Peacock Radio

Our global community shares global stories. Studying in a diverse, multicultural city like Paris exposes students to a wealth of perspectives and experiences as well as opportunities for professional development. AUP Student Media (ASM) helps students engage with the city around them while sharing their own stories through print, digital and video content. Most recently, ASM has launched Peacock Radio in partnership with World Radio Paris – the largest English-speaking radio station in France. 

The partnership began when a World Radio Paris representative reached out to an AUP staff member, looking for student contributions. There was an initial meeting between students, staff and faculty to brainstorm how such a collaboration might work. “From there, the students did it all,” says Safia Benyahia, AUP’s Student Leadership Coordinator. “They put together events, and they worked with student government to nail down a budget.”  

World Radio Paris offered ASM four hours of airtime a week, broadcasting to over 200,000 listeners. “It was a huge amount of content,” says Benyahia. “But they were able to deliver it. The students were really fantastic.” The nature of the partnership also meant that contributors benefited from professional mentoring to hone key skills for content production in broadcast media, such as writing for radio and audio editing. 

Flashforward to 2021, and Savannah Cooper, a graduate student in AUP’s MA in Global Communications, is Peacock Radio’s Executive Producer. She signed up to the project during Paris’s Covid-19 restrictions and found that commissioning content gave her great opportunities to meet new people. “As a producer I wanted to find a broad range of voices to give students a chance to speak openly and authentically and to share something that gets them excited,” says Cooper. “Applying to this position was a true test of my imposter syndrome. I had no previous radio experience! Just an eagerness to learn and adaptability.” 

Students have the freedom to decide the kind of content they want to create, and they often engage with current events and communities across the city. Recent shows include “The Redhead and the Gossip,” which tackles fashion news, and “Afrique Alive,” which explores issues affecting Black diaspora groups. “AUP is on the smaller side, but we are rich in talent and experience,” says Cooper. “That’s definitely reflected in our shows.” 

Cooper’s own contribution, “Finding Your Way to the City of Light,” asks her peers to share stories about coming to Paris and settling into AUP. “Paris means so much to so many people and offers so much to so many people,” says Cooper. “Living in Paris has changed my perception and understanding of the world for the better.” Recent interviewees have offered advice about living abroad, discussed studying in Paris during the pandemic, and explored how people can stay engaged and active while sticking to a student budget. 

Any AUP student can join in the conversation. Peacock Radio broadcasts from 9:00pm–10:00pm, Monday to Thursday, on World Radio Paris. You can also listen to archived broadcasts on the Peacock Plume website.