Rachel Gill, a third-year English Literature student from Hild Bede, has been Head of Production at Purple Radio since June 2014. Rachel is responsible for leading Purple’s team of producers who, in her own words, ‘ensure that the on-air content is as entertaining and professional as possible.’ In addition to her role as a producer, Rachel also hosts a show alongside friend Rory McGowan on Thursdays at 12pm, and also co-ordinates other university events which involve Purple Radio broadcasts such as Durham Regatta and Jam by the Lake.
Rachel tells us that some of the greatest highlights for the station this year has been the live music events it has produced which have included the Saturday Sessions, featuring up-and-coming bands, DJ nights, and the Vane Tempest Sessions at the DSU. A personal highlight for Rachel has been the opportunities she’s had to interview established artists such as singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt.
As to her own taste in music, Rachel admits to having a rather eclectic palette which includes musicals, ‘plinky-plonky indie-folk’, and a lot of ‘cheese.’ However she also adds that she loves listening to podcasts such as ‘Serial’ and ‘This American Life’ and that it is her dream to work as a producer on a speech radio show after graduation.
Aside from her Purple Radio commitments, Rachel also enjoys taking part in Durham’s drama scene, describing herself as ‘a bit of a wannabe-thesp and completely in awe of all the dramatic talent at Durham.’ Rachel has been a member of Hild Bede Theatre since Fresher’s and has participated in a total of five theatrical productions during her time at Durham.
As is to be expected, taking on such a prominent role as Head of Production at a student radio station demands a lot of dedication and can be quite time-consuming, however Rachel explains that even if the radio has distracted her from her studies, it has been worth it for the experience she has garnered: ‘I’ve reconciled myself to the fact that I won’t do as well in my degree as I perhaps could, because I’ve put my energy into something that I truly love. As I know I want to get into radio, it hasn’t seemed like a waste of time at all (although perhaps my tutors would disagree!)’.
In spite of the fact that we’re living in an increasingly advancing digital age, Rachel believes that the future is bright for radio, having seen a rise in listening figures in the UK; but she also believes that major organisations such as the BBC could widen their radio audiences by drawing upon the broadcasting methods employed by North American radio, claiming that the stations of USA are experts in creating content which is ‘exciting, relevant, and powerful.’ Rachel is also extremely passionate about tuning into the radio, and feels that it can give us a special and unique entertainment experience: ‘there’s something really intimate about listening to the radio that you don’t get from other media; it’s like being in a secret club!’
Rachel also informs us that the opportunities are endless for students who are thinking of getting involved in Purple Radio. The producer tells us that ‘show applications re-open each term, and you can join one of the many teams at any time. There are lots more ways than people think to get involved with Purple: some of our teams include the Production Team, the Music Team, the Tech Team, the Marketing Team, the Imaging Team (jingles), the Advertising Team, and much more’. According to Rachel, getting involved in Purple is really too good an opportunity to miss as ‘it’s great fun and brilliant experience if you want a career in media, or marketing, or basically anything!’ and would strongly encourage anyone who’s thinking about joining the team to visit http://www.purpleradio.co.uk/to find out more.