Get Top Tips From Karen P at Radio Festival’s Foot In The Door Masterclass!

Our very own Karen P will once again be one of the industry insiders at the Foot In The Door event at this year’s Radio Festival in Salford.

The Masterclass acts just like speed-dating – ten tables packed with industry professionals sit ready to give advice on how to get your foot in the door and make a mark on the industry. Delegates get 15 minutes at each table before the klaxon sounds and they have to move on.

Karen will be on a table called ‘Who Chooses The Music?’ together with Bauer’s Trevor Jordan.

Last year’s Masterclass was the highlight of the festival for many radio hopefuls and new careers are even known to have been launched through the connections made at the event!

It all takes place at The Lowry at Salford Quays on Wednesday 14th November. Tickets are £24 (+VAT) for Radio Academy members and £48 (+VAT) for non-members.

So, if you want to work in radio, make sure you find out more and get a ticket from the Radio Academy’s website.

Aisling Creedon: The Right Place at the Right Time – BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra’s Hackney Academy

It is a very rare thing to be in the right place at the right time. I know this because when you’re trying to get into the radio industry, as I am, the right place and the right time so rarely coincide, no matter how many times people tell you they should.

But in June, it finally happened. The right place was Folded Wing, an independent production company in London who were kind enough to take me on for two weeks’ work experience. The right time was when I had been there almost a week, researching, editing and learning. Caroline from the Radio Academy called the Folded Wing office looking for a young presenter. My ears tingled but I kept my eyes on my screen.

Then,

“Ever done any presenting Aisling?”

I had. Lots. Folded Wing’s Jim sat me down and talked me through the job – I was to host the Radio Academy’s ‘Getting Into Radio‘ session as part of BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s Hackney Academy. I would introduce the day and each of the speakers. Jim sounded confident in me and I knew I could do it.

The next day I arrived in Hackney, rattling with the nerves of knowing that I would soon be introducing Ben Cooper, Radio 1′s controller and the man everyone wants to work for, to a group of people I would usually be sitting amongst.

My voice and my fingers shook through my introduction, but I took deep breaths, remembered Ben’s name and from then on the links got easier and I relaxed into what was a great day of advice and knowledge delivered by some of the industry’s most successful people. Howard Hughes talked about the lucky breaks that made him a star, we heard how Radio 1′s Hackney weekend came into being, and Andrea Day proved to everyone that travel news is far from dull.

It was a chance for me to meet professionals in a professional capacity, and that is invaluable experience. I was able to practice my public speaking, something that does not come easily to anyone (does it?!) and best of all, hear all the talks and take on all the advice.

If it hadn’t been for Folded Wing, I would never have had the opportunity to even go to the event, let alone host it. Everyone was right, there is something special when the right place and time come together. I just wish Ben Cooper had been a little further down the bill!

Radio Fast Train – free training from BBC Academy and Skillset!

For those of you who are looking to hone their radio skills and develop some new ones, BBC Academy in partnership with Skillset are running the Radio Fast Train a free training day for professionals in independent production companies, freelancers, commercial and community radio. The event will take place on 7th February.

Sessions will range from creative thinking, pitching workshops, microphone techniques and location recording, live studio production, editorial values, social media, how to make apps and podcasting, to finance for freelancers and coaching one-to-ones.

Others involved in the event include: The Radio Academy, Radio Independents Group, RadioCentre, the Community Media Association and BECTU.

Tickets are available FREE from here on 10th Jamuary at 10am!

Tuned In To The Future – Routes In To Radio

Episode 13 of Tuned In To The Future features tips for all budding radio producers, engineers and presenters, so get your notepads ready!

Featured on the podcast are: Joe Greig who recently completed a work experience placement at Folded Wing; radio production lecturer Matthew Linfoot from Westminster University; John Myers, chief executive of the Radio Academy, Carina Tillson from Global Radio, Natasha Maw from the BBC Academy, Fred Bradley from the Student Radio Association and more.

This episode was made in conjunction with the Radio Academy’s Foot In The Door event at the Radio Festival, 2011.