Worcester’s Erin O’Connell Enjoying Life on WEEI’s Planet Mikey
Friday, February 20, 2015
O’Connell, of Worcester, said “The opportunity to work on Planet Mikey was just too good. I’m still excited about it. On-air I sit across from Mike. I have a screen in front of me and I work the text line. Listeners text in to the show about whatever they want, either what’s being talked about on-air or what they want to talk about.”
O’Connell looks at a screen that continuously scrolls with people texting in. She has to always pay attention to both what’s on screen and what Mike Adams and his co-host Mike “Mut” Mutnansky. “The first time on the show I was so nervous trying to concentrate on the text line that I wasn’t really paying attention to what they were saying in studio," said O'Connell.
Patrick O’Day, the show’s producer, approached O’Connell to ask her if she would like to be the “Textress” on Planet Mikey. O’Connell didn’t know what to expect when she started.
“I said, ‘Yeah, why not? I’ll see what it’s like.’ I told my parents that I was going on the show, I’m not really sure what I’m doing, but I know I’m reading a text line. I could be saying one-liners or I could be talking the entire show.”
“Mike is the funniest and nicest guy. On the show, he tries to engage me as much as possible. He told me if I see a text that’s relevant to just throw it out there. I’m obviously nervous because the show is live and I don’t want to throw anything out that’s irrelevant. And of course, someone texted in making fun of me.”
O'Connell Keeps Busy in Worcester
O’Connell is a graduate of Burncoat High School in Worcester. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree at Plymouth State University. O’Connell recently finished her Master’s Degree in Communications at La Salle in January.
The 25-year-old O’Connell used to volunteer at WCCA TV 13 in Worcester. “I loved watching the Weather Channel and the news as a kid. I watched Frances Rivera and Katie Couric all of the time. I wanted to do news reporting. And that’s why I volunteered at Channel 13,” said O’Connell.
On Sundays, O'Connell bartends at The Banner Bar and Grille on Green Street in Worcester. And if that wasn't enough, O'Connell recently auditioned for and joined Danceworks Boston. She will be rehearsing every Tuesday for a performance coming up this June.
O’Connell is still the receptionist and is also working at the station's Promotions Department.
Keeping Up in the World of Sports
"I have been trying to keep up with what’s going on in sports. Before the show I try to prepare as much as I can by reading the WEEI site, or checking out what’s popular on ESPN," said O'Connell.
As far as ‘Deflategate’ goes, O’Connell said, “It needs to end.”
O'Connell is shocked at how much sports knowledge Adams has at any given moment and can speak off the cufff about athletes and games without having to look up the information. "I feel like I could pick his brain for information. Mikey just knows the most random things. I read a text about a past Red Sox game and Mikey knew exactly what I was talking about and he went on and on about this specific game. I just sat back and said , 'Wow.'"
“When I started working there, I knew I wanted to work in a company that was going to progress. As of right now, it’s going in that direction. I never saw myself on-air at all. It’s been a good past couple of months,” said O’Connell.
In the future, O'Connell said she wouldn't mind being on-air radio talent. "I do enjoy it. I definitely have to know what I'm talking about. I don't want to sit on-air and not know what I'm talking about. I would have to do research and study. It's something that everyone has to do."
WEEI's Planet Mikey Show is weeknights 6 PM to 10 PM on 93.7 FM. To text in to Erin, text your message to 37937.
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