Queen Fer a Day

Caroline Feraday is no stranger to the concept of online interaction - when I first saw her in late 1999, she was presenting Sky One's viewer-participation Saturday-night line-up, Skyrocket.

I remember thinking she was particularly good as an on-screen anchor with little to no back-up, but I didn't realise that she was still only 22 and much of her competence was raw talent (plus, even at that age, I'd guess she'd spent a good few years learning her trade).

Fast-forward to 2011 and Caroline's a familiar face to many and a familiar voice to even more, including her contributions to the BBC London 94.9 schedule.

Early on Wednesday morning (September 7th), she flew back from her holiday and into an unexpected emergency that proved not only Caroline's own professionalism, but also the inextricable nature of social media in the modern world...

A Social Media Saga

At 1:14am on Wednesday, having barely left the airport, Caroline tweeted:

"Boo, just remembered I have two weeks off my BBC London show. I'm missing the airwaves #butaretheymissingme?"
She was in for a shock though - her colleagues were not only missing her, they were expecting her in for the 2am slot.

Amazingly, Caroline made it on to the air only around 15 minutes late - and was even on her own show as a caller before she arrived at the studio. If that's not listener interaction, I don't know what is.

The Moral of the Story

Aside from the fact that Caroline Feraday is much more than just a safe pair of hands for your radio show - she's obviously more committed and enthusiastic about her show than many other presenters might be - this story highlights the connected nature of our world.

Within minutes of arriving back in the country, Caroline was able to learn - thanks to Twitter - of the scheduling mix-up. She didn't even need to log on to a computer, as it was all right there on her smartphone.

For companies without an online presence - this kind of round-the-clock, instant communication and interaction is what you're missing out on. It's more than just new technology - it's a whole new world.