Like so many of you, my experience of James Valentine was almost entirely through radio. I’m an ABC broadcaster in regional New South Wales, many hours drive from the Sydney studios where he conjured radio magic out of thin air every weekday and, as I’d sit in my studio preparing for my own show, I’d listen to Afternoons – a masterclass in quality talkback.
The thing I most admired was how comfortable James was with silence, secure enough to let a moment breathe where other announcers might rush to fill the air. He knew that it was in that space that a caller might land the killer line, or offer the surprisingly touching reveal. It’s been a huge influence on how I make radio.
