Aspen Waite Radio

CALUM WAITE, DIRECTOR OF RADIO Aspen Waite Radio Update

Building a radio station takes time and we are still in a stage of relative infancy, but I feel like we finally have consistency and an identity. This is reflected by the fact that we now regularly have messages from fans and listeners. I’ve had personal messages from several completely unknown people in the last few weeks alone stating that they listen to the station all day long and that they think it’s the best thing on the airwaves, this is a great thing to hear, and I know that several other presenters have had similar interactions. One thing is for sure, we are a unique station offering unique content and I am confident that we would stand out from the crowd any day of the week anywhere in the world.

The station is undergoing some pretty big changes currently! Richard Hill is leaving, Johno is heading back home to Africa for a few months, we have brand new shows, and the schedule has altered slightly, most notably with Nathaniel (Young Bullwinkle) taking over The Breakfast Show. We also recently dropped our DAB license in Cardiff which in my opinion was the right call. You could see it as potentially taking a step backwards, but it was necessary for the overall good of the company. When I took over as director of the station things were quite frankly a mess and we’ve been doing damage control ever since but with the help of Drew, Craig and several other things are now where they should have been a year ago. Also, let’s face it, we are living in the age of the internet now and most people choose to listen online anyway, DAB is great but it’s just not necessary anymore, especially when you consider the costs. To take a positive from the whole DAB in Cardiff experience it definitely did expand our listener base. Many people got in touch when we handed over our license to check that they could still listen to the station and were of course reassured that they could listen to all the shows as normal online.

The station is of course a team effort and as I don’t do it very often, I want to take a moment to properly acknowledge everyone that works on the station:

Kate is a real team player and has recently taken over the Drive Time slot.

Craig always has solid shows, has invaluable experience and is a tremendous help behind the scenes.

Drew is my right-hand man and always strives to do what’s best not just for the station but for the company. He’s always happy to help both on and behind the scenes and on top of this has unique skills that benefit the station; this is shown in everything we do but particularly in all our various media projects.

Sam is always unique in everything he does, his shows are niche, he’s extremely knowledgeable about the music he plays, and I consult with him regularly.

Chris is like an excitable puppy! He’s extremely ambitious and hard working with his shows and this is reflected by his success as he progresses leaps and bounds every week. He now has regular interactions with successful up and coming musicians from all over the world and this is great to see. Chris is also brilliant at getting the AW Radio name out there and building the brand. The sky is the limit.

Nathaniel (Bullwinkle) is a great lad; he always brings a lot to Pandora’s Box and his two individual show’s Rap Radar and Scenarios are very entertaining. I particularly think that Scenarios is brilliant, it’s just a great concept and because of the nature of the show every episode feels fresh and interesting. Bullwinkle has also been a big help to me and Drew behind the scenes at the Bridgwater studio since he came on board late last year and this has made both of our lives easier.

Lara is a star! She’s great to work with and is always happy to help, her graphics are fantastic.

Allis runs all our social media and does a great job, she’s flexible and adaptable which is exactly what a 24/7 radio station needs. She also always does a good job of politely kicking everyone up the backside to send her all relevant information!

Thank you everyone.

SAMI TUCKER The Forest of Gleeb recently ended, along with The Dark Dell it was my first ever show so it was sad to say goodbye to it, but I felt like it had naturally run its course. I had a great time exploring European folklore and paganism with all my listeners while playing the best folk music the world has ever known but after a year and a half, I felt like my source material was starting to run dry and that I had said everything I wanted to say and played everything that I wanted to play. Fear not though folk fans, we still two hours of uninterrupted folk music every Sunday from 6-8pm on AW Radio. On the plus side finishing Gleeb has given me the opportunity to start two new shows that I’ve had in the pipeline for a little while now which I will provide descriptions for below. That’s it in terms of updates for now. Thanks to everyone who tunes into Aspen Waite Radio every week! We appreciate you. Stay tuned,

The Sheriff’s Department (Sunday’s 10-11pm)

This new show is all about the fascinating period of history that was The Wild West. Every Sunday your host Sheriff Hoit brings you information, facts and stories about the era all while playing you the best blues, bluegrass and country music that has ever graced the Earth. Think Spaghetti Westerns, Johnny Cash, Red Dead Redemption, Townes Van Zandt and Lynyrd Skynyrd all mixed in with real life historical facts about the period.

Gruesome Grimoires (Saturday’s 10-11pm):

I’ve always been a big fan of horror literature with M.R James, H.P Lovecraft, William Hope Hodgson and Amelia B Edwards being notable favourites of mine. I love the rollercoaster ride a good horror writer can take you on from the comfort of your bed or from your favourite armchair. This show gives me (or rather Eldritch Oddbod) the opportunity to share some of these great authors’ works with you as I read out a different foreboding story every week to get you in the mood for bed. Expect tales otherworldly and macabre. As well as the stories I play an array of dark and spooky music ranging from classical music to heavy metal to set the mood.

Calum Waite