Basil Joseph
FlyFM Radio DJ, 2013
Bachelor of Arts (Mass Communication) in collaboration with Curtin University of Technology, Australia
My time at Limkokwing directed me indirectly; as soon as I graduated I did something that I wanted to do since I was a kid, which was pilot license.
14 March 2013
Take Flight
Written by Victoria Edwards
Being a free spirit, Basil Joseph had no idea from day one where his life would take him. The only things that really matter to this fun loving guy is that he is doing what he loves with the people he loves surrounding him.
“To be very honest it was actually my friends and partially not knowing what I want to do, I scouted a few different collages but Limkokwing felt comfortable, they didn’t seem like they cared how the students looked like. You were able to be free.”
All the way to the sky!
Spreading your wings can only take you one place… to the sky! Right after Basil had graduated he took off towards his dreams of one day flying a plane.
“My time at Limkokwing directed me indirectly; as soon as I graduated I did something that I wanted to do since I was a kid, which was pilot license. And then later I got offered a job at the radio station. I was very comfortable in the radio station because I had worked in one as one of my school projects. When I started I was working as the ground crew, the ones who drive around and give free stuff for about 2 or 3 months and then one of the guys left so they asked me to audition and I got the job being a radio DJ.”
Street Smarts
Academics are important not matter what line of work you are looking into, but if you don’t know how to survive in the real world you’re not going to make it far. Basil learnt this with the help of his lecturers and lifelong friends.
I would say success is being financially free and being happy; you can live in a small tiny island catching fish and have a million bucks and be happy. But you can also drive fast cars and have a mansion and you will still be unhappy.
“Limkokwing is a place where I guess, it’s fun to learn new stuff that you’re interested in. Back when I started the campus was in Taman Mayang and it was a very close nit community, I’m still in contact with my friends from there. Studies wise I learnt a lot after class because of the lecturers, they use to come and sit with us even after the class was finished. What I took away from there I wouldn’t say is 100% academic it gave me life skills and street smarts which has helped me a lot.”
Creative ambition
Radio is a very competitive industry, with so many up and coming stations the old ones need fresh creative minds to keep their listeners interested. It would seem Basil has a natural flare for creativity; he took a small idea and grew it to a nationwide show that assisted in exposing Malaysia’s talented musicians.
“My favorite show I’ve handled was a local chart show, called The Campur Chart. I helped to design the content of the show like, who was on it. We also did a whole tour we called it our “Goes Live” shows which helped to expose the local music industry. When we did the tour all around west Malaysia, Samsung came onboard and TopShop came onboard it was really successful. Once our show was pretty well known we started a monthly “Goes Live” show at a local bar which started out small but after a while the crowed was overflowing. After that I went on to do the night show, we redesigned that show and it became the highest rated show on the radio.”
Work hard through crisis
Basil is an optimist by nature. Even through the tough times such as the economic crisis we faced throughout 2009; he believes that these times are opportunities to show what you’re made of.
“Radio is indirectly affected by the economic down turn, the advertisers will cut down their costs and expenses, and as you probably know advertising fuels radio stations. But it’s good in a way because it challenges people in radio stations to work harder to fill their quota. Whether they are the ones bringing in the clients or the DJ’s who have to make the show even better than before and raise ratings.”
Limkokwing is a place where I guess, it’s fun to learn new stuff that you’re interested in, what I took away from there I wouldn’t say is 100% academic it gave me life skills and street smarts which has helped me a lot.
Happiness = Success
A lot of people would believe that success equals happiness, but only a happy person knows it’s the other way around.
“I would say success is being financially free and being happy; you can live in a small tiny island catching fish and have a million bucks and be happy. But you can also drive fast cars and have a mansion and you will still be unhappy. Right now I’d say I’m successful and happy. And if you’re looking into this industry definitely try it out you’ll learn the Ying and the Yang of media. People who last the longest in media are the ones who can swallow anything that comes their way.”
