On Monday, November 30, I sat down with the host of Pop Can, the Friday morning operator, the Programme Director’s Assistant, and one wildly charming gal – and we all fit in the same office chair. How did we fit, you ask? We were all the same person! Me.
Hayley, you’re currently the host of the radio show Pop Can. Could you tell me a bit more about your programme?
Gladly! Pop Can plays on 92.7FM on Friday mornings from 0900-1000. It’s a music show featuring Canadian pop music. The show tends to deviate a fair amount sonically, but it sticks to the same basic tenet from week to week: Canadian songs with a verse-chorus-verse structure and an element of repetition. I also talk about the music and the bands that I play, providing as much background information about the artists, albums, and songs as I can find.
That sounds incredibly cool and interesting, Hayley. So, on top of being a programmer, you are also an operator. What’s it like being an operator?
Being an operator is great. This is the second year in a row that I’ve had the Friday morning slot, and there’s something lovely about coming in first thing in the morning, unlocking the door, putting on the coffee for all the programmers and guests that will file in and out throughout the day… it’s a very peaceful time for me.
Then, when others do start to arrive, I have a super nice time chatting with everyone as they come and go through the kitchen. Also, Trent Radio gets the Peterborough Examiner delivered every morning and I get to do all the puzzles. That’s a good part of my week.
Oh! Oh! And I also get to listen to Stormin Norman in the Morning. Sure, you can hear him on the radio, but I get to hear his whoops and hollers from just down the hall. Since becoming an operator on Friday mornings, Norm and June’s show has become a fixture in my weekly experience from 1130-1300 on Fridays.
You’re also the Programme Director’s Assistant. What does that even mean? Like, what do you do?
Well, full disclosure– I don’t actually know. I mean I do a lot of stuff, and it’s all over the place. I basically do whatever James Kerr doesn’t have time to do, and James is a busy guy. I wouldn’t have it any other way though.
I get to do graphic design work by making posters and the such, I get to talk to all of the programmers during programme proposal review time, I get to do a bit of housekeeping office work, I get to help plan event days and pub nights, and sometimes I even get to just talk to myself for a bit. As you can see, it’s an odd sort of job. But frankly, it’s sort of my dream job. I’m always learning and being exposed to new things and new people and I love it.
Are there any last messages you would like to give Arthur readers today?
I’m always very happy to talk about it. I would like to encourage anyone reading this to get involved at Trent Radio because we all have individual interests and it’s incredibly fun to talk about them on the air and with others who do the same.