Hansen's Corner

Website and blog for an ambitious broadcaster/podcaster/blogger

Month: July 2020

It’ll be alright on the night (I certainly hope so)

Posted on by Matthew Hansen

Different kind of musings post this week.

Rather than write my thoughts down, I’ll record what’s on my mind at the top of this post.

Basically, my hospital radio show – and the first time for me personally since lockdown – will be live from tomorrow evening.

The Feelgood Lounge, 2000 – 2000 UK time, Thursday evening, on Southern Sound.

Channel 8 in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, if you are or know someone who is a current patient there and online at http://www.southernsound.org.uk

Feel free to follow the station on Facebook and Instagram too!

Presenting from home during lockdown

Posted on by Matthew Hansen

I lived alone during lockdown so for me there were two pluses: Concerns of the virus being brought into the flat by others was non-existent and being left to my own devices.

What also helped me get through this tricky time was my radio presenting.

Access to SunnyG and Southern Sound studios were (and still are) off limits as soon as the virus took off in Glasgow. For many it brought a temporary pause to their volunteering.

Thankfully my home studio (ok, mic on a mic arm, mixer, some cheap duvet for soundproofing in a tiny cupboard) saved the day. However there’s no air conditioning, light fixtures and the only way my laptop, which acts as my recording/streaming device, could be placed was outside the studio. It wasn’t perfect but hey it works.

My home studio, circa December 2019, during recording session for the Monday at Six Christmas special.
The home studio since lockdown. Much tidier and compact isn’t it?

Cupboards and walk-in wardrobes in my opinion are good for home studios/home recording booths. Especially if there are fittings, the headroom is lower and the space is more confined which can act as partial soundproofing. I also have £6’s worth supermarket duvet at the back of my mic just to be sure.

This has been my setup for recording The Feelgood Lounge and even before the pandemic, the Monday at Six Christmas special for SunnyG and the Hansen’s Corner podcasts.

I miss presenting radio shows live – sadly my “studio” currently doesn’t have the technical capacity to fully broadcast live other than down a Skype line and the technical operation handled by someone else.

Besides such a setup is expensive and would cost hundreds, if not thousands of pounds to be compatible with the station’s existing playout infrastructure.

Nevertheless such an activity gave me another purpose during the lockdown. In this case, to provide some kind of distraction for the hospital patients who not only have to worry about their own health but also that vicious virus.

Having such a purpose inspires me and reminds me that I’m actually lucky to be in a position to do so.

Podcast Picks (July 2020)

Posted on by Matthew Hansen

Podcast picks are back! Here I share three podcasts you should try.

Before I do so – please consider subscribing to the Hansen’s Corner podcast by heading here. You can subscribe via Spotify, Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

The Guardian Long Read

  • Similar to the Curio app – audio versions of their long read articles on theguardian.com.
  • Good variety of voices – some by the writers themselves others voiced by a wide range of voice actors.
  • Long read articles covers various topics – The environment, AI, COVID-19, the rise of ALDI supermarkets (a favourite of mine)
  • Great passive listen – while working or relaxing
  • Easy listen in terms of voices
  • Not for those looking for a short podcast to listen to
  • Search “The Guardian Audio Long Read” in your podcast app or search engine.

WTF1 Podcast

  • Podcast by Formula 1 website wtf1.com
  • First discovered them on YouTube
  • Race reviews, F1 news and features
  • Features including “That Time When” – discussing key moments in F1 history, my favourite.
  • Different style to other F1 podcasts
  • WTF1 – aimed at – mainly – the millennial generation
  • Nice, approachable style
  • Roundtable format works nicely
  • Primarily Hosted Matt Gallagher – about to co-commentate for F1TV and the F2 World Feed this coming weekend.
  • Search for “WTF1 Podcast” in your podcasting app or search engine

Nick Abbot Habit

  • Podcast by UK talk station LBC
  • Presented by Nick Abbot – formerly of Virgin Radio and Talk Radio in the 1990s among other UK stations.
  • Best bits of his Friday and Saturday night shows
  • Personally selected by Nick
  • Dry sense of humour and sarcastic – my kind of humour
  • Around 30 minutes long
  • Zany style with clips from his soundbox and mocking silly callers
  • Search “The Nick Abbot Habit” in your podcast app or search engine

More podcast picks next month but in the meantime, a quick reminder to check out the Hansen’s Corner podcast (anchor.fm/hansenscorner) and subscribe.

You can also subscribe to the blog via RSS, copy and paste this into your feed reader: hansenscorner.com/feed

Next musings post and podcast on Wednesday, have a great weekend!

Pause, reflect and what next

Posted on by Matthew Hansen

Feel free to either listen to me in the podcast, read the blog post below or do both!

Since my last post in January 2020 the world has changed beyond all recognition.

Unless you’ve been in a coma or living in the wilderness for much of this year, 2020 – aside from stating the tragic, terrifying and deadly obvious facts – has become the year where the world stayed at home to fight COVID-19.

It also became the year to pause and reflect. The same could be said for this blog. Posting regular and good content with value is not an easy thing to do. Especially if you are juggling a full-time day job and other plates in the complex plate spinning act called life.

“Ok quit the silly metaphors and get to the point.” I can hear you say. Ok ok, I was trying to be creative but I get the picture.

This blog will stay the same in some respects and not in others.

The overall focus of the blog will focus around my projects as well as the realm of podcasting, radio and other media realms that take my interest.

Hopefully along the way I will also provide content that will at least be of some value to you. Not to mention I want this to be a blog where anyone – who is interested in media or even in someone’s journey to pursuing his passion – can find this accessible, informative and possibly entertaining.

The musings posts will continue once a week – for now – and, as I mentioned before, it will become more focused towards my projects and work. I hope to write about other subjects that pick my interest from time to time.

Podcast picks will continue every first Thursday each month too. Since having returned nearly halfway through July, the July podcast picks will appear on Saturday 11/07/2020 instead.

Basically, it’ll contribute to my portfolio and I hope you’ll get something out of all of this content too.

For now:

1) Subscribe to the podcast
2) Save hansenscorner.com/blog into your bookmarks
3) Like me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram and Twitter
4) Listen to my hospital radio show – The Feelgood Lounge – on southernsound.org.uk from 2000 UK time on Thursday evenings.

Speak to you later!