How to Pitch: The Ticket
January 24, 2016 Radio
Having made her name in UAE radio as co-presenter of the The Catboy & Geordiebird Breakfast Show on Dubai 92, Stef Burgon swapped early mornings for afternoons last year to co-present travel and lifestyle programme The Ticket on Dubai Eye 103.8 FM. MediaSource caught up with Stef to talk about the show, its varied guest list, and how best to pitch PR to the programme.
Tell us a bit about The Ticket – what time is the show on and what does it cover?
You can hear The Ticket from 1pm till 4pm on weekdays on Dubai Eye 103.8 FM. We’re slap bang in the middle of the school run. Switch it on and you’ll hear Mark Lloyd, Zahra Soar and myself talking about travel, and we'll also keep you up to speed with everything and anything interesting going on right here in Dubai.
What’s the best way to pitch a story or guest to the show?
An e-mail is a great way to start, but I think ‘story’ is the key word here. We’re not interested in giving airtime to someone who wants to just ‘sell’. There has to be entertainment value for the listener and, if it’s something we can actually experience ourselves, then we will to add extra depth to the piece. Saying that, we always love to know which events are happening, so do get in touch.
What are the deadlines for the show – how far ahead are guests booked in advance?
It varies. We do have regular guests whose slots are their slots. However, we also try and save room for last minute bookings as Dubai can be very last minute. If something really exciting is happening, and we have a chance to feature it on the show, we will always try our best to squeeze it in.
What sort of guests to do you feature on the show?
We have a number of regular guests, including Omar Kassim from JadoPado who joins us for our techy traveller slot on Tuesdays with a dummies guide to all of the apps and gadgets you need to know about before your next getaway, while new restaurant reviews fall into the domain of Monica Kapila, founder of DoinDubai.com, and if she isn’t raving about it, it probably isn’t worth eating at!
We also regularly catch up with some not so ‘on the map’ folk, like Emmie and Evie, a mum and her five year-old daughter, who are taking a year out of the usual daily grind to travel together around Asia; Lee and Sean who are rowing across the Atlantic, Beefy who is attempting to attend 365 sports events around the world in one year; and of course celebrities when they are in town.
What do you like most about your job?
I absolutely love doing interviews - it’s the best part of the job for me. I like to add a bit of fun in an interview, especially a celebrity one. If you can make a celebrity laugh and let their guard down and their real-self shine through, even for a second, you're winning.
Do you have any tips for aspiring radio presenters on how to conduct a good interview?
I think research is key. Do it well so you are ready to talk about a variety of things. Always listen to the answers and be ready to pick up on them. It’s always easy to say ‘ok’ and rush into your next question but it doesn’t always make for the best interview. Don’t be afraid to go off-piste, as such! If the interviewee is talking about something they are actually interested in, it will always be a better interview. Also, treat everyone the same, whether they are a local businessman or an A-lister.
Any advice for PRs on how best to work with The Ticket?
Keep us in the loop. We’re always interested in what you’re doing. It may not always fit our show but, if it doesn’t, then it’s highly likely we can push you in the right direction.
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