a re-print from “The Record”
The “BIG Brome Fair” is coming and CIDI is abuzz in anticipation of the event. This will be the third year for us at the fair (in the same booth by the cattle barns). What’s different about this year is that it’s the first time we will be broadcasting live from the fair across Brome Missisquoi county at 1450 watts (effective radiating power). With our new Patch Hill tower right next to the fairgrounds the sounds of the event will be heard from Sutton right through to Bedford and around the world online.
Brome Fair is a good way, every Labour Day weekend, to meet fiends and relatives, including the ones we haven’t seen in years. For CIDI it’s a perfect place to sign up new members, and for our listeners to get to greet and meet the CIDI volunteers; hosts, technicians, producers and organizers. Come see the faces behind the voices you hear on 99.1 FM. It’s also a great way for Townshippers living abroad to get to hear sounds of the old homestead.
Being across from the cattle judging areas, our microphones pick up the results of daily events being blared across the grounds through metal speakers hanging from telephone polls. Fortunately our microphones are closer to our guests and hosts than the action and the sounds provide a perfect backdrop to interviews featuring local politicians and fair goers.
CIDI’s roving reporters, armed with portable recorders, add to the continuous playing out of life at the fair for our listeners. The improvised interviews and performances from the midway and grandstand stages make their way into the daily broadcasts from 10am to 4pm Friday through Monday. With modern editing software the sound bites are cut up and processed for airing right on the spot.
It’s amazing how many people have come to work and help out at CIDI’s booth over the years. One of them is David McGovern, our summer student employee for the past twelve weeks. He had started with us back in 2008 at the fair doing a live broadcast from the grounds on a 1 watt transmitter. While he was a student at Massey-Vanier High School in Cowansville in early 2009 he hosted and prepared his own show called Teen Life which aired for many months on our 50 watt transmitter, covering mainly the Town of Brome Lake.
This spring, thanks to the Canadian Government’s student summer job program, he was able to join us and has provided excellent work for CIDI in the fields of production, ads, voiceovers and hosting.
From lft to rt are: (Back row) Alan Eastley, Warren Woodworth, Keith Mizener, Scott Edmonston, Holly Bailey, Maurice Simgfield, Klaus Bremer; (Front row) Lise Viens, Dewey Durrell, David McGovern, Tanya Singfield.
“I have learned so much about the technical side of production here at CIDI,” claims McGovern. “It has been a fulfilling experience.”
McGovern has literally taken a course in broadcasting this past summer, learning about audio signal processing (equalization, maximization and digital audio workstation production), how to conduct an interview, producing pre-recorded programs, expressing oneself on a microphone, microphone positioning and human interaction.
The working relationship with fellow employees can get very tense at times, but is inevitable when one considers having to work within close proximity of 9 to 10 other people under deadline conditions.
“There were times when I thought certain people were on my case,” explains McGovern, “only to find out later that I had misinterpreted the situation. I feel that I am part of a family now and am looking forward to continuing on a part-time basis over this coming school year.”
If one listens to CIDI it’s certain they’ll be listening to “DMcG”, as McGovern likes to call himself, from time to time in ads and station IDs. He produced a series of “what’s-coming-up-next” bulletins that play throughout the day previewing shows on CIDI’s programming grid. As he likes to say: “Let’s see what’s happening in CIDI Land”.
It’s all about character and having faith in oneself. “DMcG” has both attributes and pays attention to detail, learns quickly and is capable of making decisions that reflected well on the station. Needless to say we’ll miss his presence at CIDI and look forward to getting him back fulltime, life paths permitting.
For now, we’ll continue to build on his good work and remember fondly the going-away get-together we threw for him at the Knowlton Pub last week. In typical fashion “DMcG” had no idea what we were up to and was totally surprised by the turn-out. “I kind of thought something was up when I saw Maurice’s car in the parking lot,” said McGovern. “He told me just before coming that he had to go home for some reason.”
On September 3, 4, 5 and 6 CIDI will be at Brome Fair broadcasting live between 10am and 4pm each day. Drop by and say hello! You might even want to say something on air to all our listeners. We’ll have hosts available in both languages for a good time to be had by all. Also, DMcG will be with us on Saturday the 4th of September from 11am ’til 4pm as a tech and host if you’d like to meet him. See you there!
Send us an email or give us a call, and come visit us at the radio station in Knowlton. We want to hear your opinions and suggestions and play the stuff you want to hear. You can also become a member of the team if you want to do a show or help out on the technical side. We welcome one and all, because first and foremost it is YOUR radio station, serving the community, promoting local businesses and events and bringing you what you want to hear, because at CIDI 99.1 fm (and online at rcmmedia.org) we are just being who we are.
For more information on how you can participate in RCM’s local Townships community radio station CIDI and its other multimedia projects, please call us at 450-242-9873 / 1-888-539-2098.
Photo is courtesy of Klaus Bremer.
Maurice Singfield is an RCM volunteer.
Tags: BIG Brome Fair, Brome-Missisquoi, Canadian Government's student summer job program, David McGovern, Labour Day
