At the coronary heart of Welsh soccer’s brand new media pleasure, a collection of University of South Wales college students has determined itself withinside the midst of match-day analysis, supermegacelebrity guests, and lots of remark banter, way to the brand new podcast starring former Wales striker Nathan Blake and veteran broadcaster Rob Phillips.
Inside the Podcast Launch
Rob and Blakey’s Commentary Box has fast turn out to be a meeting spot for fanatics and soccer insiders alike. Launched from a glowing new suite at USW’s Cardiff Campus, the podcast is the end result of a collaboration that brings collectively fundamental soccer personalities and rising expertise from sports activities journalism courses. Nathan Blake, who lit up the pitch for golf equipment like Cardiff City, Sheffield United, and Bolton Wanderers, groups up with Rob Phillips, a fixture for 28 years as BBC Wales’ soccer correspondent. Together, they address the whole lot from the brand new league drama to interviews with contemporary players, managers, and pundits.
Students Step Into the Media Spotlight
But the magic isn’t simply occurring at the back of heated debates on Welsh soccer—USW college students in Sports Journalism, Media Culture, and Media Production are gambling key roles in each episode. From putting in microphones to navigating post-production, 33 college students have already dived into the challenge. And if wrangling audio ranges for 2 excitable soccer professionals doesn’t announce your arrival in display business, what will? Third-12 months pupil Michael Addison, palms firmly on sound forums and eyes darting among digital digicam angles, defined the enjoy as “rewarding,” at the same time as second-12 months Eleanor Clifton recalled preliminary nerves that have been fast changed with pleasure way to her accommodating mentors.
Professional Facilities, Real-World Experience
The release of the podcast coincided with a prime studio revamp on the Cardiff Campus. Upgrades in hardware and soundproofing have became the distance into the go-to identify for each supermegacelebrity podcasters and college students searching for resume-worth enjoy. Supervisors like Matthew Hunter are brief to reward the palms-on environment, noting the mind-blowing technical development made through college students and the delight that comes from looking their self assurance grow—notwithstanding the occasional at the back of-the-scenes juggling act.
Julie Kissick, a senior lecturer who helped spearhead the project, emphasised the significant fee of letting college students steer the ship: “The huge benefit for us is to allow the scholars to paintings in a expert environment, with expert broadcasters, and provide them the possibility to look the podcast increase with their input.” The tangible end result? A display with over 30,000 perspectives throughout YouTube and Spotify and a developing social media following numbering properly over 1,200.
Opening Doors for Future Media Stars
The ongoing achievement of Rob and Blakey’s Commentary Box isn’t pretty much soccer ratings or headline interviews. It’s a release pad for college kids aiming to interrupt right into a fiercely aggressive industry. Whether they’re dreaming of a studio in their personal or absolutely a foot withinside the door, the USW group is choosing up each profession traction and confidence. According to Nathan Blake, operating at the podcast gives now no longer most effective media abilties however thought for college kids to take their personal innovative leaps withinside the future.
As visitors maintain to go to the now-well-known studio and college students cycle via the diverse manufacturing roles, the podcast is displaying no signal of leaving the spotlight. If there’s one factor Rob, Blakey, and their group have proved, it’s that a prevailing components combines expert guidance, brand new facilities, and a sprint of soccer fervor—plus simply sufficient younger power to preserve matters unpredictable every week.
