Radio Show Listening Experience – Similar Format yet so Different

I tuned into the Monday broadcast of ds106 radio, where both our own show and another was played. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of people that showed up to listen to the entire 1.5ish hours. It was fun to chat with other classmates as well as Professor Bond about the shows live, and it felt like a coming together of ds106 that we have periodically throughout the semester.

For the first segment of the show, we listened to Logic Pod, which was the show that our group created. This was my third time listening to the entire podcast with no interruptions or skipping, and my experience changed with each listen. The first time, I wasn’t too keen on the details and just wanted to pump out a completed show to finish the assignment. The second time, I listened to it with a friend and focused more on enjoying the show and taking in how it makes us feel.

During the third listen for ds106 radio, I began to be much more critical of our work. In terms of the editing, I realized that the audio could have been balanced much better, and a few of the cuts to different speakers were too abrupt. Definitely nitpicky, but good reflections regardless.

I got the chance to go on air live with Professor Bond and talk a little more about the process. Other than a few technical issues, it was awesome yet nerve-wracking to be on air live in front of almost 20 people.

The second portion of the show was dedicated to Ravioli Radio. Right off the bat, I noticed that their show was very similar to ours; a podcast style discussion where different topics are brought into focus. However, I quickly realized that their use of audio clips and the tone of the topics contrasted heavily to our own show.

From an overall vibe standpoint, Ravioli Radio felt like a few friends gathered together to have a good time. It was a breath of fresh air to have more lighthearted topics, while still keeping the format of a good podcast. It felt much less transactional than Logic Pod, where all of our characters meant business and each of us had our own agenda to push in a limited amount of time.

I really appreciated Ravioli Radio’s usage of sound effects, particularly the applause and the addition of a live audience. The use of these sounds never felt redundant, as each audience clip was slightly different from the others, and wasn’t overused. It added another element of depth and immersion to the show, and it made me think about the things I can add to my projects in the next few weeks.