BBC Academy to help women work in radio

BBC Local Radio and the BBC Academy College of Journalism are to hold a series of events to encourage new female presenters into local radio.

The events will give those selected – particularly women not working in radio at the moment – a taste of what it’s like to work in local radio and a chance to see if they’ve got what it takes to be a presenter. It’s also hoped that the events will attract people from outside the usual entry routes.

The events will be held in three locations: Birmingham (on 6 December), Salford and London (dates to be announced).

Attendees will have the opportunity to network with and meet local radio presenters and senior executives from the BBC, with meet-the-expert sessions, keynote and panel discussions, workshops and tips on interviewing and presenting on radio.

The day’s programme has been designed by BBC English Regions and the BBC Academy, which was behind the recent Expert Women training events around the country.

There will be a rigorous selection process to achieve one of the 30 places at each event. Entrants must be over 18 and will need to submit a CV, a 200 word programme idea for a mid-morning show and why it’s relevant to the listener and – most importantly – a two minute audio file describing what life is like where they live.

David Holdsworth, controller, English Regions, said: “This is a brilliant opportunity for us in local radio to reach out and find new and engaging female presenters, particularly those who might not have considered this as a likely career for them.”

“It will also complement the BBC Local Radio initiative that aims to increase the numbers of female presenters on our Breakfast shows. Our listeners are passionate about their local radio station and we’re committed to finding the best talent that we can for the future.“

Anne Morrison, director, BBC Academy, said: “After the success of our Expert Women initiative, we know that training events like this can really help to boost women’s confidence and skills, and help them find ways of getting on air.”

Details of how to apply for these events and full terms and conditions can be found on the Academy website.