Many people think a radio broadcaster’s job is simple, but after spending the day with Kerri Wynne MacLeod, co-host of the morning show of Ocean 100, I learned the difference.
Behind the mics of Ocean 100 are very hard-working people, who encounter different challenges, stories, and people every day. I happened to be there on one of the more interesting days.
This was the day an Elvis Presley impersonator was coming to town, and he wanted to do an interview with Ocean 100.
Stepping out from a Cadillac in white platform shoes he came. His gold belt flashed against his sky blue long-sleeved suit, with flared pants and matching cape and silver circle studs from head to toe. As he entered the station with his head held high, he approached all the ladies as “little darlins” and “little ladies.”
MacLeod laughed, “I have to run to the bathroom before he comes, so I don’t go in my pants when he gets in here by laughing so hard!”
Strutting into the broadcasting room, “Elvis” walked right over to the mic and MacLeod, along with other staff members who were anxious to hear the interview, went on air and started. He did a few impressions, told us about his 10-year experience and world-wide traveling, and even did a little singing.
As he walked out of the room I noticed his large diamond ring, studded with a horseshoe. He winked as saying “nice to meet you little lady,” patted my shoulder, and kept on walking.
This was one of the few interesting things that happened during my exciting day at Ocean, but there were many more, and here’s how it started.
I took a big breath and reached out my hand to meet Kerri Wynne MacLeod, for the first time outside her office at 5:10 a.m. As her long blue necklace dangled against her sharp white coat, she welcomed me with a warm smile and a big hello and together we walked into her office.
Before working in radio, MacLeod graduated high school knowing she wanted to be a broadcaster. She worked with the Guardian for seven years, but when she left for maternity leave, she decided not to go back. She said she is glad for her choice because she loves radio.
“There is a little more entertainment in radio than in print.”
MacLeod said she loves the family atmosphere about her job. She said everybody gets along well, and it really helps that there is such a strong bond with all the co-workers.
Things like their “Ocean 100 and K-Rock Challengers” hockey team, which plays to fundraise different causes around the community, adds to the fun and strengthens the ties between the co-workers.
“You have to be doing something you love to be able to get up this early. To me, it really doesn’t get any better than this.”
I never thought I would get a chance to see a real radio station. There were many different cubicles, each with their own computer. Personalizing them were many colourful photos, pins, ribbons, drawings, and portraits, which gave the space a more home-like feel.
MacLeod first introduced me to Zack Bell, co-host of the K-Rock morning news, which is the ‘brother station’ to Ocean. Together MacLeod and Bell make a great team as they share daily news and topics of interest. They also share more than a few good laughs being side by side in their cubicles.
Work started right away, after the regular Tim Horton’s coffee of course, as MacLeod archived all her previous days work and checked out her source for news and weather that she would start with at 6 a.m. Calling the police between 5:30 and 6 to see if anything newsworthy happened during the night is also part of their morning routine.
I will never again have a problem trying to figure out what a lead story should be, as long as I follow MacLeod’s motto: “If it bleeds, it leads.”
I could already tell that MacLeod came a long way from her first radio station experience, a Newcap stand-alone station she ran with Kirk MacKinnon in May, 2005. It was in a tiny room, forcing MacLeod and MacKinnon shoulder to shoulder and jammed with very little breathing space. It didn’t help that the first day they had no power.
“Our first show we ever did and it was in pitch dark,” said wide-eyed MacLeod.
Thankfully that is not the case for today.
MacLeod found her three main stories for the day and immediately wrote them up. It only took about 20 minutes. From there she showed me how she got the stories she wrote from the local wire to the newscast with a quick click of a button where she read it live for the 6 a.m. news.
As soon as I walked into the ‘fishbowl’ where the radio broadcasting takes place, I was overwhelmed with excitement. The numerous timers for voice, commercials and clips and bright colours on the thin silver computer screens amazed me, and even more so the fact that MacLeod and the crew get to use such technology every day. The mics the size of big fists accompanied with similar sized headphones on each of the three desks was breathtaking.
Behind one of the mics was a face I didn’t know, but a voice I recognized instantly. It was Kirk MacKinnon, host of the morning news from 6-10 with MacLeod. Yet again I received nothing but a big smile and a very loud hello, which made me feel right at home.
Within seconds MacLeod had her headphones on and was speaking into the mic, reading the news she wrote just minutes before, off what is called a telecaster, which displays her stories as they move up the screen.
She finished her broadcast within five minutes and was back to her desk to rewrite the same stories so they sound fresh and new for the next broadcast, half an hour later. She did the same thing every half hour right up until 10 a.m., the last morning broadcast.
At about 6:45 MacKinnon started the ‘water cooler question,’ where he asks a question and listeners call in. If they get it right, they are eligible to win a prize. The question of the morning was, “Eighty-one percent of people do ‘this’ while driving.” The three of us had many laughs to some of the crazy answers, varying from picking your nose, changing your clothes, changing a diaper, and drooling, but there were a good number of people who answered correctly with ‘singing.’
We thought we heard it all, until one lady called in, very distraught.
It was Muriel on the phone and MacKinnon and MacLeod recognized her instantly, as she is a long time listener and caller.
“Hi Kirk, I’m at my parent-in-laws house, and they don’t have a radio, can you tell me the question?” she asked, her voice both shaky and loud.
After politely refusing to take homemade biscuits from Muriel, MacKinnon gave her the question. She answered it wrong so he hung up the phone and continued on with his morning show, thinking that was the end of chatting with Muriel that morning. Little did he know.
About half an hour later a woman knocked on the studio’s window. We could tell from the plastic bag filled with food that it was Muriel. She stood there smiling wide and waving.
MacKinnon and MacLeod let her in.
“Hi guys!” she yelled as she walked in to the broadcasting room, waving her hands, jumping up and down.
Her bright fuchsia shirt reflected off her golden coloured earrings, dangling almost to her shoulders. The wrinkles in her eyes hid behind her small-framed glasses.
Muriel saluted us, reached in her bag and held out two large plastic bags, containing scones and cheese biscuits.
“My homemade biscuits, just for you. You have to heat them up though, to make sure the cheese gets all gooey.”
The next 15 minutes were a blur of chatter and a stream of compliments directed at MacKinnon and MacLeod and Ocean 100.
MacKinnon and MacLeod smiled politely and thanked Muriel as she went on her way.
“C 100 does not make me sea sick, it rocks my boat!” she shouted.
She danced as she passed the station on her way home, shaking her body while impersonating a singer and twirling around. Waving one last time Muriel walked away.
The next couple of hours were very relaxed as MacKinnon and MacLeod chatted back and forth, took callers’ answers for the question, played a wide variety of songs, and did the news every half hour.
Humour is key in this radio station. There was never a time when I didn’t have a smile on my face and I found it hard trying not to giggle at MacKinnon and MacLeod’s conversation.
MacLeod told me about her winter experiences and said even in the worst of days they have to be here.
“We don’t get the day off,” she said. “There were days when I couldn’t even get my car out, but I got my mukluks on and trudged up here anyways.”
In between doing the news and commercials, we would get small breaks while a commercial or sets of songs were playing. This is when I got a chance to meet the rest of the staff, who don’t get there until hours after MacKinnon and MacLeod.
Everybody greeted me with a big smile, and treated me as if I was part of the family. I talked with Maureen Flanagan, who does news. She told me about how much she loves working at Ocean because there is always so much stuff going on.
“That’s definitely one thing I love about this job, there’s always a change.”
Thinking the clock was broken I checked my cellphone, but the clock wasn’t broken at all, it was really 10 a.m. already. I have all ready been there for six hours, which amazed me.
The fun I had made the time fly by. It was time for MacKinnon and MacLeod to wrap up their morning show, which they did an excellent job of. MacLeod had to go to a meeting so I also got my things together and prepared to leave with Bell to cover a press conference.
I couldn’t thank MacLeod enough for her kindness towards me. It was such a pleasure meeting her and MacKinnon and getting to spend the day with them both.
The day, which I thought was going to be very long, seemed so short in the end. Meeting everyone was such a great opportunity, and getting to see everything I did was so exciting.
MacLeod is a person who I was very glad to get the chance to meet. With her upbeat personality and hilarious sense of humour, it was a real joy spending the day with her.
Still singing the Ocean tune and replaying everything throughout the day in my head, I was overwhelmed with the day. The smiles, laughter, music and fun will be something I will always remember, and I can only hope to one day join a team like Ocean.
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