Its more fun to join in

Front page of the Media Guardian today Christian's mission

Christian O'Connell, Virgin Radio's high-profile breakfast show signing who made his debut this morning, has been enjoying a spell of gardening leave and lie-ins since leaving his previous berth at London indie rock station Xfm.

His success is based upon

The listeners are a big part of what I do. Umpteen breakfast show DJs say the listeners are really important but they never get out and do anything with the audience apart from a lame phone-in."

It was this sense of community that attracted listeners to his Xfm show and enabled it to reach out beyond its indie kid demographic. From Rock School, a competition to find the capital's best teenage rock band, to a collaborative knockabout effort to record a football song for the European Championships, he had the rare knack of making listeners feel part of his gang and a talent for on-air improvisation.

And the man does not just like to be stuck behind the control panel

Likewise, he hopes to get out and meet his audience. He knows that outside London and industry circles he is less well known, so plans to take the show on the road and is developing a bigger, better version of Rock School in conjunction with Channel 4

Rock on Christian

Comments

[Henry Peise]

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