Pacific Island Times Vol 3 No 12 December 2019 | Seite 6

Brief Chat
Andrea Pellacani
On becoming a reluctant radio personality
By Louella Losinio
I
n a reversal of roles, talk show host Andrea Pel-
lacani finds herself in the hot seat as she answers
questions about her job at Newstalk K57 and her
life outside the radio booth.
Pellacani, the voice behind K57’s midday broadcast,
is known for her intrepid opinions on current events.
But once the microphones are turned off, she admits to
shunning the crowd for quiet spaces
A childhood friend once teased Pellacani, “I would
be shocked if you took that job.” To which, she re-
sponded: “Challenge accepted!”
It was that challenge that pushed her into the world
of talk radio and later spawned The Andrea Pellacani
Show.
Pellacani joined Newstalk K57 in 2016 to co-host
the show “Let’s Be Blunt.” Soon, she started hosting
the weekday afternoon show that would eventually
become part of the K57 triumvirate of radio talk shows
(Pellacani, Patti Arroyo and Phill Leon Guerrero) with
a huge following.
Pellacani said it took her several months before
finally getting comfortable with the flow of the radio
program. “I think for three months, my butt cheeks
were clenched for four hours straight. From Monday
to Friday, I was deathly afraid of talking on the micro-
phone and having that attention on me.”
In the end, she said, it was such a good decision and
a great learning experience for her.
“It’s been three years,” she said. “I literally started in
November 2016. So I just completed my full third year
here at Sorensen. And seeing my name and picture
somewhere still freaks me out. I don’t think I’ll ever be
comfortable in that role.”
Prior to joining K57, Pellacani worked in the mar-
6
“I got called stupid on air. It
was the day that I realized
that sticks and stones may
break my bones but words
cannot hurt me. But it was
surreal to have somebody
yelling at me on the air
just because they had a
different opinion from me.”
keting and advertising fields. She also played bass
guitar in a band. But being in a band or working in a
people-oriented industry did not prepare Pellacani for
the radio job.
“I’m shy and I’m quiet,” said the retired musician. “I
used to tell people that I have stage fright. Every time
I say it, people would laugh at me. I am terrified of the
microphone.”
As the band’s bass player, she didn’t need the mic.
“Nobody cares what the bass player is doing until
there is no bass,” Pellacani quipped. “Or until I make a
mistake.”
She thought she had completely sworn off news, un-
til she got the offer to join Newstalk K57. “Sometimes
the news brings a lot of negative energy,” she said. “As
much as we want to talk about the great things that
people do in our community, what gets people engaged
is the stuff that makes them feel, in a strong way, about
their government or their life, or their trash and their
village, or whatever it may be.”
Another factor that drew Pellacani into talk radio
was her interest in policy — but not politics. “It is sort
of a dichotomy for me. I wish it could be simpler, like
politics didn’t have to do with policy and government
and how our government is run,” she said. “I think it
would be a whole lot better if it didn’t involve politics.
But it is always dynamic and interesting.”
Pellacani’s work day starts this way: “I literally roll
out of bed, head straight to the bathroom, wash up a
little bit and then pour my coffee then start consuming
news which is how I start prepping my day,” she said.
“It usually starts with reading the papers and listening
to Patti in the morning.”
While preparing for the show may take quite some
time, some breaking news could drastically change
plans. “Usually everything that I had in plan goes out
the window for the first hour,” Pellacani said. “That
is the beauty of talk radio. Your day is ever evolving.
I could be there thinking, ‘What a slow news day and
then all of a sudden, the FBI raids someone.”
Dealing with different types of listeners can also be
an adventure. “I got called ‘stupid’ on air. It was the
day that I realized that sticks and stones may break my
bones but words cannot hurt me,” she said. “I really
wasn’t offended by it at all. But it was surreal to have
somebody yelling at me on the air because they had a
different opinion from me.”
One of the things she has learned is that the job
requires thick skin. She thus has learned not to take
things personally.
On providing a venue for airing the community’s
concerns, Pellacani said, “Apathy and silence is a
powerful tool for people who may not have the best
intentions. So if we can provide a platform for people
who feel strongly about an issue, to get engaged and
speak up, then I think it is really an important part of
community service.”
Besides her radio career, Pellacani also shared her
five-year involvement in cannabis reform movement.
“I am quite passionate about it because it is something
that the people had and it was taken away from them
not because of science but because of policy, whether
poorly written or intentionally,” said Pellacani, who is
also the president of Grassroots Guam.
“I’ve been dedicated to cannabis. We have adult use
that the governor signed into law. I am looking forward
to, hopefully, getting more engaged in the process,”
she said. “I have been working full time and there is
only so much that I can dedicate to advancing cannabis
reform on Guam.”