Radio presenter enlists best-sellers for true crime tune-ins
“They give you a very direct connection. With The Big Light, we want to hear brilliant Scottish stories and storytellers.
“The unique thing about it is it’s true crime but it’s historic crime so we range from the 13th Century to the present.” True crime has become the most popular genre in the podcast market, with shows like Serial, Dirty John and In The Dark gaining tens of millions of listeners.
Although Janice recognises the appeal, it’s something she can’t quite explain. “When it comes to the appeal of true crime, it’s strange. Denise Mina says that although we’re living in tough times, we’ve probably never been safer as a society,” Janice added. “Yet we still want to listen to true crime – it has a dark appeal. “How it works is a bit of a reversal for me – usually I’m interviewing people and I do tons of research but with this I don’t do any, I’m hearing the story for the first time.
“Denise’s is set in Greenock in 1868. A group of boys boarded a cargo ship bound for Quebec for a laugh, they were out doing the messages and they ended up on this ship on its way to Canada. “They were discovered and it turned into a really horrifying experience. The first mate was a right bad yin, probably a psychopath. I won’t spoil it, but is a pretty awful story. Denise tells it brilliantly. “Unspeakable doesn’t come out until February 26 and we’re launching the full network later this week, but if you go to the website you can hear a clip with some of Val’s story now.”
The Big Light will also feature guests such as Billy Connolly, Ian Rankin, Alan Cumming and Brian Cox across a variety of shows which will include crime, culture, fiction, music, documentaries, business and news analysis.
“They’ve all bought into the idea of speaking to listeners directly,” said Janice.
“Scotland has so many great stories. But we want to convey a truthful image of Scotland, an image that’s confident, outward-looking, and with incredible talent. Let’s get that out there.”