We’re excited to launch the next episode of our interview series at IRS+, dedicated to celebrating and amplifying the voices of talented women in our network.

In this series, we highlight the journeys, achievements, and perspectives of women in radio, with the goal of inspiring other women to explore careers in this dynamic industry and to champion greater gender diversity in media. The stories of these incredible women within the IRS+ network are not just inspiring—they’re essential to share.

In this latest episode, we had the pleasure of interviewing Emily Brew, Radio Presenter, Producer and Reporter, Radio Nova. Tune in to hear the interview or read about Emily’s journey below:

 

What inspired you to pursue a career in radio, and how did you get started in the industry?

Well, I was quite late getting into radio presenting. My background is in marketing and communications. I worked in the not-for-profit sector for years, but I was always surrounded by radio as a kid. My dad was a radio officer in the Merchant Navy and then had a long career as a broadcast engineer and the radio was just always on in our house. In the morning, before Dad would go to work and I would go to school, we would dance around the kitchen to the gay burn theme tune music every single morning. I used to host little radio shows as well on my Fisher-price radio and tape them. Hopefully those recordings never show up.

But it wasn’t really until February 2015 that it seems like a potential career option. I was working for the time with Focus Ireland as a Fundraising Manager and Radio Nova ran a two day ‘Help the homeless’ radio campaign. And over the course of the two days, I kind of became the natural go to person for the on air team to chat to. They would come down to the control room and I’d give updates on how the fundraising was going and the kind of donations that we were getting in.

At the end of the two days, a couple of the presenters kind of remarked that I had a natural talent for being on air and it was clear that I really, really enjoyed it. And I don’t know, I just, I caught that radio bug as they described it. And shortly after that I signed up to do a radio training course with Christmas FM and that was the start of everything.

 

What has been the most rewarding experience in your radio career so far?

Well, for me, definitely the most rewarding part of the job is the privilege. The privilege of being such an intimate part of somebody’s day, because radio is a personal medium in the way that I think few others are. You have us in your ears. You have us on at moments when you’re spending time with your family or you know you’re in the car, you’re in the kitchen, you’re cooking dinner, you’re doing really personal things, you are doing housework. You might just be working, but we’re there with you in that moment. And we hear it from listeners all the time. So many people stick on the radio for company to feel a connection, and it’s a real honour to be part of that.

I love, love, love getting out of the studio to meet people, whether that be as OBs or if you’re out in the street doing vox pops. One of my favourite hobbies was when we broadcasted live outside Croke Park before Bruce Springsteen played last May. That was so much fun because we got to meet the really hardcore Bruce fans. Everyone was in top form, and it was an absolutely stunning day in Dublin. But yeah, just having people come up to you and saying ‘I listen to you all the time, you’re part of my Sunday’ is just something really, really special. The words are always nice as well.

In 2021, I was nominated for ‘Newcomer of the Year’ at the IMRO Radio Awards. I didn’t win, but it felt like a massive achievement. Unfortunately, I had to watch it at home via screen because COVID restrictions were in place. But let’s not get into that.

 

 

What are your thoughts on the current representation of women in radio?

I think that there’s been a huge amount of progress in the last few decades. Sure, it wasn’t until the 90s that women began to break into prime time slots, but even still, there are very few shows where you’ll find a female double header on breakfast or drive. It still, I think thought of as not nice in terms of the balance. So, I think that there’s still work to be done. Uh, when it comes to representation of women in radio. Women have a powerful voice and a unique perspective to bring to the industry. So, I think that we should continue pushing for more opportunities and visibility in all facets of radio, from on air talent to producers and executives.

 

In your view, what steps do you think could be taken to have female voice in media more equally represented?

I think it’s essential to actively promote and support women at all levels of media, exactly like this interview series at IRS+, which is dedicated to celebrating and amplifying the voices of talented women in the network. But there could also be more mentorship programmes, maybe networking opportunities and encourage more women to take leadership roles in programming and management.

 

What advice would you give to women aspiring to enter the radio industry?

Throw yourself into everything. Things will not just land in your lap. Be persistent, be curious, ask lots of questions. Never stop learning. The radio industry can be competitive. But if you’re passionate, and if you’re dedicated, and if you say yes to everything, there are so many paths that you can take and they can take you there. So don’t be afraid to take risks. And get out of your comfort zone, even though that’s a, you know, bit of a cliche. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people that you admire in the industry and ask for their advice. And uh, I think above all, believe in yourself. Believe in your voice and the value that you bring to the table.

 

 

What role do you believe radio plays in today’s media environment, especially with the rise of digital platforms and podcasts?

Radio is still a powerful medium. It’s immediate, it’s live. It’s personal. Irish people love hearing their name and message on the radio. Because they’re in the car together, it’s someone’s birthday or they’re having a barbecue in the back garden, and they’re having a party. There’s still such a strong connection there and the stats back it up. 3.43 million listeners tuned in to radio every weekday in Ireland. That is incredible.

So, I think even with the rise of digital platforms and podcasts, and don’t get me wrong, I’m a big podcast fan. Radio continues to hold a special place for all of us. It’s evolving, of course, and it should be. And we always need to be pushed to try new things. It keeps us fresh and it keeps us good at what we do, and that’s something that Radio Nova is always doing. Pushing and striving to be better. And I mean, it seems to be working because we’re now Dublin’s number one music station.

 

Can you talk about any mentorship experiences you’ve had, either as a mentor or mentee, and how they’ve impacted your career?

I’m not long enough to be a mentor, but my first live radio experience was volunteering on Christmas FM as a co-host of the ‘Drive Time Show’ and Traffic and Travel Presenter. And the Station Manager at the time, Dan McDermott, had an extremely busy role, but he always, every day, took the time before and after my shift to check in, answer questions, run through a content idea with me, steer me in the right direction. Whatever it might be. I know he had so many more important things to be doing at the time, but I never forgot it and I still regularly call him. And while he’d be mortified to hear it, I very much think of him as a mentor.

Over the last four years in Radio Nova, there has been no shortage of passionate and talented people who will happily grab a coffee with you. But I can’t not mention specifically Radio Nova’s Content Director, Clint Drieberg. We have a running joke in Nova that there must be two of him because we don’t know how he does it all. But despite that, every gig you work on with him is an opportunity to learn. And I so appreciate the time that he has spent with me.

 

What projects are you currently excited about?

Well, it is a very exciting time to be part of the team in Radio Nova. We’re just back from the IMRO Radio Awards where Nova picked up two gold awards, one for ‘Best Breakfast Show’ in the country, ‘Morning Glory’ with PJ and Jim and our own Kieran McGuinness, won ‘Specialist Broadcaster Of The Year’. For the second year running.

And of course, as I mentioned, we are now the number one music station in Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. That’s a lot of success, but radio doesn’t exist in a vacuum, for better or worse, AI is peeling away the human element from radio. There’s now like fully AI generated shows, so we’ve got to be better than ever, and we’ve got to have confidence that we can deliver on the basics. A presenter in mic and sharing good stories. I don’t know how we’re going to get more successful, but man, do I want to be a part of it.

 

Emily Brew, Radio Presenter, Producer and Reporter, Radio Nova