Telum Talks To... Lucy Walker, Executive Producer at AM
Interview

Telum Talks To... Lucy Walker, Executive Producer at AM

Telum Talks To Lucy Walker
Walk us through a day in the life of Lucy Walker, Executive Producer at AM.
The alarm goes off at 2.30am, and I'm in the office by 3am. It's a busy morning before the show starts, making sure we are across any breaking news or changes from overnight. The team meets to go through the show, and there are various duties that need to be done to get the show ready. I then race down to the control room at about 5.15am to be ready for the start of AM Early at 5.30am. Then it's a fast, fun, and furious ride on-air between 5.30am and 9am.

We then have a post-show meeting to review what went well and what didn't, and then start planning for the next day. My morning is filled with various meetings and I try to sneak a sleep around midday. Once I'm awake again, I keep across plans for the next day's show and am involved in deciding what news interviews we will do the next day and who the talent should be. There is plenty of admin to catch up on as well! Then I keep across the 6pm news to make sure we're not missing anything and keep in contact with our production team in the evening before heading to bed at about 9pm.

How did you get your start in radio?
My first job in radio was working as the nighttime Host of Bayrock in Whakatane. I wasn't that great at it! I soon moved into the regional newsroom at 1XX as a Reporter and Newsreader for a couple of years. I've since worked at various radio stations here and in the UK, and have been with Newshub since 2016.

AM has recently rebranded from The AM Show. Apart from the name, what key changes have occurred to the show following the change?
The show has undergone a complete transformation. We have a new on-air line-up, with co-hosts Ryan Bridge and Melissa Chan-Green, News and Sport Presenter Bernadine Oliver-Kerby, and Roving Weather Presenter William Waiirua. There is a beautiful new set, which is bright, vibrant, and dynamic. We have also launched AM Early which starts at 5.30am, hosted by Bernadine.

AM broadcasts from 6am on weekdays - What’s the deadline for pitches for the show?
We are in at work at 3am. The earlier the pitch, the more likely it will make it onto the programme. We sometimes get pitches the afternoon before, and by then we have largely filled the show.

What does your ideal PR pitch look like? Are you the best point of contact for AM, or should pitches be sent to a general email?
Keep it simple. Tell us what is it about, who are you offering as talent, and when. PR pitches should be sent to our Planning and Integration Producer, Sinelle Fernandez.

What sticks out as a memorable story during your years at the programme?
My freshest memory is our coverage of the anti-mandate protests at Parliament. It's been a volatile and constantly changing situation. We've had cameras there playing live shots of clashes between police and protesters as they happen. We have also had various interviews about the protest. People are very passionate about this story.

Answers submitted by Lucy Walker, Executive Producer at AM.

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Lucy Walker

Freelance Broadcast Producer / Journalist / Sub-Editor / Newsreader

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Three AM Early - CEASED AUGUST 2023

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