Digital radio station recruits DJ through online talent contest

by Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 22-Jan-07, 12:15

LONDON - GCap Media's digital-only station Core has found a new DJ via an internet talent contest, 'Face for Radio', run on MySpace.

The competition involved Core listeners entering their friends, who were auditioned via email and telephone to reach a shortlist of 10 finalists.

These finalists created MySpace pages from where they completed weekly challenges to learn presenter skills and use them on air and online to entertain listeners. More than 8,000 Core listeners signed up as friends on the pages during the finals.

The challenges including raising money for Fairbridge, a charity helping disadvantaged young adults, and producing and presenting a podcast.

In the final, Will Goodhand, whose previous claim to fame was being a contestant on Channel 4's 'Beauty and the Geek', beat a polished student radio presenter. The challenge was to present a live two-hour radio show on Core.

Core has given Goodhand a two-hour Monday night show at 10pm, starting tonight.

Bern Leckie, the station's programme manager, said: "He doesn't sound like anyone else on the radio, but he has a talent with storytelling that thousands of listeners have warmed to."

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