01
City After Six
Reported night-shift stories from the systems that keep cities moving.
9 episodes · documentary
Carrier Signal
On air · Ch 03
Independent audio / Johannesburg + remoteFM imagination · digital reach
Broadcast culture for people who still listen
Stories with a carrier wave.
Original radio, documentary series and production for organisations with something more useful to say than “welcome back to another episode”.
Originals · Field recording · Live radio · Documentary · Sound design · Editorial development · Distribution strategy
01 / Why we exist
Audio should sound like somebody made a decision.
Carrier Signal is an independent production network for programmes with editorial weight: reported stories, difficult conversations, live culture and useful knowledge.
We develop the premise before we choose the microphone. Format, host, audience, episode architecture and distribution are production decisions, not things to improvise after the first recording.
02 / Studio
Choose the signal path.
A
Series development
Premise, research frame, season architecture, host brief and pilot design.
B
Full production
Recording, editing, sound design, fact checks, mix, mastering and delivery.
C
Field documentary
Portable production for streets, homes, live events and difficult acoustic spaces.
D
Broadcast systems
Live formats, remote guest workflows, programme clocks and distribution handoff.
03 / Production clock
From premise to publish.
01
Frame
What is the question? Who is the listener? Why audio?
02
Research
Sources, archive, access, host preparation and reporting.
03
Record
Studio or field capture with a production plan, not a hope.
04
Shape
Structure, edit, fact-check, score, mix and listen away from the timeline.
05
Release
Metadata, transcripts, channel delivery and an actual distribution plan.
04 / Selected work
Programmes that would still matter without the cover art.
02
The Useful Argument
Two experts, one disagreement, no winner declared by the host.
18 episodes · studio talk
03
Ground Truth
Field recordings and first-person evidence from climate adaptation projects.
6 episodes · limited series
1.8m
completed listens
71%
average episode completion
42
field locations recorded
12
awards & shortlist mentions
06 / Credits
The names after the last note.
Noma Dlamini
Executive producer · documentary
Jared Mokoena
Engineer · field recording · mix
Safiya Hart
Editor · research · fact-check
Kabelo Stone
Producer · live formats · distribution
07 / Transcript margin
Notes from the edit.
00:14:08
The pause you should not cut
Silence carries information. Three reasons an edit can become less truthful when every hesitation is removed.
00:31:52
When a host should stop talking
A field producer’s checklist for recognising when scene and source are doing the explanatory work already.
01:02:11
Why loudness is not energy
What good mix decisions can do for pace without flattening every voice into the same broadcast pressure.
08 / Before record
Common production questions.
Can you produce a series from a rough idea?
Yes. We can develop editorial shape, format, research plan, host brief, production schedule and distribution path before recording begins.
Do you make branded podcasts?
We do, when the brand can support a real editorial premise. We will push back on formats that are just advertising stretched into episodes.
Can we record outside your studio?
Yes. Our field kit is built for homes, streets, workplaces and live venues. Location recording is often the right choice for documentary work.
Who owns the finished audio?
Ownership and licensing are set per project. Commissioned production can transfer master rights; network originals remain Carrier Signal properties.
pitch@carriersignal.example
Johannesburg studio · remote production worldwide
Fictional identity created as an Interlink catalogue design.