‘Radio allows imagination to take over’

Having presented across a range of stations since the early 2000s, Nemone Metaxas knows the special power radio has to connect with people in a way that other media can not.

For many, presenters are the first voices they hear in the day and the ones that are welcomed into solitary moments at home or in the car.

“I think it’s because radio doesn’t have a visual. It really allows the imagination to take over,” she said. “We all know, especially from the last two years, just how comforting a voice is to keep you company.

“There’s something in the connections you can make that are pretty special to radio and people think of you as a friend or a trusted voice. It feels like a family.

“It’s felt like that at all the radio stations I’ve worked at. It’s poignant to 6 Music – we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the listeners and the supporters who realised what an important part of Britain’s cultural heritage it is.”

Metaxas drew a following to her Electric Ladyland and 6 Mix shows on Radio 6 Music, showcasing electronic music – particularly created by female artists.

“It was joyful, being able to bring those artists or give those artists a platform and a space,” she said. “I was hearing it, I knew that music was out there, and there were just few and far between places you could hear it.

“When I started it, there were certainly loads more guitar bands and not many spaces for electronic music on an alternative station. I think the landscape has changed. Electronic has moved much more mainstream than it used to.”