‘Our audience is our people’: Frank and Jax on why they keep coming back
L to R: Frank Richie and Jax Donaldson
How often is it that a radio host meets an audience member for brunch?
Well, in the case of Sunday at Six hosts Frank Ritchie and Jax Donaldson, that is part and parcel of the job.
Relationships with the people on the other side of the airwaves matter to them. Jax recalled when she met with a 93-year-old listener as a perfect example.
“What a total joy she was to meet! We had eggs on toast together, and a darn good coffee, and she filled me with inspiration and hope. Finding people like her, good people, living well, we all need more of that.”
Frank also shared a similar sentiment, saying he loved hearing from listeners.
“One of the best interactions is when someone who has been listening for years calls up for the first time. It is probably one of the most rewarding ever, because you've done your job.”
They keep coming back each week after eight years on Newstalk ZB together, because they love what they do.
“I love the challenge of how I translate my faith into that space - I adore that challenge”, Frank said.
“People are absolutely brilliant,equally weird and overall wonderful! I love that our listeners are so open, funny, quirky and kind. Getting to know regulars is such a privilege,” Jax said.
They both feel there is something special about being on-air and talking about faith in a different way.
Frank took a recent show about hobbies as an example, which doesn’t overtly sound spiritual.
However, he feels that in a world very focused on productivity and achievement, there is something special about focusing on other things.
“If we start talking about hobbies, it's really easy to link it to the idea of Sabbath and rest. We talk about those things that we do just because we love them, as a way of expressing our humanity”, Frank said.
Jax hopes listeners get to understand God better through their conversations, that people see He is “interested in the ordinary parts of our lives too”.
“If someone comes away thinking, ‘I'd never thought about God that way before,’ or ‘Maybe there's more to Christianity than I realised,’ then we've done our job.”
Both Frank and Jax wanted to thank CBA supporters for helping bring this show to life.
“Thank you for investing in a programme that welcomes everyone, wherever they are on their faith journey…
It's through those ordinary conversations that hope is shared, community is built, and people catch a glimpse of God's love expressed through everyday life”, Jax said.
Frank spoke about his admiration for those who give to the cause, and even described it as‘courageous’.
“You're giving to people you'll never meet. You've got no sense of their life, who they are, what their concerns are, and you're trusting us to fulfil the mission and to be able to speak to those people.”
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