Our entire listening audience (for the dry run) assembled in our newsroom.
Practice, they say, makes…well, if not perfect then at least pretty darned good — and so every season of Midweek starts off with what we call our “dry-run” show.
It’s an hour-long version that we produce just as if it were going live to air, but it’s broadcast just within our own newsroom.
The idea, of course, is so we can learn our roles and make our mistakes when we don’t have an audience listening in.
This season’s dry run was a big disappointment: No serious stumbles, no comical goofs, no disorganized panics, no dead air, no open-mic indiscretions…
None of those blooper-reel-ready gaffes that are Wonderful Learning Opportunities at this stage of the learning curve…
Music producers Julie Tierney and Meg Brackenbury await their cue.
Nope: just a lot of pretty darned good radio, well ahead of schedule, hosted by Julia Wilkes and KC Hoard.
We had a report on how the LRT-linked changes to Ottawa’s bus system will mean slower going for many living in Orleans — especially if they’re trying to get to Carleton University in time for class or work.
Then we heard about efforts to strengthen mental health in workplaces, workshops to safeguard incoming students on Canadian campuses from sexual assault, and a campaign to encourage belief in those who do report sexual abuse.
We had two stories on the new Indigenous theatre initiative at the National Arts Centre, and went to a rally on Parliament Hill against single-use plastics.
A chilling story warned about how certain anti-malaria drugs may have harmed Canadian soldiers and aid workers who are now seeking help, and a visit to new exhibits at Carleton’s art gallery introduced a different approach to memory and redress.
Applause greets our (very relieved) hosts and producers — one down, nine to go!
And we closed with…closings: The James Street Pub is shutting after 30 years to make way for a new development, and we heard from staff and regulars about what that means.
And the Mayfair Theatre may have to close its Rocky Horror Picture Show nights if Disney pulls the cult classic from distribution.
All that in our dry run (so we’ve decided to share it after all)…and now much more ahead for the next nine shows of this latest season!
Enjoy — and tune in Wednesdays, right after the BBC News at noon!