Clearing the Air-writer

Clearing the Air

Emma wanted to write a series of comedy podcasts that would run to five minutes max, per episode. Each show is ideal for people on the go, wanting a quick comedy fix without having to invest loads of time.

Being a pro voiceover, Emma often comes across dodgy scripts. During a recording session with producer Rik Watson, Emma started musing about what an official from the Radio Advertising Clearance Centre would say about the script she was trying to read.

She and Rik riffed on this theme for some time as Rik hit the record button. The character voice for Claudette Bewley came naturally, and Emma improvised.

After the session, Rik put some phone EQ on Emma’s voice and sent the recording to a copywriter, claiming that ‘this woman from some official body’ had left a message on his voicemail, complaining about an ad the copywriter had penned.

Well, the poor copywriter nearly passed out…

But the concept for CLEARING THE AIR was born – a stupid comedy podcast about the rigmarole of getting radio advertisements cleared for broadcast.

The character, Claudette Bewley, sounds suspiciously like Emma’s old French teacher but that’s another story…

Each episode is improvised by Emma. Only the top and tails voiced by Taff Girdlestone are actually written down.

Clearing The Air – Hotel

The Radio Advertising Standards Agency* is a bastion of the radio industry. A guardian of quality. A bulwark of trust. Its work is essential and protects radio listeners from the horrors of bad ads.

RASA’s highly trained officers and round-the-clock listening agents are constantly on the lookout (and also hear-out) for anything – ANYTHING – that might alarm listeners, even just a bit.

You know the kind of thing. Crazy claims. Rampant promises. Massive statements. And wishy-washy rubbish like “there’s never been a better time to buy laminate flooring.” That kind of nonsense is exactly why the Radio Advertising Standards Agency is forced to exist.

Visit the Clearing The Air website

Flooring

CLEARING THE AIR features Claudette Bewley, a senior official at the Radio Advertising Standards Agency. She leaves messages on random copywriters’ voicemail advising them where they’ve gone wrong.

CLEARING THE AIR is written by Emma Clarke and features the voices of Emma Clarke and Taff Girdlestone. The producer is Rik Watson.

Find out about how Clearing The Air was written