A podcaster from Macmerry has been listed among the top five newcomers at this year’s Community Radio Awards.
Jenna Cockburn, 34, was announced in the top five of more than 200 nominations in the Newcomer of the Year category for her work hosting ‘Jenna’s Jamboree’ on Radio Saltire.
Jenna began working at Radio Saltire in November last year, where she hosted a talk show discussing everything from pizza to movies.
She has since left the station but turned her show into a podcast, which has had nearly 30,000 listeners on Spotify.
A former Ross High pupil, Jenna said that she was shocked when she heard she had made the top five.
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She said: “When I saw that nominations were open there was a bit where you could self-nominate and I thought, ‘Why not give it a go?’
“When I found out I was in the top five I was so shocked but I’m really glad I nominated myself now!”
Jenna attended the award ceremony in Bedford on November 20 and, despite not winning, said that it was a fantastic experience.
She said: “I had a great time. It was a long drive but seeing all these other great radio presenters was fantastic.”
Jenna hopes to continue to grow her podcast and also now shares reviews of both local and nationwide events on her show.
She will be attending the Christmas festival, Enchanted Balgone, which starts tomorrow (Friday) at Balgone Estate, south of North Berwick.
She runs her podcast as a part-time job and said that she has the full support of her family, even though her parents struggle to understand what she does.
Jenna said: “I don’t think my mum totally gets it but my family are all supportive of what I’m trying to do, even though they might not get it.
“The plan is to continue to grow the podcast as much as possible and we’ll see what the future holds.”
Mike Falconer, who works at Radio Saltire and is chairman of Tranent and Elphinstone Community Council, was full of praise for Jenna.
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He said: “Jenna is fantastic. She deserves the recognition for her work with us at Radio Saltire.
“She worked so hard when she was here and, even though she is no longer at the station, we are really grateful for all she did here.”
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