Hey Paolo Meets: Radio Producer and 5EBI 103.1 FM’s President Juan Paolo Legaspi

Radio, as a communication medium, has undeniably evolved over the years. With a new batch of talented and passionate people who constantly aspire to share their voices, knowledge, and stories to world, radio will always have a place among people. 5EBI 103.1 FM’s Juan Paolo Legaspi, 33, shares his radio journey story. 

Hey Paolo: How did you start a career in radio?

My mum is also a volunteer radio presenter at 5EBI 103.1 FM until now. When I was younger, I used to help her and the rest of those in the radio station do some online research for their new segments.

Hey Paolo: What is 5EBI 103.1 FM?

5EBI celebrates cultural/linguistic diversity and it’s a fulltime multi-cultural community radio station here in South Australia. It doesn’t rely on commercial advertising, but instead, it’s managed by the local community and is funded by various donations. We have radio programs in 44 different languages — and Filipino is one of them.

Hey Paolo: Who is your target audience?

5EBI 103.1 has been around for more than 40 years now. Back then, it was primarily to present news and information coming from the motherland and we share it here to our South Australian audience. At present, our mission has somewhat changed. Now it’s also about sharing cultures, music, languages, ideas, etc.

Hey Paolo: What are the main challenges working in this field?

The biggest challenge is always finding the right, consistent talents who will be able to run the shows. Majority of our presenters at the momemnt come from an older demographic. A lot of them have been doing it for decades now and they still love doing it up to today. We constantly need younger talents.

Hey Paolo: What’s the future of 5EBI?

We want to create a platform and a network of people who can potentially become radio professionals in this field. It’s a training ground and an opportunity to nurture talents.  Community radio can play a bridge between those who want to do it as a hobby and those who want to do it professionally in the long run too.

Hey Paolo: Recommendations for…

Breakfast: A Mother’s Milk (105 Unley Rd) makes really good baked eggs. My Kingdom for a Horse (191 Wright St) also creates good shakshuka.

Lunch: I wanted to keep this secret to myself, but my favourite is Contemporary Japanese Deli (22/68 Grenfell St) and they offer delicious $10 authentic Japanese bento boxes.

Dinner: For consistency, I like Wasai  (9/15 Field St). Their sushi bowls are always fresh. I also love Borsa Pasta Cucina (1/25 Grenfell), especially for their puttanescas.