WPP-owned digital agency AKQA has launched a new radio station to connect its employees around the world.
WFH-FM, Work From Home radio station was an idea born out of the agency's Melbourne office.
AKQA studio concierge Jessica Day developed the radio station concept with the support and encouragement of creative director Adam Grant.
Promoting community and creative innovation during a time of social distancing, the two serve as station managers, encouraging the global AKQA team to contribute content and ensuring a round-the-clock program of music and talkback.
“The main theme of the year for our business is Connection and this got me thinking. Music is a big part of my life personally. So is the AKQA studio culture," Day says.
"When thinking about how I could recreate the in-studio experience at home, bringing myself and energy to the team while working away from each other, the radio station seemed like the simple answer. From playing music, to hearing your colleague’s voices and laughter, I couldn’t contain my excitement on getting it started.”
AKQA studio concierge Jessica Day
Day and Grant knew the Melbourne team would embrace WFH-FM, but the response across the agency's global network came as a welcome surprise.
Today, it is streaming 24 hours a day with talk back segments, interviews, special guests, and DJs from Melbourne, Sydney, London, Berlin and San Francisco.
Nearly 300 team members tune in each day on the web or via mobile browsers from Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the U.S., UAE and Oman.
Daily highlights include Barnaby Matthews, the studio's in-house barista and also singer/songwriter, kicking off the broadcast on "Mornings With Barnz" at 8am AEST.
Grant says he can see the station continuing in a "post-corona future".
"These last few weeks have woken us up to the importance of community and informal exchange in the work we do," he says.
"Even when we're all able to return to the same physical place, there's something about the spirit of radio that will be hard to walk away from.
"It's helped us all to know each other better, and given us a sense of purpose and community in a time where we need those things more than ever."
AKQA AUNZ managing partner Brian Vella has also thrown his support behind the initiative.
“I’m a major supporter of this and am keen to see it not only live on, but get bigger and better," Vella says.
"With a globally distributed network this is something unique we can all share, at the same time. We have a Slack channel that accompanies the stream, and you only have to see the love for the station there to know it definitely has a future.”
People can listen along to AKQA WFH FM at wfhfm.live.
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