Welcome to The Listening Post, where each week we get an insight into the radio listening habits of a guest contributor. Once each person has made their picks, we ask them to nominate someone for the following week's Listening Post...
Last week after being nominated by Jacob Rickard, an Assistant Producer at BBC Radio 1, Rowan Slaney an Assistant Podcast Producer at The Guardian (and Jacob's girlfriend!) provided us with her listening highlights. They included Good Morning Scotland and the Savage Lovecast. You can view her full selections here.
Rowan has nominated Christy Evans, a freelancer at networks including Radio X to provide this week's Listening Post.
Check out Christy's suggestions below...
Read moreFresh Perspectives
1. Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4
"I only recently started listening to this after a friend produced a feature but now I can’t stop! I always had this warped idea of it being for old prunes who hate men but I wholeheartedly take it back! Most of the topics resonate with me in some way or another and it’s really taught me a lot about myself as a person, a woman, and the world around me. The presenters Jane Garvey and Jenni Murray speak with such sensitivity and without judgement. It really is a safe environment for individuals to open up about issues they feel they shouldn’t talk about."
"I’d also like to add that just because it’s woman’s hour and focuses on women’s perspectives it really isn’t always gender specific. With topics such as friendships during a long-term illness or sex education in schools men can, and do, get involved without feeling alienated. It’s brilliant and long may it reign."
>> Listen here
Top Badinage
2. Elis James and John Robins – Radio X
"I first heard this when I joined the XFM team (back in the day) and really got into it after I helped out on the show for the first time. If you’re the kind of person that’s on email (you’ve got to be on email these days) then you’ll probably love listening to the comedians’ weekly show on Saturday mornings or the podcasts if you’re too busy keeping it session somewhere else. At first listen you may be a bit baffled with quotes and self-referential jokes often thrown into the mix, but that is all part of the shows charm and before long you’ll be quoting to complete strangers without even realising. If you have the time you could even become a prestigious and devoted '1er' (someone who has listened since the very first show or podcast). The audience are essential to the show and really are the third presenter especially on the podcasts where Elis and John devote a good 10 minutes to listeners’ emails. I don’t think many people are aware of it but it’s a real cult hit amongst its fans and deserves far more exposure."
>> Listen here
Background Listening
3. Sound Of Cinema – BBC Radio 3
"I hate to weird anyone out but this is my go to soundtrack for an evening in the bath. I’ve been a lover of film scores and soundtracks since my early teens and it’s so great to have programmes dedicated to just that. Each week has a theme dependant on the featured film being released and sometimes they focus on a particular composer and the best bit is that it’s not pretentious. A typical episode will hear pieces from something as contemporary as The Hunger Games to a more classic piece from Brief Encounters. It really focuses on the music if you just want something in the background yet Matthew Sweet is incredibly informative if you’re a real fanatic."
>> Listen here
New Music and New Talent
4. A Music Podcast (AMP)
"AMP stands for A Music Podcast and it does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s very new but it’s already brilliant. It focuses on new indie music mostly from unsigned or indie label bands so it’s perfect if you really like discovering new stuff. You can tell instantly that the presenter Sian has a genuine enthusiasm for new music and she really gets you excited to hear what she’s got to play. I know music is subjective but she really does have a good ear so each podcast is as strong as the last. She also includes gig reviews and a live session from her latest obsession so it’s a really well packaged piece."
Letting Loose
5. Club Classics - Heart FM
"This is such a guilty pleasure! I nearly didn’t put it on here but I love it so much. I only admitted it to myself after I started working in the studio next door to Roberto on a Saturday night. The music blasts out from the office speakers and I always catch myself dancing past the desks. If you, like me, love classic 00’s and 90’s uptempo tunes you’ll love this. Every tune is a banger, and it really gets me in the mood to just drink up and go out. I keep writing down the tracklist from the website for my iPod!"
>> Listen here
Next Week's Listening Post:
"Next week's victim will be a brilliant guy who goes by the name of Mark Willington when not undercover. I met Mark at Global and he has just been promoted to the brand new Heart Extra because he’s just that good. Luckily for him I already took the Club Classics bullet so I’m looking forward to his fully sophisticated and cultured choices next week!"
Check back next week for Mark's selections...
