DIANE KNOX: Going with a lone female presenter on a breakfast show has to be celebrated
I feel like our local radio station, MFR, features heavily in my columns but I make no apology for that.
MFR stands as the foundation of my career and is an integral part of the north of Scotland, covering such a large area yet continuing to deliver a real sense of community.
This year, we celebrated 40 years of the radio station based in Scorguie Avenue (on the top of the wee hill) but last week they announced something that serves as an equally impressive milestone for 2022.
Changes to the weekday programming schedule were made public, with Jodie McCluskey moving from her mid-morning slot to a new breakfast show. Huge news!
I first started working with Jodie when she entered the news department as a trainee. The local lass from Aviemore had studied journalism and was such an asset to the on-air team – amazing, deep voice, such a unique style of presentation and a huge personality.
I can’t remember how long it took, but she was whisked away from the world of news to the on-air presentation team and has never looked back.
At the time, as well as hosting my daily show, I worked as a trainer with the Radioskills programme and got to guide Jodie through her vocational qualification in radio broadcasting, and it wasn’t long before she was drafted in to cover shows. In fact, she got to cover my show any time I went on holiday!
I always remember feeling so protective over that four-hour time slot, but felt at ease knowing it was left in her capable hands. Fast forward to 2010 when I left MFR, and Jodie was the natural replacement to take over.
Here’s something about females in radio – there’s really not many, especially in comparison to the males. When females are put on air, it’s usually in the role of the co-host to act alongside the strong, dominant male presenter, contribute where necessary and, in many cases, present the travel reports. I mean, that’s what I did when I started, and I still have many friends who are in the same position. Truth be told, it’s tough to move out of that role.
A stand-alone female presenter, leading a breakfast show, is rare and really deserves to be celebrated. I grew up listening to Zoe Ball and Sara Cox, who really paved the way for women on radio in the UK and still present their own shows on BBC Radio 2. In fact, Zoe Ball was the first female breakfast presenter on both Radio 1 and Radio 2.
But I’m not at all surprised that MFR are blazing the trail, especially when Jodie is a locally-grown talent who has been familiar to listeners for 14 years. When I heard that she was taking over the prime show at MFR, I’m sure I let out a “YAAAAAS”; it’s incredible news.
I immediately messaged Jodie to wish her congratulations, who said it was “a dream come true”.
Jodie takes over the MFR Breakfast Show on May 16, so make sure you tune in and support her, even send her a message. I’ll definitely be setting my alarm at 1am to have a listen.
