Different voices

Head of Radio 1 Simon Schooly says the enthusiasm of UAE listernersmakes his job SO enjoyable

Hard work, experience and a passion for radio landed Simon Schooly the job of radio presenter at GNB. Today he rules the airwaves as Head of Radio 1 with his show Soulful Session.

"I was originally a club DJ but always wanted to do radio," he said.

When a team of people inBirmingham in England started a small community radio station, Schooly jumped at the opportunity to be involved and, since then, presented a show at Capital Radio in London.

"There are many different cultures and voices in the UAE with varied perspectives," Schooly said.

"The enthusiasm and passion of the listeners really make my job much more enjoyable, even though radio is relatively new here. It just reminds me of the reason why I got into radio in the first place."

The key to increasing reader interactivity is to make the show as personal as possible, he said.

"I always encourage callers. Hosting the drive show is the most important thing on the agenda and speaking to people helps me get the information I need. It also helps make a connection with the people that matter," he said.

Though the number of callers varies, on an average Schooly talks to about 30 to 40 people every day. "The number of calls vary - sometimes it's more than 40. It depends on the nature and time of the day or topic."

Schooly described his most memorable phone call. "I had a man desperate to win tickets to the Shakira concert. He sang Hips don't lie in a high-pitched voice for 60 seconds, which made me lose control on air totally. I haven't laughed that much in ages."