Working Hard

Time seemed to be flying by lately. I've been continuing my regular duties at the radio station and been taking on a few new ones as well. For example, the Sounding Board season started in September. Sounding board is our version of a talk show. Once a week, an employee heads up an hour long talk show about a topic of their choice, preferably one that would encourage people to pick up the phone. This show can be as controversal as the state putting limits on the subsistance license salmon catch or as fun as people's names. The last few weeks I had the honor of holding 2 of my own talk shows. Since I am still learning about Alaska and the people, I decided to take the fun approach to Sounding Board. My first show was about TV in Western Alaska and the changes it has taken. Since TV still doesn't have a strong presence in Bush Alaska(in comparison to the Lower 48) I thought it would be an interesting subject to hear how tv first came to villages and how it has changed. News Director Paul Korchin was my cohost. To fill up time between calls (we were a talk show but we were a talk show for Western Alaska to call and express concerns, opinions, or experiences about the topic) we aired audio clips. I got a clips from a man who is the station manager at the only Bush Alaska tv network and a man who works for an Alaskan Media network. The second Sounding Board I hosted was Potlucks. Leah Radde was my cohost and I got audio clips from the individual who was in charge of the Nome Community Thanksgiving Dinner and from a local pastor who has regular potlucks at their church. I didn't need most of my audio clips because there were so many calls and emails. It was a huge success.
Outside of Sounding Board, I've created a few profiles, been on some village trips, and have been writing the stations annual Christmas Play. The play is a production that is done every year and is aired on Christmas day after the 12:15 and 5:15 hotlines. It should be exciting... more on that later!
Besides all of these wonderful projects, on top of my daily duties, I have changed air shifts. I am now the 12 to 2 Lunchtime Deejay. All shifts have music that is placed into your air shift but the noon deejay creates their own shows. Each day has it's own guidelines to follow for example Monday is Monday Limelight where I feature an artist of my choice. Twofer Tuesdays have two songs back to back by the same artist. Tuesdays could also be Decades where I play songs for a chosen decade. Wednesdays are the hardest day. Music genres are wednesday's theme. Not only do I have to think of a new music genre that hasn't been done before, but I have to make sure we have music for it. Thursdays are my last and favorite day. Theme park Thursday is what they are called. I love them because I can be more creative. For example, Thanksgiving's theme was Thursday of Thanks. Next weeks theme will be either songs written for a famous person or songs that will give you good directions (drivin directions not life directions).
After thinking of all the wonderful things I've been able to do and the flexability my job has, I couldn't be more thankful for all the experiences I have and have the resources to learn.