Baz Luhrman’s Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen for seven minutes (or so) is the introduction to the show.
“Don’t worry about the future, worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum”. Advice that makes you smile, maybe laugh, but advice that makes you think. This is how Urban Blend starts every weekday right after the 10am news through to 2pm.
“Today, I’ll join in your prayer time,” I said as I invited myself into a prayer circle I was noticing for the first time. I joined the team of four – Miriam, DJ JayDee, Maame and Geraldine (the presenter, the disk jockey, producer and production assistant, respectively). I had walked in on them just about to start their show with a prayer. As I left them to go back to my office, I smiled to myself. It wasn’t the prayer that intrigued me, it was that they were holding hands and praying as a team. It was symbolic. Symbolic of what I’ll be focusing on today, how teams work – by relying on each other.
Confirmed! Every single member of the Urban Blend team will read this article so I won’t attempt to hype them too much. I want to share with you something I’ve learnt by observing how they work as a team. You see, I’ve never worked in programmes production. Apart from my short stint on campus radio (Radio Univers) as a guest panelist on a few shows – sometimes reading poems I had written on Open Air Theatre, or reviewing the news papers on Time for Nation Building, or running commentary on Student Representative Council (SRC) elections on Legon Decides, I have no radio experience. I did want to work in radio, but I didn’t get to…that was a decade ago. So, when I started off at 3FM 92.7, my first was to observe, ask questions and learn. Oh, I’ve asked a lot of questions and I’ll continue asking. What I’ve observed of the Urban Blend team, is reflective of how a great production team works – firstly, they stick together and they work with each other.
Teams are made up of different people who have to play different roles. A producer is the behind-the-scenes person who thinks up the content for the show. But the producer will not be the one who presents, so even though the producer has oversight over content, the presenter must imbibe the content, make it her own and deliver it beyond the expectations of the producer. Trust me, there are times presenter and producer don’t see eye-to-eye. Meet DJ Jay D. who always has his head buried in his laptop with headsets listening to music…I know, because I rode with him on a road trip and he was constantly on his laptop listening to music…and watching movies too! The number of times he’s been to my office trying to get things he needs to make his work effective.
Enter Miriam Osei Agyeman – our diva! Miriam comes across as the girl next door. I’ve observed her in the studio, I’d be peering in from the production booth observing her in the zone. When she laughs, you will laugh too. So whilst her show airs from 10am to 2pm which is usually the thick of my day, I make time to listen to her. The blend of great music, laughter and information makes my day run smoothly. And if you’re driving in town meeting clients or heading for lunch, you don’t want to miss Miriam and Urban Blend. Maame and Geraldine put the production together and there was Larry in the mix for a while. Larry moved on to another programme. I’ll introduce him in another piece. A daily show is serious business, but a show that rocks every day is a tough calling.
Radio production is a classic example of team work and when a show rocks, it takes a lot of work. Like a group of geese who fly in a V-formation, sticking together, relying on each other to move ahead, great teams are dependent on each other…they hold hands, they work together and they win! Stay tuned.
By Petra Aba Asamoah
The writer is head of station, 3FM 92.7.
Twitter: @AbaAsamoah