An Interview with Owen McFadden from WhyFi Productions
Owen will be Facilitating our next Digital Brunch event on the 25th October – Creative audio for Beginners
Can you give us a brief overview of your career in creating radio and audio to date (including your music career!)?
I started working in radio as a freelance contributor. I would review gigs and new records for various shows on BBC Radio Ulster.
It helped that previously I had been a drummer in a band called Protex, which was part of the Good Vibrations punk era in Belfast. This had given me a good understanding of the music scene and I was used to being in studios.
I realised straight away that radio was a great area to work in. I got a chance to produce a music show for a few months and learnt how to edit tape (it was with razor blades and sticky tape back then !) and gradually moved into speech broadcasting, producing magazine shows and documentaries.
What shows are you most proud of making?
I’ve been fortunate to have worked in a lot of different areas – music, documentaries, features and comedy.
Recently, I was series producer of ‘The Brighton Bomb,’ a narrative podcast series for BBC Radio 4 which won Best History Podcast at the British Podcast Awards. I have really enjoyed working in comedy, especially The Folks On the Hill, a send-up of local politics featuring the incredible impressions of Sean Crummey, and ‘Live At The Sunflower’ which showcased the new generation of local comedians. I currently produce a show called ‘The Ticket’ on BBC Radio Ulster, a live show which features brilliant creative talent from here.
Who have your biggest influences been in terms of creating radio/audio content?
At the BBC, I was always in contact with talented producers, presenters and engineers and I learned a lot from them
When I was growing up, I loved the music documentaries on Radio 1 and Radio 2. There was a producer called Kevin Howlett who made great programmes.
Why should people care about radio and audio as mediums for entertainment and education?
Radio producers are fond of saying ‘the best pictures are on radio.’ And it’s true, radio is a medium that enables listeners to use their imagination. They can build a sense of people and of locations from what they’re hearing. Often listeners will meet presenters and be surprised that they look completely different from what they’d imagined from hearing their voice.
How do you think the rise of podcasting has changed the nature of radio and audio creation?
Podcasting has revolutionised how people listen to audio. They are no longer chained to radio stations or schedules. They can pick and choose what they want to hear from all over the world.
What would be your Top 3 radio / audio shows from either radio or podcasting?
This American Life and Serial were great breakthrough series for podcasting. Their compelling storytelling got people hooked on the format. But I really enjoy live broadcasting too – Loose Ends on Radio 4 is always a good listen.
What advice would you give to a young person interested in getting into radio or podcasting in 2025?
Listen a lot and learn from what you hear. Audio is such a direct medium. You are literally bringing voices straight to people’s ears. You can create a world through sound, have a gripping discussion, or transport listeners to places they could never physically get to.
What would be your biggest tip for creating compelling audio, whether in radio or podcasting?
Think about sound. A simple location recording – where you hear traffic, or wind, sea etc – will bring the listener right there. No need for cameras – the imagination will create the pictures when prompted by sound
What do you think the future might be for audio and radio content?
I don’t think it’s ever been brighter. Podcasting has totally reinvigorated audio as a medium and analogue radio listening is still very strong, despite all the other things competing for attention.
Owen will be Facilitating our next Digital Brunch Workshop on Creating Audio Content for Beginners on Saturday the 25th October at 10am in our Hill St Studios. If you would like to book a place visit the events page of our website: https://blickstudios.org/events/digital-brunch-creative-audio-for-beginners/
