Hosting a GFN Radio Show for One Month: Traveling Through Time with Music!
Written and photographed by Kim Dong-hun (8ball)
Becoming a radio show host has been on my bucket list since I started listening to the Korean talk radio show Bae Cheol-soo’s Music Camp. Although it has been on the top of my list for many years and I have always dreamed about it, it never crossed my mind that I would actually be able to achieve it.
However, now I can cross that item off my bucket list because I earned the opportunity to be a GFN radio show host by winning the first GFN Listener DJ audition held in February.
Following March and April with two DJs, and May with one DJ, I, along with my partner DJ Angelique, had the pleasure and privilege of hosting a radio show called “Viva DJ” on GFN, with a total of 25 shows that aired between 9:05 and 10 a.m. from Monday through Saturday, June 1 through June 30.
For your information, the Viva DJ program is designed to offer GFN listeners the chance to step into the studio and host their own radio show. Even though it wasn’t easy for me to come up with various conversational topics during the show, wake up early in the morning for it, and repeat this daily/weekly routine for nearly one month, thinking back, it was worth the try to host this show as a DJ and interact with our listeners through text messages from them.
While feeling quite relieved and liberated now because I no longer need to go through these daily hassles, it also saddens me to realize that I cannot host this wonderful program anymore. However, I would like to share with you my radio show hosting experience, along with some details about this radio program.
Our show aimed to play some hit songs that we might have heard before, ranging from the 1950s through the 1990s. In the first and second weeks of the show, we started with some of the greatest musicians from the 1950s and 1960s, including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, The Beach Boys, Ray Charles, and The Rolling Stones. These were followed by some great musicians from the 1970s, such as Billy Joel, The Bee Gees, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Queen, Michael Jackson, Chicago, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Wonder. Next came the 1980s with artists such as The Scorpions, U2, Wham, The Police, Whitney Houston, A-ha, Madonna, and Richard Marx. We concluded the show with some of the top artists from the 1990s, including Puff Daddy, Kriss Kross, MC Hammer, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, LeAnn Rimes, Nirvana, Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, Maria Carey, and No Doubt. Of course, we played other songs when we had requests from our listeners. As we played these good old songs that I am familiar with and fond of during the show, I could reminisce about my past as if I were reliving the good ol’ days.
In addition, we talked about these musicians and shared our personal stories throughout the show, mostly between the two of us as hosts, but also with guests who came to the studio. Once again, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the wonderful guests who graced our show with their presence despite their busy schedules.
I know I made some blunders during the show, but fortunately my partner DJ Angelique did a fantastic job, and she and I really hit it off while hosting the show for the month. I know she will no longer be in Korea by the time this article is published in the Gwangju News, but once again, I want to tell her that I really enjoyed co-hosting the show with her, and it was my greatest pleasure to get to know such a talented person. Salamat (“Thank you” in Tagalog)!
Lastly, I would like to sincerely thank GFN and its staff for allowing me this great opportunity. Although I don’t host this program any longer, other DJs are able to host this wonderful program. So if you find it interesting, please visit the GFN website at www.gfn.or.kr or download the GFN app to your mobile phone. If you are eager to host a radio show like I did, please wait for another notice looking for guest DJs and apply for it. Who knows? You could be the next DJ, and I might listen to your program in the future.
The Author
Kim Dong-hun (8ball) is a free spirit working at the GIC. His major hobby is visiting different countries in the world and of all the 30-ish countries he has visited so far, his favorite country is Taiwan.