DJ Ant Payne, Galaxy Manchester’s Mid Morning Man tells us all about “Wrapped in Plastic” and how he got to Galaxy.

For about 12 months or so I’d had this idea that I could run this club night that was going to offer something that wasn’t currently being offered in Manchester. It was after chatting with my mate Jamie that we came with the concept of “Wrapped In Plastic”. We set it up as a night that would offer something different to people who are bored of generic funky house nights that are all too common in the Gay Village.

The music ethos is mainly music you can dance too; hence we play such a random collection of stuff from Mel & Kim to Timbaland, from New Order to New Young Pony Club. Most of the stuff we play has some kind of electro/synth thing going on, but we throw in loads of random stuff too. We decided to make it a monthly night because we are too lazy to run a weekly night. No, seriously, we felt a weekly night wouldn’t have a sense of occasion, and ran the risk of becoming part of the wallpaper. So a monthly night keeps everyone excited.

Aside from that, I also present a daily mid morning show on Galaxy Manchester (on 102FM and on DAB digital radio). On my show I give out recipes and have an exciting “find my lost dog” feature. I jest. I’d rather not work in radio at all than do boring stuff like that. In reality I am a total voyeur and love looking at peoples lives’. Hence me reading out peoples dirty secrets on air, and also getting total strangers to try and hook up together live on the radio.

Galaxy is the most listened to commercial station by young people in Manchester. Although it took me ages to get a job here. I started working on a tiny little dance music station in Bournemouth. I sent the boss of Galaxy about 20 demo’s over the course of a year just to get a chance to meet him. After presenting a few fill-in shows here, I was offered a job at the beginning of 2004. I was still working in Bournemouth at the time and so I had to work 7 days a week for 6 months (with no holidays). I’m sure that’s the closest I’ve ever come to dieing. The commitment paid of as I was offered a full time gig here in January 2005.

My advice to anyone wanting a career in radio, or the media in general is to be persistent. If you genuinely believe you have the talent, then keep at it, and you’ll get there. When I say keep at it, be the biggest self publicist you can. Get your name out there, and take rejection letters as part of your job.

More info on Wrapped In Plastic and Galaxy (including our radio training course) are available online.