10 Questions with Cale Porter

Cale Porter can usually be heard on Nova 91.9 Afternoons, but over the last two weeks, he’s stepped up to the plate for Smallzy’s Surgery during survey break.

Filling in for the #1 rating National Nights show was no mean feat, but Cale, who has filled in for Smallzy before, once again took the opportunity in his stride, creating entertaining and tight radio for two full weeks.

He answers 10 questions with Radio Today.

What is the Cale Porter story?

Started when I was 14 doing community radio in Adelaide once a week for 4 years during high school. Finished school, but there weren’t any current jobs in Adelaide so I moved to Sydney to join the Street Team at 2Day and Triple M.

I got my foot in the door, as they say, then snuck back to SAFM as an “allrounder”. Six years ago I joined Nova Melbourne. Then headed off to Nova Sydney. Then back home to Nova Adelaide where I’ve been for over four years.

Who/what inspired you to choose a career in radio?

My high school in Adelaide actually had their own radio studio where they had a local license to broadcast to surrounding suburbs for Media Studies. This was pretty uncommon for a secondary school and was my first experience behind a real radio panel and mic. I started listening to community radio where a group of high school students would present a weekly show, I remember thinking “this is pretty cool, I’d love to be the guy behind the scenes who pushes the buttons or something”.

Have you had any “pinch me” moments?

Being a 22-year-old and filling in for National Nights for the first time. There I was in the Sydney studio, 7pm traffic report played out, then straight into my LIVE top of the hour and we were away right across the country. It was something I never thought I’d get the opportunity to do.

What’s your favourite interview you’ve ever done?

20 mins with Harry Styles from One Direction because no one else wanted to do it, then literally two weeks later… well, they became huge.

What’s your dream radio job?

Just being on air having fun. So many people from smaller markets have goals to make it huge in Sydney or Melbourne. Hey, if that happens great, but it’s not why I got into radio or what I aim for. My dream is having a job where I simply do radio each day. Wow that sounds cheezy as.

Does your on-air personality match your off-air personality?

It always should. I like to have a laugh with friends and muck around in real life so if I’m chatting to a caller I’ll always get on their level. I talk to them as a friend. If in real life my friends are excited about something, then I’m genuinely excited for them. So if a caller has just won a prize I’m going to be genuinely excited for them.

What’s one skill you’ve mastered, and one skill that you’re currently working on?

I’ve mastered the playoff systems on a national level.

Need to work on bringing lunch to work each day as I spend way too much on food.

What advice do you wish you could give yourself when you were just starting out?

Can I turn the question into what would I recommend to those starting out? Haha.

Start at the bottom. Don’t be afraid to do the “less desired” jobs as you never know what they may lead into. I was never afraid to return back to live dawns or be a Casanova to fill the hours or even panel someone else’s OB. Be kind, appreciate the opportunities and always put your hand up to do whatever.

If you weren’t working in radio, what would you be doing?

I wanted to be an architect for a while but decided not to as it was too cut throat and I didn’t want to look at lines on a computer screen all day.

Now I work in a competitive industry and stare at song titles on a computer screen all day.

Sum up working in radio in three words.

Making listener’s day!