Dan Hegarty – Broadcasting From Home: "One thing these restrictions have done is force us to become more creative"

Opinion
17 Apr 20

As people turn to radio during the lockdown for company and a sense of community, a selection of the country's top DJs tell us how they've kept the show on the road whilst broadcasting from a variety of novel spots around their homes.

I’ve transformed under the stairs into a very, very small studio. The room is only slightly bigger than I am, but the acoustics are pretty good. The whole DIY thing really does bring me back to those Phantom FM days, when we did our broadcasts from our ‘secret’ studio above Whelan’s – the worst kept secret I’ve ever come across.

Operating from just one screen means you have to call on your memory a bit more for things like album titles and dates. You tend to cross your fingers in the hope that nobody flushes the toilet when you’re in the middle of saying something riveting!

I’ve had the whole range of emotions. Sometimes they linger, and other days they can be rapid fire, so there’s a bit of variety! One thing these restrictions have done is force us to become more creative. Unshackling yourself from routine and comfort zones is a pretty healthy thing to do.

By the time my show is on, it’s the last two hours of the day. People have been hit with so much information, not to mention a multitude of emotions, so I play music, and try to give people an escape, listening to tracks like ‘Blood Flow’ by Grandbrothers, or something by Just Mustard or Rollerskate Skinny…

Dan Hegarty is on RTÉ 2FM, 10pm-12am, Sunday to Thursday.

See the full Broadcasting From Home feature in the new Hot Press 'Stay Safe' Emergency Issue – available now.