Susannah Streeter: Questions & Answers

Name?
Susannah Streeter

Age?
32

Where are you from?
Wiltshire

How did you get started in broadcasting?
I did work experience while at university for Radio WM, Capital Radio, Radio France Inteational in Paris and the Normandy based newspaper Ouest France. After graduating, I freelanced at South West News Service and GWR in Bristol, finally becoming a permanent member of staff at GWR’s Wiltshire station.

When was that?
1995

Why News broadcasting?
I have always been a keen follower of current affairs and read French and Politics at university. I wanted to incorporate these interests with the excitement of live broadcasting.

Where else would have viewers seen or heard you before?
On Channel One West between 1997 and 1998, Meridian TV between 1998 and 2003 and BBC Three’s 7 o’clock News programme and Sixty Seconds bulletins between 2003 and 2005.

What is your Best on-air moment?
I’m probably not the best person to judge.The thing about joualism is that you often do your best work on difficult or unpleasant stories so you’re not likely to sit back and reflect on a job well done. One piece I particularly remember was flying out to HMS Illustrious in a Chinook helicopter off the coast of Oman in 2001.

What is your Worst on-air moment?
Live on top of BBC Television Centre during one of the worst gales of the year, on the day the Hutton Report was released. The wind kept sucking the words from my mouth, I could hardly speak and I looked like Dougal from the Magic Roundabout.

What would you like to do before your career ends?
A stint as a correspondent in Paris.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Joualism can be fairly demanding, especially on a breakfast programme, so it’s good to just relax. I like to stay fit, but also enjoy going out and partying a bit. I really enjoy travelling too. One thing a career in joualism gives you is a friend to show you around almost any city in the world you want to visit.

What advice would you give to anyone that would like to get into the broadcasting world?
Get stuck into work experience and try and be as hands on as possible on a placement. Take all the training and advice you can get and don’t be put off by rejection letters. Doing the job is often about perseverance, so you’re probably not suited to it if you can’t take a few rejections.

A big thanks to Susannah for taking part.