The tales they don’t tell you…
Have we all been duped by reality radios two most successful DJ’s? We’ve been listening to them for months, to them bickering and blasting each other on their respective shows. Their real antics have had us all turning up that DAB.
Radio ratings have suffered in the competition with ever expanding, customised commercial media. With the rise of the internet, smartphones, and Smart TV’s radio is often not a consumer’s first choice. Radio has been fighting back with more and more daring shows, various celeb presenters, and music to suit all listeners. Of course, if your audience doesn’t care about the latest tunes, or follow celebrity trends then getting their attention can be tough. So, what’s the latest? Reality radio – that’s right you heard it here first six months ago, remember? Sceptical as we were it seems that the formula has been cracked. Station PDR got there first with Annie’s Antics, where Miss Annie Chambers – previously a very successful talk radio presenter on the same station – agreed to record portions of her week. Hours of her day were recorded and aired live to the audience as they happened. Annie then took to her usual time slot, nine ‘til midnight on Friday to discuss her week, take callers comment, answer questions, and give advice.
PDR’s biggest competitor KDS – and arguably the larger, more successful station – was not deterred. They fought back with their most popular DJ Hunter Riordan, a man that the largest stations worldwide have been clamouring to poach, but he has stayed put – though no one can figure out exactly why. The man knew media on a scale larger than most DJ’s before him, regularly appearing for chats on TV, interviews in magazines, and who could forget the spread in Cosmo’s sexier cousin MissMix late last year – we’re still swooning over the pictures taped to our bedroom ceilings.
But hold the press! After “Reality with Riordan” began using the same formula six weeks after “Annie’s Antics” started and had proved a hit, Hunter couldn’t help but take pot-shots at Annie, and who could blame him. His hours were filled with laughter, parties, sports events,” buddies at the bar” (now a regular segment), and various lucky women. Annie’s show was much slower, a more stoic, and often said a watered down – perhaps simulated – life. Annie spends her days running errands, taking her friends ailing grandmother to the doctors, giving us commentary on the book she’s reading, or the last play she went to see. Her show didn’t just disappear silently though, no, they fought back, taking their own shots at Hunter and his immature capers. Annie’s ratings went up, Hunters plateaued, and the public has been ensconced since waiting for the next challenge to be laid.
But, wait a minute, what is this we see? Last night our very own Daily Delight photographer spotted the two DJ’s at the Premier Radio Awards reception where the nominees were announced before next month’s ceremony. What would you expect? Were they arguing? Teasing? Taking the usual pot shots at each other? Throwing food? In fact, these two had shifted from school yard taunting to a decidedly more behind the bike shed moment. As you can see from the picture snapped by our very own Rod Byron their public personas have an issue with each other that apparently they don’t share with their off-air counterparts. The tongue Annie has slandered her opponent with over the airwaves was silenced by the taste of that opposite defamatory tongue. And, what is this? Her hands full with his lapels, but his hands? We’ve all heard the jokes of what radio presenters wear to work, but I think we all saw far more of Annie Chambers than we ever thought we would with her skirt around the wrist of Riordan’s grasping fingers. We have to wonder, just where would this have led if our colleague hadn’t interrupted the moment?
Their moment sucking face in the shadows of an isolated hallway corner behind a potted plant of all places – shame Hunter! We know just how you like to treat your honey’s, surely Miss Chambers deserves that same pampering?
But, all of this begs the question – just how well do these apparent competitors know each other? Furthermore, have we all been had? Was the whole thing a ruse from the very start?
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