Among Radio Fodder’s incredible 2021 line-up is the Gen Z-focused, Fitzpatrick award-nominated show OK Zoomer!. Created by long-time friends Joanna (Jo) Guelas and Jordan Bassilious, the vision for the show arose from their realisation that Gen Z lacked representation in the media. “Gen Z have a completely different way of navigating the world,” said Jo. Jordan agreed, hoping that OK Zoomer! will serve to “plug that gap in a place where people sometimes do not realise there actually is a gap”. They describe their dynamic as that of an “older brother, rowdy younger sister” duo.

“When you’re doing a radio show with your best friend, it makes things easier.” —Jordan Bassilious

OK Zoomer! was first launched in Semester 2 of last year, during lockdown. I sat down with Jo and Jordan to get an idea of where their show will head this year. Jo and Jordan don’t pre-plan their episodes, preferring to draw on current affairs and what is relevant to Gen Z at that given moment. Jordan shared that “rather than trying to confect kind of a narrative about something that people might not care about,” they want to speak about “things that are pressing and important”. You can be sure that if there’s an issue that affects Gen Z, it will most definitely be covered in that week’s episode of OK Zoomer!.

“Think of it like therapy but make it radio. That’s us.” —Jordan Bassilious

“Therapy, but not like endorsed.” —Jo Guelas

Jo is also a reporter and video team manager for Farrago. She repeatedly stated that she wants people to know that there’s someone else out there having “the same experience as them... and that it’s okay to not know what we’re doing”. In an age where things can seem rushed and pressured, it’s a well-deserved relief to tune in to hear two lovable souls discuss their place in the world.

“We want younger people to know that we are going through the same things.” —Jo Guelas

Above all, Jo and Jordan hope to connect with their audience—that’d be you guys reading this! They’re especially asking for feedback. They want to improve their format and discuss topics that are of interest to their listeners. If there’s a guest speaker you want to hear, they will do their best to bring them on the show. You can find Jo and Jordan at their Instagram @okzoomer.radio. They want you to tell them what you care about!

“This is your show, not ours. We want this to be something everyone can experience and enjoy.” —Jordan Bassilious

You can catch Jo and Jordan each Thursday at 3pm on Radio Fodder.