Category: Asian Network
Date: 08.11.2005
Printable version
Ravi Sagoo from Bearsden in Glasgow has beaten off competition from 700 aspiring broadcasters to land a plum job as a radio presenter on the 91Èȱ¬ Asian Network.
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Later this month 24-year-old Ravi will start presenting the national station's Album Chart programme (Saturdays from 1.00 to 3.00pm) after a panel of five radio producers from the Asian Network decided to award Ravi the slot - after narrowing the final field of hopefuls down to three.
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Ravi said: "The whole experience of the competition had a mixed bag of emotions relating to it - lots of excitement and, at the same time, a touch of nerves also.
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"Once the cut was made from 12 to three, I thought I had a good chance. Was I expecting to get the contract? I would say it was 50-50, but you've always got to have a touch of faith, which will hopefully carry you through."
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The search for the Asian Network presenter has been a long journey which spanned over seven months around the UK, beginning in April 2005.
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Ravi has been selected from more than 700 hopefuls who initially entered the competition via post, the 91Èȱ¬ New Talent website or by auditioning at the 91Èȱ¬ New Talent bus which toured Melas in Bradford; Manchester; city sites in East London; Harrow, West London; and Birmingham.
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Ishfaq Ahmed, Assistant Editor at the Asian Network, said: "This was a tough decision - all the finalists were superb. They all had different traits to offer and the decision in the end was to see who would be best suited to the Asian Network presentational style and who would be able to complement our current on-air talent.
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"Ravi complements our existing voices very well but his warm Scottish lilt and his ability to 'connect' with our audience just edged it for him."
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The final stage involved Ravi competing against Sandeep Kaur Rai (18) from Wolverhampton and Hussain Yoosuf (30) from London.
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All three finalists took part in a workshop at the Asian Network studios in Leicester, where they met producer Simon Walsh who offered tips to improve their skills - during a day of scripting, playlisting, content-generating, interview arranging and finalising.
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The finalists were also given the chance to really show what they could do in an individual pre-recorded one-hour programme, which went on air from midnight on Sunday 23 October.
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Ravi has been signed to present the Album Chart every Saturday from 1.00 to 3.00pm, starting from 19 November.
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The Album Chart was previously presented by Bobby Friction, who will now host The Mix from Sunday 20 November.
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Notes to Editors
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Listen live to the Asian Network via DAB digital radio, online at bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork, on MW frequencies in the Midlands and via digital television on channels Sky Digital 869, Telewest & Broadband 912, NTL 867 and Freeview 709.
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91Èȱ¬ New Talent is the 91Èȱ¬'s ongoing campaign to discover and nurture raw talent. Details of all schemes can be found on bbc.co.uk/newtalent.
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