Interview with Furkan Saatçioğlu, General Director
BY MIDHAT MERAJ (MAN/II)
Q) When was Radyo Bilkent formed? How did it come about?
A) Radyo Bilkent was started in 1995 by a group of engineering students in a dorm room. It was closed for a while and then officially founded with the support of the school administration. At first there were two stations, one for classical music and the other for popular music. In 2002, the two were combined and Radyo Bilkent began broadcasting at the 96.6 frequency using the CHR (contemporary hit radio) format.
Q) What is the main idea behind Radyo Bilkent?
A) Radyo Bilkent is a company owned by Bilkent Holding rather than a student club, but it is staffed and managed by Bilkent students. Its main aim is to be an “official” station that can compete successfully with other local stations in Ankara. Also, since it’s a company, Radyo Bilkent has a goal of giving its volunteer employees the opportunity to get real job experience while they are still at university.
Q) How many shows do you have? What are the major themes of your shows?
A) Currently we have eight different shows, each based on a different concept. We offer a wide variety of music, from jazz and alternative to electronic dance and classical. Our most popular show is “Drive Time,” which airs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. During our shows we offer a large number of promotional prizes and gifts for our regular listeners; our hosts also answer questions asked during the show.
Q) How many radio DJs does Radyo Bilkent currently have?
A) Currently we have 17 radio DJs; our family also includes 11 news anchors, 5 producers, 8 human resource managers, 13 event and marketing managers, 5 design team members and 1 person in the technical department, along with 4 members of the board of directors.
Q) What is the most distinctive feature of Radyo Bilkent, in your opinion?
A) There are not many companies whose employees consist solely of student volunteers, who do the same work as full-time employees in the sector. So, I consider us a bunch of amateurs who do our best to work as professionals every day, putting our best efforts into every aspect of the company. Lastly, the station belongs to the Bilkent family. What could be more distinctive?
Q) How would you describe your experience at Radyo Bilkent?
A) For me, Radyo Bilkent is a unique place, full of unique people, who aim to reach their target audiences every day. It’s almost like having a second home on campus, as the atmosphere is akin to that of a family. For each Radyo Bilkent volunteer, the experience evolves into a special affair that will always hold a special place in their heart (as former volunteers will attest). Lastly, it is essentially the closest experience to real-life work that any student can have during their time at university.
Q) What are Radyo Bilkent’s major special events/activities? How many are there and how often are they held?
A) Radyo Bilkent has three annual parties, which attract thousands of attendees every year. The first is the GE100 open-air party, which welcomes newly admitted freshmen. Later in the year, there is the Red Alert party, which celebrates the anniversary of the day the radio started broadcasting at the 96.6 frequency. At the end of the year, we host another open-air party, this one during Spring Fest. This is the biggest such party held in Ankara. We also organize a winter party, each time based on a different concept and theme, and held in a different place.
Q) What are the future plans for your station?
A) The mission of Radyo Bilkent is to be the voice of Bilkent University. In order to accomplish this, we aim to be one of the most listened-to radio stations in Ankara.
Q) Is there something that people might not know about Radyo Bilkent that you would like them to know?
A) Most people assume that we play only dance music, but that isn’t correct. You may also hear the sound of jazz or the voice of your favorite rock star when you tune in to Radyo Bilkent. There are special shows for each of these genres. Another thing is that we have improved our broadcasts in recent years by making investments toward upgrading the sound quality. If you haven’t listened to the station in a while, we suggest you give it another try.
Q) What are the skills required to join the Radyo Bilkent team?
A) The top priority of Radyo Bilkent is to hire enthusiastic people who wholeheartedly want to be a member of our family, as the job requires a lot of time and effort. The necessary skills can be acquired and honed during the training period. Once a volunteer joins our team as a trainee, there are various types of training sessions she/he can attend, in order to learn skills as diverse as Photoshop, sound editing, elocution and sales and marketing, depending on the department the individual has applied for.
Q) How can students who are interested in working for Radyo Bilkent go about doing this?
A) Position openings occur twice a year, at the beginning of each academic semester. The announcements are made through BAIS, Radio Bilkent’s social media accounts and posters that are put up around campus.