Interview with Craig Pitman, Drive Presenter, Power FM Murray Bridge

Craig Pitman is a drive presenter on Power FM Murray Bridge and has been with Grant Broadcasters since 2016. Prior to that, he was a drive announcer and production assistant at 100.9 ZZZ FM. In 2015, Craig spent close to a year at WOW FM 100.5, a community radio station, where he was part of The Big Breakfast team. He gained his radio qualifications from the Australian Radio School. Before starting out in the radio industry, Craig spent several years as a graphic design content creator for Kaszazz.  His Twitter handle is @Craigosaurus32.

What attracted you to the radio industry?

I wasn’t enjoying my transition from university to work and found the most enjoyable part of my day was driving to and from work, listening to radio shows in the car. I thought that if this was enjoyable for me, maybe I should make it my career and spend the next few years pivoting in that direction. I’ve always been creative, but I think radio allows you to be creative in so many forms from day to day.

What does your role as a radio announcer at Power FM consist of?

I’d like to say a big part of my job is hosting a Drive show weekdays but, in reality, the biggest part is the behind-the-scenes work. The other half of my job involves production; creating commercials for clients who advertise on our station. Juggling the craziness of that, while trying to sound cool, calm and collected on air is a daily challenge!

How can press releases help you in your work?

In a world where there is so much information to take in, and such little time to do it, press releases are an awesome way to help you stay on top of things. And press releases that can give you the highlights as quickly as possible are amazing!

Which influential radio personalities have played a part in your career and why?

Growing up in Adelaide, I’ve been influenced by local shows, going all the way back to Fitzy, Jules and Claire when I was at school (I have now been lucky enough to work with Claire Murphy). Dan Debuf was also a big influence on me, along with Dylan Lewis and Tim Blackwell.

How did your Graphic Design education prepare you for a career in broadcasting?

Studying Graphic Design at university was handy – as I mentioned, I’ve always been creative, but wasn’t sure where or how to use that creativity. I think it made that pivot from Graphic Design to Radio pretty easy. Instead of solving problems graphically, I now solve them audibly, but the creative process is mostly the same. When you’re having to introduce the same song for the 100th time in a fresh way, that creativity comes in handy.

What do you enjoy most about your role at Power FM?

I think a lot of people in radio would say the same thing. After sitting in a room on your own, or with a few other people talking into sticks, it’s amazing when you get to go into the community and realise the impact you have. Often you assume you’re talking and no one’s listening, but that’s always far from the truth! I love making moments that people will remember for the rest of their lives.