ABC Radio Saturday Breakfast
Mark Matthews is a presenter for ABC Radio, hosting Saturday Breakfast on ABC Illawarra. Through our previous professional collaboration, I reached out to Mark to conduct a “creative process case study interview”.
In our interview Mark told the story of his journey in radio over the years and walked me through his creative process. An insightful discussion that opened my eyes to the other side of this industry.
Interviewing Mark gave some insight into the routine of presenters. Among these include:
- The importance of networking
- Content creation process
- Content delivery
- On-Air presenting tips
To listen to the entire interview, click here.
Mark started by talking about his journey into radio. He discusses his history in voice recording [ Boswell 1:27-2:04 & 3:10-3:44] and highlights his interest in ABC from a personal moment, telling the story of how ABC focused on the local area during a bushfire [Boswell 4:47-5:55].
From voice acting to radio presenting, Mark pivots his career on the colleagues he meets and opportunities around him. At [Boswell 7:42] Mark tells the story of approaching Tony Arthur and Peter Riley for professional advice and eventually a job. Mark describes networking with Tony Arthur as the opportunity that led to his position with the ABC. Mark emphasises how networking with Tony Arthur opened the door to opportunities at the ABC. Mark hints at our interview and lunch mirroring a younger Mark from 20 years ago.
Mark spoke on his production process briefly. The main process Mark described to me appeared to be a tailored and refined approach.
Mark process starts with his own research. He describes this process as something that he does throughout the week. Listening to stories, talking to friends, etc. His producer does this too. A passive collection of relevant local stories to connect listeners to the community. Next comes the prewritten content. In our interview Mark emphasised a common practice of radio to “read before you speak”. He spoke about how he would be certain to read and reread every segment before being on-air. Thirdly, Mark works with professionals in different fields to provide segments within his show to provide further details. People who work in finance, weather, gardening, and others. Finally, Mark works from years of experience.
Mark’s skill in presenting has been one that he has developed his entire life. From performing as a musician to working as an engineer, Mark has refined his ability to present to his audience in a unique and personal way. Mark quotes Tony Arthur saying “you’ve really got to become more of a laserbeam when you’re speaking” [Boswell 10:05]. By this Mark is referring to speaking across space directly to the listener as if he’s;
“speaking to me over the back fence, but making it intellectual”
[Boswell 6:54]
Mark emphasises the dangers of having live guests On-Air, particularly non-professionals. During our interview he showed me their kill switch and delay buttons as well as their digital phone. All incredibly useful tools for working with guests online.
Along with delivery techniques, Mark also shared with me some of the technology used in to produce his Saturday breakfast show. This included walking me through the cue system, songs and mix software, digital telephone, and recording hardware. Our similar backgrounds in engineering provided a connection point for the technology side of presenting.
Mark described to me some of the challenges he has faced adapting to changes over the years and pointed out how he worked at these challenges until he overcame them.
Collaborating with Mark to discuss his journey in radio over the years was an incredible opportunity. Mark and I connected particularly over our love for presenting and operating state of the art technology in the process. Our similar backgrounds in music and engineering helped allow him to communicate to me in a language that I am fluent in, sharing in our excitement for our very niche world.
Mark’s process is one that comes from many years of experience. For myself, I know that I require more processing time and preparation in presenting. The problem that raised in my head with Mark’s passive absorption process is one of both quality and quantity. How do you ensure a level of quality within the stories collected? What if there aren’t many (particularly quality) stories on a given week?
Mark’s program is a slower paced Saturday Breakfast show with gardening tips and weather forecasts. This setting allows for a less dense program, which in turn influences the programs and stories at hand.
On his show, Mark interviews locals about their stories [ABC 1:31:00]. Mark engages with his interviewee with questions, comments, and encouragement. This strategy brings the listeners into the studio with Mark and helps the speakers to feel as if Mark is (as Mark puts it) “speaking to me over the back fence, but making it intellectual” [Boswell 6:54].
In all his programs, Mark constantly reminds listeners of the time [ABC 44:57]. This is an excellent tool and insightful choice. By giving time updates, Mark shows his insight about his listeners as he caters to many of his listeners who may be in bed or on the road. Regularly updating listeners with the time encourages them to listen further and in turn to listen regularly.
Finally, Mark regularly tells listeners what is coming up in his program to keep them engaged and to draw them into the stories. Mark noticeably does this with almost every segment of his program, with the exception of some live guest such as callers. Keeping listeners “in the loop” helps the show feel helpful and informative.
References:
Mathews M, 2021, Saturday Breakfast, vodcast, 1 May, ABC Illawarra, <https://www.abc.net.au/radio/illawarra/programs/saturday-breakfast/saturday-breakfast/13316820>
Boswell E, & Mathews M, 2021, Mark Matthews Interview, Soundcloud, 7 May, Soundcloud, <https://soundcloud.com/user-974215772/markmatthewsinterviewraw>
Boswell's Brain 