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Apples does it his way

Herb Mathisen
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 22, 2008

BEHCHOKO/RAE-EDZO - It may have taken a little prodding at first, but since Marvin Apples has taken the plunge to host his own radio show in Behchoko, he's been having a lot of fun.

Apples, 20, is on the air weeknights from 7 to 10 p.m. on Behchoko's community radio station and has been a mainstay on the airwaves since returning from the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in July, when he filed stories as part of a junior radio reporter program.

Apples said initially he didn't have an interest in getting involved with radio.

"They kind of bugged me to do it and I wasn't really thinking about it or anything," he said.

Apples was approached during the Arctic Winter Games by the Aboriginal Sports Circle to do a radio show.

"I said I'm not a radio person. I don't even know what to do."

After he was told he would be trained, Apples said he'd do it - although somewhat reluctantly.

"A couple months passed and then the day came for me to take off from Rae," he said.

"I was laying in bed and I was talking to myself, saying 'what did I get myself into?'"

Apples took part in a week-long junior reporting course offered by CKLB in Yellowknife.

"When I went there, I thought it was just going to be 'bam!' put it on paper, say it and that's it," he said.

"But it wasn't."

He didn't realize how much researching, interviewing, recording and editing went into filing a story.

Apples credits the program with fostering his interest in reporting.

"I got along with all the junior reporters. I got along with the CKLB crew. It was totally a really mind-blowing experience," he said.

Apples went down to Cowichan, B.C., with a group of reporters and did a week's worth of reports on the indigenous games. He said he got a lot of positive feedback from Behchoko.

"It felt like people back home were there at NAIG," he said.

When he returned, he took a job at the community radio station.

At first he said it was nerve-wracking getting on the microphone and knowing everyone in town would be listening to him.

"It's really scary when you do something like that."

However, he soon became comfortable behind the mic and says he likes to do things his way.

Apples includes movie show times, weather reports, community announcements and devotes a half-hour each show to drum dance music and other artists from across the North. The show is also broadcast in either English or Dogrib.

Apples also tries to put humour into his show, by changing up his voice or by getting other people to come in and do announcements to see how it feels to be on the radio.

"Sometimes I'll ask other people who is willing to have the guts to go on this station," he laughed.

Violet Camsell-Blondin, executive director of the Friendship Centre, said she thought Apples was doing a fine job.

"We haven't received a negative comment yet," she said.

"The comments that you get from the people is really good. It makes me want to keep going, to keep doing this radio show," said Apples.

As for this being the start of a long radio career, Apples is not sure yet.

"Time will tell," he said. "I'm still in my final year of high school and I'm not really sure if the radio thing is my thing."

He said he may go to college to get some more experience in radio and pursue it as a career.