studio in under 45 minutes. The directions were … let’s say “interesting”.
Long story short, CorkFM is a fledgling radio station (87.7 on FM) with a license to broadcast on 15 consecutive weekends. After that, they’ll go for a year-long license, followed by a full 10-year broadcasting permit. And best of luck to them.
At the minute they are broadcasting from temporary space by Kilbarry House on the outskirts of Cork with equipment begged and borrowed from a range of sources. It’s the kind of place that’s round the back of somewhere, down that lane, you know the one, on the left, and through the gate with the broken pillars.
I only got lost once.
So did Paul.
I’d just like to say a big thank you to Sabrina, John and Donal (the station owner) for giving us so generously of their airtime.
You’ll also be happy to know that I didn’t say “Fxxk” on air.
But Paul did say “Bugger”.
BID FOR HAITI
Charity Auction of Paintings, Photographs, Sculptures and Writing
Sunday 14th February 2010
Metropole Hotel, MacCurtain Street, Cork
Registration and viewing from 11am
Auction starts at 3pm
All proceeds to go to GOAL’s relief work in Haiti
From left to right: John, Donal and Paul having a pre-interview chat. (c) Roger Overall 2010
CorkFM owner Donal listens to the station's broadcast before we go on in a room across the hall from the studio. At this point, nobody has sworn on air. (c) Roger Overall 2010
John Handelaar chats across the console to Paul during a song. (c) Roger Overall 2010
