HeyU Issue 30 - 10 June 2015 | Page 8

The Vixen’s Vibe Studying a Bachelor of Creative Arts at USQ has its perks, including access to a fully-equipped radio studio. Phoenix Radio broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and offers students the chance to create real, live radio. Tia Thompson and her classmates Mitchell, Alex and Nikita are taking that chance to have fun improving their skills hosting The Vixen’s Vibe. USQ’s Rachel Tapscott spoke to Tia about exactly what goes into creating live radio. Q: What is The Vixen’s Vibe? A: A student radio show here at Phoenix Radio USQ, which broadcasts local and pop culture news. We aim to inspire creativity through interviews with cosplayers and creative types to inspire ideas and creativity in people who just want to have a go. Q: What inspired you to want to create The Vixen’s Vibe? A: I’ve always been interested in radio, and I started out volunteering on Morbid Curiosity and Midnight Briefcase [existing shows on Phoenix Radio] last year. I have a solid group of friends who are also interested in radio and are also nerds like me, and we have a love for pop culture. There’s really nothing like this show on the airwaves at the moment and I think it brings a wide audience because of this. Q: Can you explain the process you went through to get the show on the air waves? A: I started off volunteering and learning how to panel, and when I was confident enough I developed the idea for the show and pitched it to Glen and Ashley [lecturers of a creative arts course and Phoenix Radio station managers]. Ashley loved it and supported it completely, and we had the show a month later. In regards to the setup process, after the idea was approved, we sent a basic outline to Sam [Phoenix Radio music director] and he organised it and slotted it into the Phoenix Radio program. Q: What do you love about having your own radio show? A: I love the freedom of being able to decide what we are going to talk about. I get to live my hobby every day with this show, as I’m constantly researching the latest pop culture news. I love the idea of the show once it gets past the baby step phase. We want to support equality with the show; anyone can cosplay, anyone can create, it’s not just for geeks, it’s not a cult following. It’s about being proud to say ‘I like this’ and sharing it with people who have the same interests. Q: What are your main talking points for the show? A: We talk about the biggest things happening during the week, for example Comicon, Supernova, the release of a new season of a popular show or a movie. We also discuss prep for conventions. If there isn’t a major event that week we pick a topic, for example the new season of Game of Thrones. We run with what’s happening, what’s popular or new. When the new Avengers came out, to avoid spoilers we looked at the background of the previous Avenger’s movie and the character development, what could it mean for this movie. Q: How did it feel going into your first show? A: My first experience with announcing was on Morbid Curiosity with Jekki Booth. I’d been a watcher in-studio for a while, and one day someone couldn’t come in so she threw me into it. It was scary at first, and it took a couple of shows to get into the flow of it. As a support member of the show, it’s not as daunting; if you’re a host it has a bit more responsibility.