SGM Talks to Ally Bally!
How did you get involved with Tayfm?
25 years ago, Tay was just starting and I'd been doing some hospital radio in Kirkcaldy and various places. I wanted into radio and Radio Tay was just starting and I got doing one or two shows a week. About six months after it went on air. The job that I was doing which was in the DIY business, I worked for B&Q. They wanted me to move down south as a regional manager and I didn't want to do that so I came to Radio Tay and said give me a job and they stuck me on there sales team for a couple of months. A guy who was on the breakfast show went on holiday; his name was Mark Goodyear who many people might recognise on Radio 1 and Radio 2. He went on holiday and when he came back they decided to keep me on the breakfast show and get rid of him.
So would you say DJ-ing was your passion?
Oh yeah. There's a guy called Richard Park who is known now as the guy from the TV series Fame Academy. He used to be programme director at Capital London. Well he and I both started the hospital radio station together in Kirkcaldy because back in those days he worked for Radio 1. We started hospital Radio in Kirkcaldy and that's how I got into it. So I'm much more a radio person than a club person. But once you get into radio you realise, particularly in the early eighties, to make a living you had to go out and do clubs as well.
So by this you mean you have done some clubs in the area?
I've done quite a few clubs here, there and everywhere. I've done the back-up and the warm up for people as well.
Do you prefer DJ-ing in a club or on the radio?
I think firstly my passion is radio. Without a doubt. But for the last 15 - 20 years every Christmas I've worked through the whole of December doing Christmas party nights. 2 years ago I decide I'm getting too old for this, I'm going to stop it and last Christmas I didn't do any at all and I really, really missed it! I missed the live stuff. I've been doing less live stuff.
What about any live outdoor broadcasts that you're involved in?
I think I've probably broadcast from every venue and park that can possibly be had in this area. My biggest one was in front of 90,000 in George's Square in Glasgow. I got to do Radio Clyde's Hogmanay Show.
Why do you think Tayfm is so successful?
Because we listen to what we think people want. People phone in, they txt us and we respond to what the want. Therefore we are continually changing. We're not frightened to admit when we get it wrong and fix it.
What does Tayfm offer to students?
A wide range of music and also offers the opportunity to win lots of prizes that students need. We're just about to with Lloyds TSB a competition to win fridges full of beer everyday and also £1000 in cash and that's just for students. We are giving away to 3 winners £5000 each during September and October. So it's a chance for the students to listen to Radio Tay and enjoy it.
What is the future of Tayfm?
It's looking fairly healthy. We've just become part of the e map group and the audience figures that came out most recently again put Tayfm as the most listened to radio station in this area and as long as we remain the most popular radio station then the future is bright for us.
How do you see Tayfm in 10 years? Any technological breakthroughs coming through that we should watch out for?
Everyday there's something new. Our engineer is like a boy in a toy shop because there always something new coming out. Who would have thought 5 years ago that we wouldn't be playing CDs? We don't. We've just fitted the studio all the commercials and music are touch screen. So everything is moving. I think in the next 5-10 years most people will be listening to Tayfm on a digital radio.
And on the internet front. How do you see that!... Helping or against you?
It definitely helps. It's like digital radio. You can listen to digital radio and you can pick up 20 stations instead of the normal 3 or 4. The way that Tayfm benefits from that is being the best out of the 20 that's on there and that's why we are number 1. On the internet is great. You are sitting doing a programme and you get an e-mail from America and all these places because they are listening on the internet. Students are listening on the internet while they are doing they're prep work etc. So the internet is quite useful for that and plus there are quite a lot of competitions on our internet site as well.
Would you say that going on the internet was maybe the way forward!! do you think more people listen to it online?
No, more people are not listening to it online. They do listen to radio. But if they listen to Tayfm for the first time online that's great you'll find them coming over to normal radio or as I say digitals that are becoming more and more popular.
