4 years hosting the 10am-2pm music show on Clyde 1. What was it like? I had an absolute blast. There’s no better buzz than throwing open the phone lines, letting listeners come on and get involved in between the tunes. Back in 2008, I took part in this interview, explaining how I moved from being a journalist to… [Read more…]
February 15, 2012
Let’s rewind a few years to late 2005 when I was working as Deputy News Editor at Real Radio. I wrote this article for Press Gazette explaining what the job involved. Have a read and you’ll get an idea of the huge variety in this kind of job. Just one of the reasons why I… [Read more…]
February 3, 2012
RAJAR is the system used to measure radio audiences. Sometimes I’ve been lucky. Figures for my old show on Clyde 1 increased 6 quarters in a row. Sometimes I’ve been unlucky. When I started, the numbers went down for the first 9 months. And there is an element of “luck” in both the good and the… [Read more…]
January 22, 2012
The BBC has an opportunity for presenting talent with disabilities. If you or someone you know is interested, this link tells you all about it. Opportunity for presenters with disabilities…
January 18, 2012
“Newspaper sales are in decline. What could they do to halt the slide and win back readers?” “Should radio DJs be allowed to play whatever music they like?” “Is it acceptable for a journalist to hack someone’s voicemail if their aim is to expose criminal activity?” “To what extent are newspapers a force for good… [Read more…]
January 18, 2012
Chances are you’ve got an ultimate ambition for your work in the media. What’s the dream? Hosting your own new music show in the evenings on BBC Radio 1? Making audiences all over Scotland laugh in the mornings on Clyde 1, Real Radio or Capital? Being a news anchor on BBC News Channel? Maybe having… [Read more…]
January 18, 2012
I get asked a lot about demo tapes and how you should attract the attention of Programme Directors if you want to work in radio. Have you considered putting your audio on YouTube? It has many benefits. First, it’s a consistent file format that I know is going to work and searching for something on… [Read more…]
October 24, 2011
I woke up on Saturday morning and checked Twitter. A friend had Tweeted about The Scotsman newspaper which was carrying an interview with Rangers owner Craig Whyte. I was very interested in reading this so I clicked the link and read the article. Once I’d finished I turned my phone off and got up. Then I thought… [Read more…]
October 24, 2011
Some people are very upset because newspapers and television news bulletins chose to show very graphic pictures of Colonel Gadaffi’s bloodied and battered body after his capture and killing last week. There were pictures of him being held to a truck moment before he died. Some outlets went further and showed his body AFTER his… [Read more…]
September 26, 2011
Every year for the last 5 years I’ve spent an afternoon with the students on the HNC Creative Industries:Radio Broadcasting course at Reid Kerr College, Paisley. My first boss, John Collins is their lecturer and over the years he’s done a tremendous job building up the course and making it super relevant to today’s broadcasting… [Read more…]
February 15, 2012
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