Music lover, Tom Burton is currently weeks away from finishing his degree in 'BA Broadcast Journalism'. Although work loads have doubled and deadlines are looming, Tom still manages to find time to showcase his radio talents. Every Friday, 9am-11am, Tom plays host on The University Of West London's radio station, 'BLAST Radio.' In between some serious studying, Tom dedicates his time to his very own radio slot, which he has titled "UK Breakfast Show." Only running since February, the show is already a huge success, with regular audiences locked in and listening to his carefully selected music. The unique "UK Breakfast Show" only airs UK music, mainly Rap and Grime. Tom says "It's all about showcasing the newer, emerging music talent in the UK scene and mixing them with established artists like 'Stormzy' and 'Skepta.'"
It isn't all fun and games though, Tom has to find, select and carefully prepare all of his tracks ready for his weekly show. This task itself can be extremely time consuming, typically taking up hours of Tom's day but the radio show host insists he 'actually really enjoys finding new artists and music.' Tom continued to say that "It's always exciting when you find a talented, up and coming artist. Normally when I find them and play their music, most haven't really heard of them because they're just starting off or haven't made it 'big' yet. It's nice to be able to introduce listeners to these types of artists and give them the credit they're due."
Balancing 'BLAST Radio' and Broadcast Journalism has been fairly plain sailing for Tom. Over the course of the degree, Tom has used the skills he has learnt in the radio suite to contribute to the success of his studies. "It's all about balance," says Tom. "Studying for your degree should definitely be a big priority but you have to allow yourself to enjoy other hobbies and activities. If I didn't host my radio show on 'BLAST' because of my heavy workload, I'd only regret it. You can still achieve high grades and commit to other things, you just have to balance your time correctly!"
Tom is living proof that you can be a successful student AND regular radio host if you put your mind to it, not to mention all of the other work experience and broadcasting adventures Tom takes on whilst studying.... but that's another story!
You can listen to 'UK Breakfast Show' on 'BLAST RADIO' by clicking the image below!
