Renato Worm talks about his career in radio and his connection with the medium since high school

The special program to celebrate Rádio Independente’s 73rd anniversary continued this Monday afternoon (1st), with Renato Worm’s interview during Redação no Ar.

Now presenter of the program Na Boca do Povo and coordinator of Rádio Feliz 89, Worm remembers that his interest in communication arose during his childhood. His professional life began in the army, in Cachoeira do Sul, where he served for three years. At the time, Worm alternated his activities with radio-related games, such as Grêmio Escolar, a weekly class held at the school he attended. “Each student or group gave presentations weekly, and my presentations were usually spoken word,” he recalls. During the same period, children in the region participated in Rádio Independente’s auditorium programs.

Worm’s first opportunity to work on a radio came in Cachoeira do Sul. According to him, his deep voice was one of the reasons why he was invited to be part of the programming of a local vehicle. From then on, he divided his routine between the barracks, school and the radio, which created even more interest in the area.

During the vacation period, he returned to Lajeado and visited Rádio Independente, at which time he received an invitation from Lauro Mathias Müller, former CEO of the group, to be part of the team. “On September 21, 1976, I was climbing the stairs of the Acil building, in Praça do Chafariz, for my first day of work at Grupo Independente”, he recalls.

Junction of journalism and entertainment

After having worked for other outlets, Renato Worm currently presents the program Na Boca do Povo and also coordinates Rádio Feliz 89, which belongs to Grupo Independente. “It’s a new radio, new programming, something different from what we had before. I came to do something that I did back in the 80s”, he says about the charades, raffles and the constant participation of listeners in the programming. On the other hand, the presenter balances his activities with traditional journalism, which he does not give up.

Changes in the radio medium

Still during Redação no Ar, Worm spoke about the differences between journalism in the past and what is produced today. According to him, one of the biggest changes he brought to Rádio Independente was the participation of live listeners in the programming, which during the military regime period was a challenge. “Convincing Mr. Lauro to put the phone on the air was extremely difficult, because the risk was very high that someone would say something that at the time could shut down the radio, could take it off the air in a few hours or something similar.” For Worm, journalism has taken different directions mainly due to the internet, which today allows professionals to work more freely. “Today we have this peace of mind of being able to put in place, make available the counterpoint that is necessary and everything is fine”, he concludes.

Text: Eduarda Lima
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