North East radio legends Steve and Karen visit media students in Sunderland

Metro Radio legends Steve and Karen, gave valuable advice to aspiring students studying for a career in media, while on a visit to a university-led radio station in the North East. 

Steve Furnell and Karen Oxley are huge names in the North East and the radio industry, presenting a breakfast show together since 2001. 

Steve launched the breakfast show in 1999 on Galaxy North East, which is now known as Capital North East. Karen joined him as a co-presenter in 2001, before they made the move to Metro Radio in 2012.

The pair recently visited University of Sunderland, to meet and chat with students currently studying Media Production.

Steve and Karen gave valuable advice to the students, discussing their own careers and their tips on how to progress into the radio industry.

As part of their visit, Steve and Karen also got to see the university facilities available for the students, which included the main studio of the university’s radio station Spark, which is located in the Media Centre of St. Peter’s Campus. 

Karen herself is an alumni of the University of Sunderland, who graduated with a Media and Communications degree in 1998. 

Speaking of returning to her previous place of study, Karen said: “It’s brilliant to be back and it’s lovely to see how much more development there is in Sunderland.

“It’s just fantastic to see this, especially the media and radio courses because obviously that’s my first love.”

Steve added: “We see from the student radio awards every year Spark always does really well.”

Receive a news round-up, as well as breaking news alerts, when you sign up to the Shields Gazette’s newsletters.

Speaking on the high-quality facilities that the University of Sunderland has for its media students, Karen said: “I think when you have industry standard equipment and studios like Spark it’s great because you go out into the world of work already equipped to do the job.”

Steve said: “Sunderland, and the North East, are very lucky that we have got this here.”

Student Bobbi Bunker, who studies BA Media Production found the chat with Steve and Karen to be “motivating”.

She said: “As someone from the North East with aspirations of working in radio, it made me feel like nothing is out of reach for me if I put the work in.

“It’s refreshing to see, although they are some of the nation’s best broadcasters, their feet are still firmly on the ground and are open to giving the next generation any help they can.”

Dr Caroline Mitchell, Professor of Radio and Participation at the University, said: “I’m delighted that Karen and Steve have come to Spark and the University. Many people will have grown up listening to their breakfast show and they are fantastic role models for aspiring presenters.

“I’ve been at the University so long that I remember teaching Karen on her degree. What I remember is that she was willing to volunteer for any radio opportunity available to get that important experience.

“Students get so much benefit from having access to Spark at the University as part of their undergraduate and master’s programmes in Radio, Audio Podcasting and Journalism.

“They can try out every kind of programme making role in the studio, on outside broadcasts and prerecorded forms like radio drama and making radio jingles and promos. We know from radio and podcast employers that it is these experiences that makes them 'industry ready’.”

Metro Radio and TFM, which is soon to be known as Hits Radio North East, airs Steve & Karen’s Breakfast Show from Monday to Friday from 6am to 10am. 

For more information on the University of Sunderland and the courses they offer, please visit their website.