FEATURES
The skills – reading, responding to, helping reinforce or alter an audience’s moods – seem to have more in common with a club DJ playing to a live audience than the average studio-bound radio host. BFBS’s staff also have to be able to fill multiple roles.
“We’re an attractive proposition for another station taking any of our staff,” says Miller, “because with us, literally, you do everything. We don’t have producers; you produce your own material. You’re not going to sit here for thirty years just reading news. You do interviews, promotions, marketing, even TV reporting; you write your own scripts.”
Wider awareness of its role and impact is growing. Last year BFBS won a Sony award for their services to the forces and to radio; David Beckham dropped in on the station during a visit to Bastion. This June, Tim Westwood spent a week at the base and broadcast a show live in the second annual Ten-Hour Takeover linkup between Radio 1 and the BFBS – a visit that secured him admiration among the troops.
A higher profile for British radio’s best-kept secret may be useful. BFBS operates on a 10-year contract, which is up for renewal
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expense of maintaining a global infrastructure, much of it in war zones, any profit BFBS makes goes to charity – but the network is gearing up for a challenge. Despite the British government’s plans to end combat operations in Afghanistan by 2015, the radio station will be needed in the country for some time beyond that.
“If there’s an entitled British person there we’ll do something to get the services to them,” says Wright. “We always try to leave a transmitter, and if there wasn’t a transmitter, there’d be a satellite TV system. In that respect, we’re still in Iraq. It was only quite recently we turned off the last transmitter in the Balkans.”
in 2013. In the past, they’ve been the only bidder, but under EU legislation the MoD is obliged to open the process up. It’s not the most attractive proposition for a commercial broadcaster – apart from the considerable
Miller adds: “Often, we’re the ones who switch the lights out and bid the place goodbye. When the combat troops are drawn down and pull out of here, there’ll still be a significant number of them mentoring Afghan police and that sort of stuff. And what they want is some semblance of normality, right to the last.”
Dusty Miller returned to the UK two weeks ago; Ops Breakfast’s new presenter is George Ryland.
©Angus Batey/The Guardian
*
Callscostamaximumof4pperminuteforBTcustomers.Thepriceofcallsfromnon-BTlineswillvary.Linesopen8amto5pm,MondaytoFriday,
callsmayberecorded.BenendenHealthcaremembershipis initiallyavailabletocurrentorformeremployeesofthepublicsector,andother approvedorganisationswhoseaimsandobjectivesaredeemedcompatiblewiththoseoftheSociety.ExamplesofsuchemployersarethePostOffice,CivilService,BT,mutualorganisationsandnot-for-profitorganisations.EmployeesormembersofapprovedUK-registeredcharities, co-operatives or credit unions are also eligible. Some services have a six month qualifying period. The Benenden Healthcare Society Limited is an incorporated friendly society, registered under the Friendly Societies Act 1992, registered number
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AD/ENVOY/SP/Q4.11
12
Envoy Winter 2011
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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