Our People
Adam Sharpe
Programme: The Morning Show
Musical Taste: All music, especially Radiohead and Joy Division
Favourite Cheese: Mozzarella
Adam is a 20 year old Radio Production student.
A love of making music and playing around in studios inspired Adam to get involved with Academy FM Folkestone. Passionate about broadcasting, Adam is excited about opening people’s imaginations, evoking creativity and providing a source for social interaction through the medium of radio.
As well as appearing on several morning shows, Adam will also be reviewing newly released games and discussing news from upcoming gaming events around the world.
Laura Kerrigan
Journalist
Musical Taste: All music especially RnB
Favourite Cheese: Cheddar
After winning a competition to visit the BBC studios and meet Greg James from Radio one, Laura was inspired to become involved in the radio industry.
Having always had an interest in Journalism, one of Laura’s favourite aspects of radio is news, current affairs and how this affects them. Recognising the importance of being informed on the go, she also enjoys radio for its easy listening potential.
Enthusiastic about composing interesting features and being creative with sound, Laura hopes to raise listener’s moods with her friendly yet eccentric persona.
Hannah P
Programme: The Morning Show
Musical Taste: Wide and varied
Favourite Cheese: Melted Cheddar or grilled Halloumi
Hannah first discovered the world of radio at University which led her to choose to follow a career in radio production. With a true passion for being on air, Hannah sees Academy FM as the perfect channel to express herself and gain the experience she needs.
Thriving in a live studio environment, Hannah has a real appreciation for new music and is excited by the discovery of up and coming local bands. A massive fan of live indie and rock bands, Hannah also holds pleasure in listening to classic power ballads.
Sarah Carre
Journalist
Musical Taste: Eclectic but dislikes dance music
Favourite Cheese: Wensleydale with cranberries on Hovis biscuits
Enthusiastic about music and the field of broadcast journalism, Sarah is interested in how people’s views are influenced by world news and enjoys finding innovative ways of engaging listeners in the latest local news stories.
Aspiring to make the news more interesting for the youth of today, 33 year old Sarah puts the latest reports into perspective with an informed approach to her delivery. With a passion for all news and current affairs, Sarah believes journalism is about educating and not manipulating people.
Recognising the value of different genres of music, Sarah takes pleasure in listening to a vast mix of sounds from The Doors to Kings of Leon to Andrea Bocelli to to Jeff Buckley and even appreciating the works of the great BB King.
Helen Sharp
Producer: Showtunes with David Kent
Musical Taste: Pop and Rock
Favourite Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan
BBC trained medical journalist, Helen Sharp, has worked in radio for over 17 years. Passionate about the way radio acts as an intimate medium that communicates with listeners on a very personal level, she has a true ardour for every aspect of radio.
Helen is a true believer that people can feel closer to political debates broadcast on radio by articulating messages that create ‘sound pictures’ in the minds of the listener. Fascinated by the world of medicine and science, Helen has always been interested by the way health messages can be portrayed and how people grasp them.
Producing ‘Showtunes’ with David Kent on a Sunday afternoon, their show will be focusing on the anthology of musical theatre.
Dave Sharp
Programme: Weekday Afternoons
Favourite Cheese: Melted Cheddar
Dave has worked in radio and education for over 20 years. He started out in Hospital Radio, and then joined the BBC aged 18 where he worked as a audio engineer, sound designer, and training instructor. He has also produced features and documentaries for BBC Radio 4 and 5Live. More recently, he moved into education, and taught on Radio Production courses at Westminster, and Christ Church universities.
Dave is the Station Manager of Academy FM Folkestone. He is passionate about radio broadcasting and its ability to engage young people, build their self-confidence, and teach them a variety of life-skills. Working on a Community Radio station based in a school is his ideal job.
As a local resident, Dave is passionate about making 105.9 Academy FM Folkestone into a station that showcases all of the good things that happen in Folkestone.
Neil Bradwell
Programme: Saturday Afternoon & Sunday Breakfast
Musical Taste: Varied
Favourite Cheese: Extra Strong Cheddar
Neil’s dedication, passion for good radio and being on the air, has had him travelling from the local area to Portsmouth radio station Express FM for over four years. Looking to get involved with a local community radio station, Neil is very excited to be presenting on 105.9 Academy FM Folkestone. Neil musical tastes are wide and varied, making for dynamic radio, his preference being that of 80s pop.
Zac Cooke
Contributor
Musical Taste: All music but hates pan pipes and whale music
Favourite Cheese: Wensleydale
Zac runs a film production company based in Folkestone called The Film Factory. They make films for all sorts of people, and every week Zac comes in to chat about the films on offer in the local area.
When Zac isn’t making films, talking about films, or screening films, he enjoys running. He also likes 93% of all food in the world but is mainly fuelled on pies, pastry, cakes (not battenberg, as he believes it’s the cake of lies) and puddings.
Keith Lawes
Presenter / Producer
Musical Taste: All music (Except; R&B and Country & Western!), especially Ott., Shpongle, Gaudi, NIN, FNM, Mr Bungle, PWEI, Primus and hundreds of others.
Favourite Cheese: Brie
Keith Lawes has been playing, recording and producing music for the past 20 years. Starting off with numerous bands (Drumming / Guitars), Keith went on to Sound engineer and later sound design / production. Keith has also lectured for a short period in Sound Engineering and audio production in London.
In recent years Keith has turned his hand to DJing on the London clubs and local Folkestone scene.
Keith believes Academy FM is a fantastic way of giving back to the local community and a great means of introducing styles of music that are varied to the wider audiences.
Craig Hayward
Presenter
Programme: Breakfast & Urban Playlist
Musical Taste: Dubstep, Drum & Bass, Electro House.
Favourite Cheese: The fake stuff that you get in burgers
Craig was born with music in his blood.
Craig has a passion for new music, and is constantly searching for upcoming artists and record labels, which means that promoting local music is something that comes naturally. Talking about music is something that Craig could do forever, meaning 105.9 Academy FM Folkestone is the perfect environment for him.
Craig’s utterly stupid sense of humour also aids him whilst he’s presenting the breakfast show every weekday morning, apart from Thursdays.
Tom Bishop
Presenter / Producer
Programme: Interact
Musical Taste: 80’s and 90’s Power ballads
Favourite Cheese: Cheese String
Tom has had an interest in music and technology from a very early age. When he was approached at the age of 12 to be a sound engineer for a production company, he snapped at the opportunity. Ever since then, Tom has stayed on the music scene and joined Academy FM Folkestone from day 1 when he heard of the fantastic opportunities included and he has loved every minute of it.
Random Fact:
Tom LOVES Marmite but hates Bovril.
Martyn Battrick
Presenter
Programme: Academy Sports – Saturday
Musical Taste: Rock and Pop; Ballads and Country & Western.
Martyn is a qualified Referee, a seasoned Toastmaster (public speaker), former Chair of a major City marketing campaign, and an Auctioneer for both business and charity events. He works mainly in Property Agency (Sales & Lettings), Management, Inspection and Maintenance in his own business, ‘Embassy Management’, but is also often working on Public Speaking engagements and the commercial side of Folkestone Invicta Football Club. Always open for new opportunities and involvement in great causes (time permitting), Martyn has a strong sense of Community.
As a well travelled man and having spent a large part of his life in South Africa, Martyn believes it is easier to apply a spot of wisdom and to understand perspectives when you have lived a little; seeing things from the other side, to understand how one man’s terrorist can be another’s freedom fighter.
He is a real adventurer and sport fanatic (Long Term Footballer, Light Aircraft Pilot, Licensed Skydiver, Advanced Scuba Diver, Mountain Backpacker and now excited to be a part of Academy FM. He really enjoys the mantle as Sports Show host but will also present his love of rock and pop sounds of the 60s and 70s and much more across Folkestone and the local area and around the World via Streaming Audio whenever he gets the chance to cover!
Bobbie C
Presenter
Programme: Tuesday Afternoon Show
Musical Taste: Anything made creatively
Favourite Cheese: Kraft Cheese Slices
After leaving school Bobbie C joined the BBC in London and spent time as a cameraman, sound mixer, radio producer and editor. Moving north 4 years later, the next stop was Leeds and Yorkshire Television. There he was a TV researcher, promotions producer and continuity announcer.
Bobbie’s spare time activities have included operating a local radio station, two independent cinemas and writing 22 books. Last year Bob worked as rides co-ordinator on the Dreamland project in Margate and has recently completed a history of Battersea Fun Fair..
Bobbie C can offer be seen out in Kent either swimming off Seabrook, walking the White Cliffs between Dover and Deal or playing the machines at Ramsgate’s Pinball Museum.
Dave Shackle
Presenter
Musical Taste: ‘Anything that makes my ears tingle and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end’
Favourite Cheese: Anything melted over chips
Dave is a child of the sixties and for that reason loves his Sunday flashback show – he gets to play all of his Favourite songs from the days when pirates ruled the radio airwaves. He also presents the Thursday afternoon bit keeping it local and topical.
Music runs deep in Dave’s veins – he plays the drums and spent three years of his life, back in the 70′s, playing for Edison Lighthouse who had a hit record with “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)”.
Dave’s love affair with Radio started with the Saturday sports show on Neptune radio (now KMFM) when it first went on air back in 1997.
Dave worked at Pipers Nightclub Tontine street for over 20 years first as DJ, then Manager, then owner, and can still be found DJ’ing for fun when someone gives him half a chance to get behind the decks (or laptop these days).
He plays tennis and badminton (or ‘Badders’ as he calls it) to keep fit.
Joseph Norman Bennett
Presenter
Programme: Big Band
Musical Taste: Big Band
Favourite Cheese: Caerphilly
Norman is a 76 year old, retired, passionate music enthusiast.
‘Norm’ grew up listening to all of the big bands and singers during and after the 2nd world war. He moved to Folkestone in 1947, and has been a local resident ever since.
Early in the 1960’s, he bought his first radiogramme. Now, he has a large collection of LP’s and CD’s all in pristine condition. Norman then joined the Folkestone Big Band Society in March 2011.
Although Norman has held a keen interest in radio and music, this is the first time that he has got involved with a Radio Station to broadcast Big Band Music.
Mr Payne
Programme: The Urban Playlist
Musical Taste: Hip-Hop & Grime – Anything lyrical!
Favourite Cheese: Mozzarella (on a pizza!)
Mr. Payne (James Frazer Payne) has been a massive fan of Hip Hop from a young age. Armed with a bright red ‘sing along’ cassette recorder at 7 he would record his favorite songs from the radio and listen back, pretending he was the presenter.
Years on and he’s still doing it, just on a slightly larger scale.
Being an MC himself, Mr. Payne is focused on shedding light on local musical talent.
‘If an MC’s got content, flow and delivery in their rhymes, I’m paying attention’
Having gained a degree in Film & Theatre, whilst having a lot of fun at University, he went on to manage a local entertainment venue and as such has a lot of experience in live performance.
You can be sure Mr. Payne will be bringing plenty of HYPE to the Urban Playlist!
