At 14:00 on the 21st of April, the Radiodays Europe Twitter was hosted by Filippo Solibello, Italian DJ, Radio and TV broadcaster, and one of the leading lights in remote broadcasting. He answered a number of your questions about broadcasting from home and his current situation in Italy.
The chat kicked off with an update from Filippo. He tweeted that the situation in Italy is not good – with the total cases reaching 107,000 and deaths of 25,000 (as of 21 April). He explained that the North of Italy has experienced the most cases, in cities including Bergamo, Brescia and also Milan, where he resides. However, he writes that in the last few days, drops in case numbers are giving people hope – with parts of the South recording zero new cases.
Filippo, the king of home broadcasting, was asked about his home radio set up. He wrote that his set up is simple –
“At the beginning I used a computer, headphones, microphone and the Luci Live software. That works perfectly. After a couple of weeks we upgraded with a Prodys Quantum W codec and it’s really fantastic… I can talk with my co-hosts and with the control room any time with the intercom, and in addition I also open a whatsapp video call on my phone with the control room to be sure we understand each other looking in the eyes. I use a super fast cable internet connection 1Gb/sec.”
Filippo told us that he is hosting his own morning show Caterpillar AM from his home in Milan. Radio2 is broadcasting two daily shows and another four on the weekends from Milan. To make it easier for the home broadcasters, all the home studios in use for these shows have assistance from the main HQ in Rome. As you can see, it is all steam ahead for Italian broadcasting!
When asked about his tips and tricks for broadcasting from home, Filippo highlighted a few key factors that can keep your set up sounding as professional as possible. “[It is] really important [to] use some sound-absorbing panels around you. You can buy them online – they are cheap soundproof foam panels that make a big difference. If you can’t do that, then use towels, tablecloths, blankets, anything! Also important, don’t broadcast in pajamas, get dressed! People can “see” if you’re not dressed. Act like you were in the studio, you must have a “studio-way-of-mind…”
A key take out from Filippo’s twitter chat was his most important tip of all. He tweeted:
“Most important: stay close to your listeners, now they need you more than ever. They need to be informed and supported, and You, We, are here for this.” We agree, Filippo.
We hope you had a chance to tune in to Filippo’s live chat and ask your radio, broadcast and life update questions.
A big thank you to Filippo Solibello for hosting RDE Live Twitter Chat!
