Category Archives: Podcasts

Podcasts: What’s the big deal?

“20 years ago it was ‘Let’s start a band’. Today, it’s ‘Let’s make a podcast'”

 

Podcasts are one of the fastest growing and most innovative forms of entertainment on the internet today. They come in all shapes and sizes, covering all kinds of topics and hosted by all kinds of people. The biggest names in YouTube have them. BBC Radio programs use them as extra content. It’s hard to escape them.

 

And the appeal is easy to see; the broadness of them means that there genuinely is one for everyone. They’re a unique space to exhume the medium of talking into something that can be entertaining and funny or hard-hitting and informative. And because they’re almost purely just about conversation, they’re very easy to get going. All you need are some microphones, some editing software and enough stuff to talk about for 30 or so minutes.

 

On Xpress Radio, we have a whole section just for podcasts under the Creative Arts section, and we are totally, completely and absolutely open to all and any ideas. We really cannot emphasise how easy they are to make and how much fun they can be to do, whether it be sport, comedy, gaming, music or more. They’re an especially good way to get into audio content if going live on air is a bit daunting (which, let’s be real, it is) and you fancy having some extra time to edit out any mistakes.

 

We’re going to be promoting Xpress’s podcasts on these website posts over the coming semester to show just how easy they are to make and how they really can be about whatever you want. If you’re interested in doing one, head over to the┬áCreative Arts Facebook Group Page┬áand you can get in contact with Alys and Munro, Xpress’s Creative Arts execs, who can help you turn your idea into a full-blown show.

 

Munro Page

£2000 Raised In 24 Hours!

On Sunday the 26th of November, Xpress Radio celebrated the success of their fundraising event.

The student radio station interrupted usual broadcasting to do a 24-hour special to raise funds for new equipment, with each hour consisting of different specialist music. The ÔÇÿSpecialist TakeoverÔÇÖ started at 12pm on the 25th of November, and managed to raise over ┬ú2000.

Xpress Radio has been running since 1996 and in their time, have received multiple awards and nominations at the Student Radio Awards, and have been highly commended by industry professionals. They last received a studio upgrade in 2002, but since then they have been unable to afford to improve the studio. Their Go Fund Me campaign said ÔÇÿWe have spent several years saving up to invest in a new digital desk but just when we can afford it, another equipment failure occurs, be it a microphone or a compressor, and sets us back several hundreds or thousands of pounds. As it stands, we are at the final financial hurdle and your support is what will keep Xpress Radio broadcasting.ÔÇÖ
The Specialist Takeover began with popular weekly show ÔÇÿSaturday AlternativeÔÇÖ with Freyja Elsy and Munro Page, and was subsequently followed by sessions from the Live Music Society, which can be found on the Xpress YouTube page. Other highlights include the, ÔÇÿInternational GrooveÔÇÖ with Curtis Neesam and Ed Flaherty ÔÇÿNostalgic RockÔÇÖ with Michael Ash, ÔÇÿThe Hardcore Show: Mental Health SpecialÔÇÖ with Ned Stone, ÔÇÿDad HourÔÇÖ with Sam MacGregor and friends, and ÔÇÿFlame in The StudioÔÇÖ with ÔÇÿLizzle MizzleÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿDouble DÔÇÖ, with music ranging from house to indie rock to country.

The station set different forfeits and rewards for each stretch goal, with station managers and the executive team promising to dye their hair purple when certain goals were reached. They reached their initial target of £1000 ten and a half hours into the broadcast, and reached £1500 once the broadcast had finished. Huw Edwards, who is Cardiff University alumni, and lead newsreader and journalist for the BBC donated £240 to see them to the goal. By the end of the day, they had crowd-funded £2000, with the current total standing at £2175. If the station reach £2500 they have promised to release a Christmas single and accompanying music video.

The now purple-haired Station Managers Emma McGuigan and Charlie Edmunds would like to say ÔÇÿWeÔÇÖre really proud of everyone who participated, especially those who were there in the early hours of the morning. WeÔÇÖd like to thank everyone for their support, whether they donated a little or a lot, or even just tuned in, weÔÇÖre both surprised and humbled with the result and thank the Students Union for letting us put the event on. Long live Xpress!ÔÇÖ

To find out more and give your support, go to www.xpress.co.uk, where you can find details for the next fundraiser and the link to donate.

By Meg Sharma

Article published in Gair Rhydd Issue 1108

Catch the highlights here:

*NEW* Xpress Podcasts

The time has come to announce that we have an officially up-and-running podcast section! Our Head of Creative Arts, Keiran Manetta-Jones, has been working tirelessly over the previous month to set up and organise all sorts of podcasts.

There will be plenty to entertain and inform you over the coming months. Stay tuned!

Coming soon:

  • Best of Xpress
  • Y Ddadl Episode 4 – The War On Drugs
  • Xpress Delivery

You can find the link on the banner of the home page or click here.

Cardiff Student Elections 2017

It’s election week here at Cardiff Students’ Union and we’ve grilled every candidate so that you can get a better picture of who’s in the running to represent you next year. Below are podcasts which feature interviews with each candidate running for each post. You’re able to vote every day this week up until 5 PM on Friday the 24th online or by visiting a polling booth in the Students’ Union.

Know the Facts

Be sure to check out what each candidate’s ideas and principles are either online in the 2017 Manifesto Booklet┬áor by picking up a copy of Gair Rhydd.

Students’ Union President

VP Education

VP Heath Park Campus

VP Postgraduate Studies

VP Societies

VP Sports and AU President

VP Welfare

Black and Ethnic Minorities Officer

International Students’ Officer

Mental Health Officer

Students with Disabilities Officer

Make your Choice

Now that you’ve heard from each candidate, it’s time to vote. Head over to the Students’ Union website or stop at a polling booth anytime up until 5 PM on the 24th of February to cast your vote. Every student at Cardiff University can vote so make your voice heard and ensure that┬áyour┬áStudents’ Union is run the way you want it to be.

Interviews conducted by: Ella West, Ryan Beckerleg, Michael Ash and Jack Rowlands.

**ELECTIONS HAVE NOW CLOSED**

Voting for this year’s Students’ Union elections has now closed. To view the full list of successful candidates, head over to the Students’ Union website.

The Best of Xpress – Episode 1

The Best of Xpress Podcast is back! *party emoji* We’ve curated the absolute best of Xpress Radio over the past fortnight and put it all together in one lovely package especially for you.

On this weeks episode, James Wilkinson performs a monologue, The Xpress Science Show discuss all things love and Harry Bligh says goodbye to Michelle Obama.

A special thanks to everyone that’s included in this weeks podcast. There were far more highlights than could be included in the podcast.

Best of Xpress - Episode 1

THINK TANK – The Aberfan Disaster

“The biggest disaster in Welsh history”

50 years ago, on October 21st at 9:15 am, the mining village of Aberfan, Wales, was the epicentre of the biggest disaster in Welsh history. 4 million cubic feet of debris fell from a coal slurry pit on the mountain top demolishing everything in its path. 144 people were killed including 116 children and 28 adults.

In this episode, Harry Bligh (@harry_bligh)┬áis joined by Dan Heard, journalist and Welsh Language co-ordinator at Xpress Radio. He talks to Amy Goddard, a singer songwriter who has written music about the Aberfan Disaster. He also talks to Louise Walsh, author of ‘Black River’ all about the reporting of the Aberfan 50 years ago.

Thanks to Dan Heard for interviewing (@daheard1)

Also thanks to Luke James for Production and Technical assistance (@lukeajames)

Music by Francis Lintgren – Check out his SoundCloud for more of his wonderful work.

Think Tank is in association with Cardiff Student Media and Xpress Radio.

ThinkTank is a Free and Independent Podcast, All Rights Reserved.

Xpress Weekly Picks: 19th February 2016

Here are the top shows from Xpress in the past week that you should seriously consider listening to now!

The Clinic with Ella and Harry
This week was Valentines Special. Ella and Adam were put up against each other joined by their significant others (Sam and Amy) in a head to head contest of ‘The Clinic’s Mr and Mrs’.


Interview with Beech Coma’s Harry Bainbridge

This one comes from the SRA Selector and is an extended interview with a student who started his own record label.┬áReally worth a listen if you’re interested in getting some behind-the-scenes intel on the music industry.


Sam and James
Despite Mared being ill, she still manages to make a brief appearance on the show (after a bit of technical wrangling). If you need a boost, give this one a try.