“TAP TAP Good afternoon listeners! Welcome back to the Yonsei Internet Radio Broadcast(YIRB) where we discuss the magic of broadcasting. What do you guys want to talk about today?”

   This is a typical audio recording of YIRB. YIRB is an internet broadcast club that is changing the perceptions of radio broadcasts. Their topics are casual and light-hearted; from the smallest problems and random rants, to the debate on what’s hot and trending─their voices find a way to reach the audience’s ears, creating smiles as they type away in the comments section. Let’s tune in as The Yonsei Annals interview the members of YIRB, Yoo Jean (Soph., dept. of English Lang & Lit.), and Choi Si-won (Soph., dept. of English Lang & Lit). 

 

Choi: We are the Yonsei Internet Radio Broadcast club, also known as YIRB. YIRB is not considered a part of the Central Student Club but a part of the Press and Publication Research Council. We prepare a radio broadcast at least once a week.

 

Yoo: It’s been around since 2010 so it’s been 10 years now.

Choi: From what I know, there were some seniors who wanted to try [radio broadcasting] so they bought the equipment. They initially formed this group with the thought of wanting to do a free and unrestrained broadcast and from then on, it slowly turned into a [school] club.

 

Yoo: We mainly do live broadcasts but we also have an official SoundCloud account [called yirb]. When we do broadcast, we record it and upload it to SoundCloud.

 

Yoo: We recruit at the beginning of every semester. Once the new recruits are accepted, they go through training but it’s casual. We undergo a system where we meet at least once a week to give each other feedback.

 

Yoo: On our official page, we mention how a lot of the other broadcasts in schools are more official and more focused on reporting school news but the people who founded this club wanted a club that was more informal in its contents. I also think that the whole casualness of our club makes us unique because I know for a fact that in other radio broadcasts, people have to undergo trainings like getting their pronunciation fixed. But for us, we don’t go through that, we let the members work on the segments they want to produce.

 

Yoo: We actually have a lot of segments. There is a schedule you can access on the website. Sing the YIRB introduces new types of music each week. We send out Google Forms so other people can write about what’s bothering them, and we try to solve the problems. Yirb bang to to* is a sports broadcast about major league football and baseball. Seul gi ro eun sung in saeng hwal** is similar in that it is mainly run on what other people send in to the broadcast but it is related to more mature content.

Choi: Yoo and I are producing Ju joong su joong*** which airs on Wednesday. Each week, we pick a color theme and we talk about food, music, things to see, or read out stories relating to the theme. Personally, I really liked Geum-hwak-haeng****─we choose a region and introduce the best restaurants there. I feel like it is really useful when you’re going on a trip there.

 

Choi: When we turn on the broadcast, the system tells us how many people are listening. One of our most popular programs is called Geu geo si deut go shib da***** and I think it is popular because it gives listeners important information about current issues. Because we are part of the Press and Publication Research Council, we need to do at least one segment relating to the news and we usually have a briefing and a debate about what’s happening like the recent elections and abortion debates going on in Korea. I think that’s why people listen to it more. The others are about everyday life─the things we hear and see─so it’s less formal but this segment needs professional knowledge.

 

Yoo: Last Wednesday, we were supposed to record our broadcast and upload it to SoundCloud, but after our broadcast ended, we realized that our one hour and thirty minutes of broadcast was not properly recorded so we had to record it one more time. It felt like I had missed a class. I think the hardest part is the technical issues.

 

Yoo: There are two main ways for listeners to participate in our broadcast. One is to tune in to our official website (yirb.yonsei.ac.kr) and click on the “Listen Now.” This way, you can actually get on the live stream [comments] page and the listeners can pick a nickname and comment. When we broadcast, we also have this page open so we can see what people are commenting. We read out the comments and respond to them. Another way we remain connected with our audiences is through the Google Form that people can use to send in their stories to our show.

 

Choi: Last week our theme was light green and when we think of green, we think of peas or green tea but this person commented “lotus pork******.” Sometimes when we are airing there are these kinds of really witty comments that stick with you.

Yoo: A memory that I am particularly fond of is our first recording session. Because it was our first session, I encouraged all of my high school friends as well as my fellow English majors and other club members to listen. They actually sent in a lot of stories for us, and they commented on our live stream comments page.

 

Choi: Last year, I wanted to try radio broadcasting but I did not know there was a club. This semester, though, I found YIRB and although many people don’t listen to us, it’s still something I want to continue to do. I thought I did a good job in joining the club. Nobody will criticize you, so if you are interested in radio broadcast, or have ever been at least once in your life, you should apply next semester!

Yoo: Even if you are interested in other kinds of hobbies, [it doesn’t matter] you can always join and create a segment of your own.

 

You can listen to the Yonsei Internet Radio Broadcast through their official website, yirb.yonsei.ac.kr, and you can listen to their previous segments on their SoundCloud account, “yirb.”

 

*a wordplay with the name of the club YIRB

**comes from a popular Korean Drama Seul gi roe un ggam bang seang hwal

***it represents the middle of the week which is Wednesday

****a play on a trending phrase So-hwak-haeng which means small but significant happiness

*****comes from a famous TV program that deals with uncovering mysteries

******a dish of steamed pork wrapped with lotus leaves