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 Shannon Redmond, Radio Presenter, KCLR 96FM. Tune in to hear the interview or read about Shannon’s journey below:
What inspired you to pursue a career in radio, and how did you get started in the industry?
I think what inspired me to pursue a career in radio is just that I always wanted to do a job that made people feel a certain type of way, that brought out emotions in people, and that could be, you know, feeling good. It could be laughing. It could be even the music that I play. But I always want to do something that made people feel better, like take them away from what they’re going through in their in their everyday life. And I really think radio does that, no matter what’s going on when you’re in the car, if you’re hearing the radio, you’re listening to the radio, you’re not really thinking about what’s going on in your own life. And it’s that little bit of a distraction. And I wanted to be that for a lot of people.
I remember growing up being in the car, it was constantly on. And I remember the fascination I had with. And I remember saying to my dad one time that these people, they’re always so happy on the radio, especially with, you know, with breakfast shows I was catching on the way to school and I was like these people, they’re always so happy and he’s like, that’s part of the job. And I just knew that I wanted to do something like that. And I had a passion for it and that grew.
When I went to college, I did TV and media production in college and during the second year, there was a radio module and that’s when I was bitten by the radio bug and there was no getting rid of me then. We did a radio module where we had to, you know, fake a radio show. And we had a radio studio, which was very high tech. From then on, I wanted to be a presenter. That was that. I knew that I was far too comfortable behind that microphone, and I knew was something that I wanted to do. So that’s where the love for radio started and where and I decided this is what I want to do for a job.
And as far as getting into the industry. What I did was I went on with some work experience, so I of course worked for an amazing local radio station, KCLR and I had known one of the presenters here and I just had asked about work experience and I started out on the sports team and if you know me, you know I am the furthest thing from a sporting gal you will ever see. But I just needed it. I needed it to get in the door of a radio. I took every opportunity, and I gave it my everything and that’s how I started in the industry.
So, I set it out on the sports team, and I remember doing interviews. And I remember my first day in and basically shadowing, you know, doing, doing that kind of stuff. I had to read out the match fixtures. And to say I hadn’t a note of what I was reading but I did it well I sold it well. I acted like I knew what I was doing. And from there, the love for it continued to grow and I started to do more stuff. So, I started on the sports team just on the weekends. I would come in after my part time job and then that turned into doing some freelance work and that turned into doing my part time job here. And that turned into a full-time job. And that turned into presenting. So you kind of you find your groove, you find what you like. I knew from the get-go that I wanted to be a presenter. I wanted to be on the radio. So, when I got here, I said straight away I want to be on the radio. And the first day I was on the radio reading the match fixtures, so it works out. I feel like if you have a drive for it, if you put the passion behind it, if you work hard you will get in the door. That’s exactly what I did. So umm, that’s how it started. And here we are now. I think nearly four years later. Uh, on the afternoon crew, prime time slot. I’m obviously delighted with but uh yeah, that’s how we got started in the industry.
What has been the most rewarding experience in your radio career so far?
My most rewarding experience in my radio career so far.. That’s a hard question. There’s been so many things, you know, down to the journalism programme I did the learning waves journalism programme. I was selected as one of the 10 and there were over 100 applicants and that was, you know, that was a big process. There was the interviews. The whole lot. And that to me was very rewarding, to be chosen. Out of all those people, only 10 chosen on to be one of the 10. I was very proud of and of course then I got to see a whole new world of radio. I got to see the journalism side, but that was that was a big one for me to be selected out of so many people as one of the 10. And to do that programme and I learned so much from it.
But, I really think something that sticks with me, and would by far be my proudest, probably the most rewarding moment in radio was when we were out on one of our first outside broadcast. I’m presenting a new show with the minute called the ‘Afternoon Crew’ with Shane O’Keefe and it was one of our first outside broadcast. It was only a few a few months ago. And we love to have a laugh on the show. We love to do. It’s very light hearted. It’s music. Shane and I are good friends. We like to just keep it light, keep it bubbly and we have a good laugh on it. But us, you know, that’s our everyday job. We were at this outside broadcast and this amazing woman had shown up to the outside broadcast. She just had come up to say hello. We went over. We were talking to her, she said she loves listening to the show, but then she got into a bit deeper with us and she said that, you know, she had quite a sad story. She lost some people in her life recently. She said that our show is what brightens up her day. She’s going through a hard time of life and by turning on the radio and listening to myself and Shane, she just feels happy and that will stay with me forever to see how grateful she was that we just do our jobs. But you know, to her, it means a lot more.
And I think that’s something you forget behind the mic is that, you know, you may just be talking to your co-presenter. You might be having a laugh and you’re doing your work, but it is picking people up on the other side and that just it made me feel all warm inside. It made me feel very proud of my job, very proud of the show. And I’m just so happy to be able to help this amazing woman. Through what she was going through, just by chatting to her through the radio. So that’s definitely the most rewarding one I have.
What are your thoughts on the current representation of women in radio?
I think women in radio are just amazing. I think they’re powerful. I think they’re powerhouses. There’s so many women I look up to in radio and I would love to see more of them, to be honest. I would love to see more women more, more female voices. But I do think the female side of things have grown. I do think there’s a lot more now than there were a few years ago. And so, we’re going in the right direction with it. And I just, I love listening to female voices. I think women have nurturing voices and I don’t know if I’m biased because I’m a woman and I love listening to women. But I just love hearing a female voice on the radio and it makes me very proud to be a woman. So, the more of that we can get, the merrier.
In your view, what steps do you think could be taken to have female voice in media more equally represented?
I honestly think a lot of that falls on ourselves as women and putting ourselves forward for these roles. The roles that will get our voice out there and that will get our opinions out there. Our thoughts, what we stand for, the whole lot. I think it’s on us women to do that. You know, no one’s going to do it for us. If you want to have your voice out there, you need to put your voice out there and I think that’s the only way. It will be more equally represented if more women show that they want to be on air and to have their voice known and shown and heard. But I think like I said earlier, the more women we can get, the merrier. Now it is better. It is doing much better than what it was a few years ago. But again, if it can continue to grow like that, we’re on to something.
What advice would you give to young women aspiring to enter the radio industry?
The advice I would give to women aspiring to enter the radio industry is to just do it. If I was still sitting there thinking about ohh, I wanted to and I did it for years. I’m still very young, you know, I’m only 26, but I did it. I wanted to be working in radio since I was a child and I constantly would say, oh yeah, I want to do that, but I wouldn’t do it. And I would just talk about wanting to do it. Instead of actually sitting down and saying, you know what, I am going to do it.
And my whole thing is what can you lose? What can you lose by putting yourself forward and saying, yeah, you know what? I would love to work for this station, and I think I’d be a great help in this station or I think I would be a great asset to this one. And sometimes, I noticed it myself. Sometimes you don’t see what you have other people see that talent. And they will help you flourish. And that’s how amazing KCLR are to me, they’ve nurtured my talent and they’ve taken it to new heights and things I would never have been able to do without them if I did not put myself forward like that to do it.
And like I said, don’t limit yourself. Like I said earlier, I started out on the sports team hadn’t a notion about sports, didn’t know the first thing about it, but I went back home every night, and I researched the sport. I made sure I knew what games were happening the next day, what teams were playing. I have three brothers that I would quiz and say, listen, I need to go in tomorrow, so I need to know what’s happening. I would sit with them, and I would find out what was happening because I needed to know what was happening.
So, you need to have the work drive with it. And I think if you have the drive and if you have the passion, you will get very far. So just put your name forward, put yourself out there. You have nothing to lose and that will be my advice.
Shannon Redmond with The Coronas
What role do you believe radio plays in today’s media environment, especially with the rise of digital platforms and podcasts?
You know what, I said it earlier that. Radio can really take you away from what you’re dealing with in your everyday life. Don’t we all have our own things going on and some may be bigger than others, but we all have our own things going on and I think listening to the radio, it just takes you away. You’re kind of immersed in somebody else’s conversation and there’s so many amazing radio presenters that sound like they’re speaking directly to you. You nearly think you’re on a phone call when they’re talking to you. Because it’s so personal. And it just gives you that bit of a break.
I think radio does and whether you’re actively listening or just passively listening, there will always be something that will catch your attention, whether it might be a song that you love and then for those three to four minutes you have that song turned up so loud and you’re dancing around the place, and that’s your release. And that makes you feel good.
Or maybe the radio presenter you listen to said something so funny and it made you laugh, and then you you’re telling your friends about that. Or maybe it was a really deep conversation about in a current affairs show that you’re really interested in. I just think radio is so powerful, and I think it’s a media that can’t be beaten and you will not guess what you get in radio anywhere else.
And it’s the live aspect to we’re speaking to you as you’re hearing it. And I think there’s such a beauty to that. There’s such a beauty about live radio and how everything is happening at the one time, who are all in different places and it’s all just coming across on the one outlet. I just think it’s powerful. I think it will never be beaten and you know great, there is amazing social media out there and they will help boost radio. But I don’t think they’ll ever beat radio.
Can you talk about any mentorship experiences you’ve had, either as a mentor or mentee, and how they’ve impacted your career?
I have had the most amazing, strong, powerful women as mentors throughout my radio career so far. I’ve worked with incredible women, the likes of Sue Nunn. As soon as I came into KCLR, Sue took me straight under her wing. And you know she again nurtured me and helped me and taught me basically everything I know.
And then I had amazing mentors like Eimear Ní Bhraonáin on a big, powerful voice in local radio, and women like Trishauna Archer, she’s incredible, I idolised her. She worked with us for some time, too. It’s just women who have this amazing experience and a passion for it and the talent that oozes out of them is just insane. And to be able to learn from these women and learn their tricks and learn their ways and then and then put that into my own actions. I’m very lucky for the women that I have worked with and learned from, and hopefully we continue to learn from their powerhouses. And they’re from such different areas to have learned from women in all different areas.
The incredible Edwina Grace and Sinead Burke from our newsroom. There’s just too many to even name, but I have honestly been taught and nurtured by every single woman in the station and I am hugely grateful for that.
And of course, then there’s women like Teresa Hanratty, who runs Learning Waves and gave me the opportunity to do the Learning Waves Journalism Programme and to have all these incredible courses and learning chances and opportunities that would just strengthen my radio your career and hugely help me through my radio career. There’s far too many to mention. I said it so many times, but I work with the most amazing women and continue to learn from the most incredible women.
What projects are you currently excited about?
Well, of course my show that I co-present with Shane O’Keefe, ‘The Afternoon Crew’. It’s still quite new, we only launched about three to four months ago, I believe. So, this is like my baby at the minute. This is my project that I am making sure we do perfectly. And I’m very excited about it. I love it. I can’t wait to bring it to new heights and for it to continue to grow and for it to continue to bring that feel good factor to people listening and for them to just be happy tuned in and to be excited to know that Shane and I are coming up on the radio in an hour or two hours or whatever it may be. So, this is something I’m really excited to continue to work on and to bring to new heights.
Shannon Redmond, Radio Presenter, KCLR 96FM
