Mark dials in another stint behind the microphone
Mark dials in another stint behind the microphone
23 February 2022
Back on-air: Major Mark Foyle is resuming his regular Sunday afternoon spot on Life FM in Adelaide.
He may not be in the same league as an Allan Jones or John Laws, but Major Mark Foyle is hoping his loyal band listeners will tune in again when he resumes his Sunday afternoon spot on Adelaide community radio station Life FM.
Mark said he was keen to get back behind the microphone after an 18-month absence due to work commitments with The Salvation Army. He said his “day job” as Public Relations Secretary in the South Australia/Northern Territory Division had demanded too much of his time to be able to commit to his regular radio spot.
However, a new appointment in January as the Unley Corps Officer, alongside Captain Judy Shaw, has enabled him to return to Life FM. Station staff were happy to have him back, but “let’s hope the listeners think so, too,” Mark quipped.
Mark’s alter ego as a radio announcer began about 10 years ago when he wanted to hone his media skills and be more succinct in his presentations, particularly when being interviewed on the radio with his public relations or corps officer cap on.
He approached Life FM, then known as 1079 Life because he was interested in learning studio technology, dabbling in panel operation, and producing for the on-air crew. He also completed a two-month radio course the station ran, including script-writing and program development.
It was not long before he was approached by station management to sit on the other side of the microphone. “I wasn’t keen initially to go on air. I was quite happy doing the panel operating, but when the opportunity arose, I thought: ‘Why not give it a go?’”
Mark said his spot on Life FM enabled him to “do something that is still Christian, but it’s not Salvation Army”, expand his professional friendship circle and interests beyond the Army, and “mix with the universal Church”. His three-hour stint mainly comprises music, with general chit-chat on various topics in between. He often draws on Others and Salvos Magazine content during his shows.
As with most ‘newbies’, Mark’s first role 10 years ago was doing the midnight-to-dawn shift, although he wasn’t required to be physically on-air while most people were asleep. The shows were pre-recorded and aired “when there was no one at the station”. “It was a good way of practising learning the buttons,” he said.
Reliable co-host
Fellow weekend presenter Jodie Falco said Mark had been a welcome part of the station for many years, having been a “reliable panellist” for its South Australian National Football League (SANFL) games broadcasts, co-host for the Sunday Nights program with Lyn Arnold and some Saturday afternoon host spots.
“I also co-hosted (with Mark) one Saturday afternoon as Life FM broadcasted from the Royal Adelaide Show one year,” Jodie said.
Mark said being a panellist for the SANFL broadcasts did not involve calling games but being back in the studio switching between sponsorship announcements and counting the callers in and out of commentating on live action.
This was his second return to the station as he was off-air between 2015-17 when he was appointed as Public Relations Secretary in Tasmania. During that time, he continued his radio work with Ultra 106.5FM in Hobart, a Christian community station with a similar format to that of Life FM.
Now he’s back on Life FM, it’s all about “remembering what to do”. Mark said the operating panel and software had changed, and the call sign was new too – now Life FM, not 1079 Life.
Mark can be heard on-air from 3pm-6pm on Sundays.
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