Zan Rowe: Taking intimate music conversations from radio to TV

It’s so often the case: A concept that works on radio doesn’t always transition well to TV.

The difference between doing a music-based interview on radio and on television – and the challenges associated with it – were highlighted on ABC Radio Sydney this week, when host James Valentine spoke to Double J and triple j music presenter Zan Rowe.

Rowe talked about about how Take 5 – her award-winning podcast and radio segment – has evolved into a TV show.

It was originally created as a segment on Rowe’s triple j Mornings program, in which her interview subjects were asked to nominate five songs that have shaped who they are.

After years on radio, Take 5 has now been introduced to a whole new audience on ABC TV.

Valentine noted that while it’s a natural fit in the radio world, transferring it to TV is a whole other challenge.

“I think that’s what you’ve nailed. It’s a lovely idea, and you do a lovely interview, but getting it right for the telly is really quite hard.”

Rowe says “I really wanted to make sure we got it right, just because it is an intimate conversation, and radio is a very intimate sort of medium. “Honouring it on TV was really at the front of my mind.”

Valentine says “The other challenge is, if you said to someone ‘We’re going to put people listening to music on television,’ they go ‘What is this? Gogglebox?’”

Rowe agrees: “I don’t think you realise how much people react physically when they hear these songs. And of course, I’ve seen that, being in the radio studio for the last fifteen years … I’ve seen what it does to people. But you can’t necessarily HEAR that happening on the radio.”

“Being able to sit around and listen to these songs and see those reactions … and in Missy Higgins’ case, hear her and see her breaking down, because hearing a song has triggered her in a way she just couldn’t escape … I knew that it was magical and I knew that it was something I wanted to share.”

Take 5 episodes can be found here.

Photo credit: ABC