Thursday 4 September saw the last Hulme Tune on ALL FM community radio show for a while. Presenter Paul Ridyard is taking a break to focus on his university course. Gavin White, Head of Music for ALL FM 96.9, discussed a possibility of another schedule for the show, which went out live every other Thursday at 10am, when the dust had settled in a couple of months.

Paul, a volunteer at ALL FM, is starting university in Preston this month. He had made contacts within the community of Hulme, Manchester, very quickly and was keen to highlight the positive side of the area. His show was a mix of music and chat and with his assistants, Julie-anne Proudman and Kaite Boltain, had produced this unique show since January 2007. Paul never got any funding and had to use equipment that was given to him or he bought on eBay.

But, all this has paid off for the Hulme resident as these skills put him in a possition to be accepted on the BA (hons) Journalism Foundation Year Entry at the University of Central Lancashire. This is an opportunity for Paul to excel in the thing he loves and gain skills to be of service in the future. Especially with MediaCityUK being built ready for the BBC to move some of its programming to Salford in 2011.

 ”I bumbed into Councillor Mary Murphy today in Hulme and she has wished me all the best for the course and my future. It’s great to get local support, especially from one of Hulme’s long running councillors.” Says Paul.

The Hulme Tune could return in November, but this depends on Paul’s commitments to the course. It’s not just the one hour, it’s the preparation before and editing for Podcasting after.

Also, this community reporter’s feed will end soon and a new Paul Ridyard blog will commence. The blog will contain pictures and experiences of his uni life.

Paul plans to go on and do the 3yr degree course in 2009, once he’s passed his BA (Hons) and this could mean moving up to Preston.

Some how I think these blogs are going to be my notes on tomorrows radio show on ALL FM.

The great university challenge, for me that is. Are there opportunities for people like me to go and take a degree course? What put me off in the past was the time it would take, the expense, the massive debt and the lack of qualifications. How do I do it?

Was the Government going to help or would I struggle financially and have to give up the course?

I found out that I could get a grant to cover costs like books, travel and other expenses without it touching my entitlement to benefits. I was very surprised and humbled. The best thing is.. I don’t have to pay it back, not a sausage.  My train fare, materials and sustenance is covered and no loan shark in sight. It’s not a great lot of money. It couldn’t cover a night out at the student union, but at least it’s something that helps. The Government only gives me enough to live on and with the rising costs of food & utilities, it would have be a massive obstacle not having that extra financial help. I wish it was enough for a laptop, as well, with some fancy gadgets like memory sticks, external drives and a decent digital camera.

The sad thing is, I would still have to pay back the loan for the course fees and there are conditions to paying it back. Doesn’t mention Lottery wins though. They start to take back a percentage like 9%pa for over £15,000 earned (£15 p/m). The Government does add interest at the rate of inflation only and will write the loan off if you become dead. They’ll write it off if you cannot work as a result of a disability or after 25 years of getting a low income.

There are individual circumstances, which are not covered in this blog. Full detail are in the booklet “A Guide To Financial Support For Higher Education Students” or visit the link Student Finance.

It is very important to choose the right course at the right university.

So, I’m pretty excited that there is help for those who want to go into higher education. Student Finance have an office in Manchester at Overseas House on Quay Street. You can grab all the info you want from the website and apply via their Manchester office.

It’s well worth investigating, as it could mean a chance of a lifetime to gain that important degree and aim for a better future for yourself. I would encourage anyone from Manchester to try to better themselves. This would make Manchester a better choice for industry, like the MediaCityUK project at Salford Quays. Do we really want the BBC to import talent and workers from London and the rest of the UK?

Instead of watching me on TV, you could be the one on camera or employing me.

Do you want to hear some African drumming? For once, I actually liked this.

 African Drumming.mp4

Erinma Bell MBE from Peace FM and Angela Lawrence of Mothers Against Violence were just 2 of the many guests & artistst.

I talked to Angela and she was telling me how wonderful people have been since the Secret Millionaire was aired that week. Later I met some people promoting the Afrika Afrika show. They gave tickets as prizes to some of the young people involved in last weekend’s carnival parade.

When the Afro-Brazilian capoeira demonstration was on, I noticed the mix of races and how they were integrated in this music art form. Next, Vicky Sinclaire from Generate Generations gave me the mic and I was asked to introduce Erinma onto the stage out-of-the-blue. I’ve met Erinma once before at Zion Arts and I couldn’t think of any organisations she was involved in - so I introduced her as from Peace FM.

I’ve only got a camera phone so certain images don’t come out right. With a few glasses of wine and delicious chocolate cake, I enjoyed my evening at the Zion.

Your Hulme Community Reporter, Paul Ridyard, has been accepted on a course at the University of Central Lancashire. I’m going to do a BA (Hons) Journalism – Foundation Year Entry based at BBC Radio Lancashire in Blackburn. The course starts in September when I enrol at the main university building in Preston.

It’s a great opportunity for me to gain a qualification that would lead to doing a full-time 3 yr degree course. Will it be easy when I have a disability and claiming Incapacity Benefit, I wonder? After all, the Government would like to see us in employment. Are there opportunities for training and higher education, to give us a better chance of a career, or is the Government more concerned about unemployment figures? I am going to find out.

This Saturday I received the news that I was waiting for, that UCLan had accepted me on the course and had reserved me a place unconditionally. This was great news. Also, I got an email inviting me up to Preston for one of the university’s open days. This would mean forking out £8.70 for the train fare, but I was to find out later that this was an investment.

I got to the Open Day Registration Point in Foster Building (see pic above) and gave my name, received a bag, info I already had and a £1 drinks voucher (bargain). Cheapest coffee was £1, so it was a free drink on them.

While I was there I decided to hand in my acceptance slip to say “Yes” to the course and post my application form for my UCLan Student ID (they have a weird name for it, “Corporate ID”), but getting my passport photo proved to be a bit of a struggle. First of all I had to hunt for a photo booth. I tried the uni library and then the Students Union, eventually I found it. “FOUR POUND FOR 4 PHOTOS!” I shouted inside, in case someone heard me and threw me out – I only needed one. This was another unplanned expense. How much is it going to cost me before I even start studies?

OK, so £4.00 is not a lot. But, then add it to the £8.70 and you see it mounts up. £12.70 is still not a lot, you may think, but deduct that off my weekly benefit money and then you begin to realise that this venture to further my career opportunities is an even bigger sacrifice.

I went back to Foster Building and asked for change, seeing I only had £3.60 in change. The shop didn’t have any and neither did the restaurant. I was told that there was a newsagent close to the SU. So, sweating my shirt wet, I went back to the SU to look for the shop and get some change after buying a drink.

Finally, when I got my pics, I headed back to Registration with a sense of victory.. I did what I came to do. This meant missing the “Hello and welcome to UCLan” sleep-talk in the lecture hall further inside. Which didn’t really bother me at this point.

Foster Building was too warm, I was hot and my asthma was making me feel very uncomfortable. There was no air-conditioning and the doors that were automatic kept shutting. So, I went outside to cool off.

When I wandered back in, the receptionist was very nice and kind. She gave me a re-usable internal mail envelope and a pair of scissors with a cheaper branded version of the Pritt Stick. I stuck my pic to the form and put it in. Sigh of relief.

One of the welcoming staff called me over to ask me where I got my photos from. I was puzzled at first, because it was me who was asking 30 minutes before. Then I though it was amusing; but I was pleased to be able to help and pointed them in the right direction.

Time was heading towards 1pm and I deeded to get to the journalism talk in another of the university buildings. The information booklet for the Open Days at UCLan said that there was a shuttle bus that picked people up from the station and went round the campus every 10 minutes. I didn’t see one, but there were a few coaches parked up in the side street adjacent to Foster Building. My spine was hurting me and I didn’t want to walk. I asked one of the drivers for the shuttle, he said he didn’t know. Then he said he’d take me to the place. It was great, as I was the only passenger – a whole coach to myself!

When I arrived at the Greenbank Building, where the journalism course talk was, I was directed to the lifts and the second floor. I sat for 45 minutes in another stifling warm room. No, open windows or air-con. I was hoping that my anti-perspirant deodorant would keep working or I’d stink the class out. I then ate my chicken butties and finished my drink off while the talk started, after inhaling my asthma medication again.

The Course Leader, Shirley Lewis, gave a PowerPoint presentation about the range of different courses in Journalism that we could go on for a degree and the foundation. My plan was to do the foundation course, so I’ll have entry to university, then change to Film & TV to do a degree. Then, when the Journalism course touched upon Radio & TV studios, I realised that maybe I should continue in 2009 doing a journalism degree. This is why it paid for me to go on Sunday; otherwise I would have my sights set wrong. Most of the class was made up of 18yr olds with aging parents and not feeling intimidated or out-of-place, I said to one of the teenagers, “Please remember me next year as you do your degree, I might need your help!”

So, how should I, with a working class background, approach this course? Should I go dreading it and fearing the worse, knowing that, at the end of 1 or 4 years, I’ll be further in debt by 10’s of thousands of pounds?

I simple thought came to me. A few weeks ago I was watching a TV programme explaining how children take in more when learning is made fun for them. ‘That’s the key!’ I thought. My attitude is going to be one of excitement, adventure and it’s going to be fun. Fun learning, fun doing and fun meeting new people.

Today, Monday, I went to the student loan people on Quay Street and gave them my passport to photocopy for their records.

I thought about how much it would cost me to travel by train 2 days a week to do this course and any extra expenses on the way. I am hoping that the Government has made a provision for this through grants. If not, then there are bursaries. I hope that this expense will be covered somehow, as it’s going to be a long cold winter if not. Enough to put most people off higher education. I’ll let you know as soon as I get news.

I did bump into an ex-Manchester Metropolitan University student who works behind a bar on Oxford Rd. I thought it was strange that he had passed his degree, but was working as a bar tender. He told me that he took a film course that was just history and styles and that he couldn’t find work with it. He said that if he had waited until now, he could have gone on a better course.

This is not unusual with some university graduates. Another student, a few years ago, told me that his degree wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. This is shocking, but there are courses out there that could lead to a dead end. I did suggest he could do what his tutor did, those who can’t.. teach!

Finding the right university is equally important.

My bar tender friend said that he couldn’t go on another course to gain the degree that would give him a greater opportunity of finding a career in film. I asked, “Why not?” He told me that the last degree put him in too much debt. So, here is a young man aged about 22 with no job after his degree and in a lot of debt. I did suggest that he could do a postgraduate instead.

Choose carefully the course you want to do. Many parents push their sons & daughters in to courses what they think they should do. This is nothing but controlling. I’ve talked to a few unhappy students in the past and found that the course they were on was not their desired one, but pushy parents put them there. I did advise them to see a student adviser and one changed her course and is now very happy and has worked with needy children in under-developed countries in Europe, like Romania, fulfilling her dream. Fortunately for her, the advice came at the right time during her 1st year.

This student loan scheme was New Labours’ idea of student poverty and needs to be stopped. So that students who end up on the wrong course won’t literally have to pay (back) for their mistake for years to come. How many more students have wasted 3 yrs and got nowhere and have serious debts?

If I give my honest view in these blogs, then hopefully things can be done to improve life for others. Otherwise, some things would get over-looked.

Prayer is going to get me there!

Due to bugs in the reporters website software and slow Internet connections, it is not possible to post more carnival pictures.

Keep watching this website and as soon as this is fixed I’ll post some more!

Paul

Was it the hottest new range, the sizzling styles or did someone burn the toast? Whatever it was, shoppers on Market Street today were treated to a bit of eye candy. Young muscular firemen, in full uniform, rushed into the USC store - much to the ladies delight. I think some of them had to be put out to cool down.

Looks like one woman has spotted something to fan her flames of passion.  But, before anyone can say “exclusive”, it looked like it was a false alarm. One shopper did manage to take a picture of 2 of the crew before they headed back to base.

Lin Fang

Police are appealing for the public’s help in tracing a teenage girl who is missing.

Lin Fang, 17, was last seen on Sunday 1 June 2008 at a house on Hornchurch Street, Hulme, where she had been staying. She is described as Chinese, about 5ft 3in tall, of slim build and with shoulder length dark brown hair. She was last seen wearing a cream coloured jacket, dark jeans and white boots.

Lin speaks little English and it is not known if she has any friends in the area she may have gone to stay with.

Officers are now appealing to anyone who sees Lin to contact police. Alternatively, if Lin is reading or hearing this, please get in touch immediately.

Anyone with information about Lin’s whereabouts is asked to call Greater Manchester Police on 0161 872 5050.

After writing my previous article for Mywebconnect, I contacted the BBC to see if they could clarify on their proposal to employ those of us who have a talent, but don’t have the privilege of a 1^st degree with honors and a Masters just to read the autocue.

It’s actually a misconception that  BBC jobs require a formal qualification as standard. We’re always recruiting for a wide range of roles  and although they each call for different qualities, it’s surprising how far life experience can take you. In a few selected areas such as technical jobs we do specify particular levels of qualifications as typical with other companies.

My point here is that the our approach is NOT looking for qualifications rather than the other way round as your quote infers.

“…maintaining standards” also sounds a little strange. This was in relation to managing people’s expectations - so although we’re actively seeking to make ourselves more open and accessible as an employer - we’re still looking for individuals with real potential as well as experienced talent. It’s not a question of a lowering quality but more about our supporting and nurturing individuals with talent to fulfill their potential.

Fiona Wright

Senior Resourcing Project Manager, BBC at MediaCityUK

Perhaps I have been misconceiving this concept, but what evidence is there that truly exists in supporting this?

Maybe the first step towards this is the BBC coming along side MCIN and us community reporters,  encouraging us and allowing us behind the scenes peek at North West Tonight going out live and being taught some journalism (for free) at BBC Manchester on Oxford Road. This is a major first step and I personally welcome this. They are really holding their arms out to us, giving us a taster of what goes on behind the scenes of live regional news programming.

It allowed me to imagine myself sat on the red couch next to Ranvir Singh- yes, please - reading the news! But, in the back of my mind, I cannot see it, in itself, as being enough to be employed by the BBC. I’m still not persuaded by the BBC that qualifications are not really important and I hope they prove me wrong. There again, if they do spot talent then wouldn’t we still need some level of skill and training -but where from? University of course! As anyone from the Community Reporters had a real offer of going on a placement yet? My point exactly!

Next is the ‘Introduction to Journalism’ workshops, of course it’s not comprehensive. (It is not until next week when I go to the BBC to learn more about regional news gathering and reporting. So, I cannot comment on it until I’ve experienced it first hand.)

OK. Let’s say you can point a camera, choose a good backdrop, do a white balance, press a button and record some footage. Then edit that on Final Cut Pro and produce a little piece about your corner of the woods. You then post that on the Internet as community news and write a little story to the video and post a picture taken from the footage you were editing on the timeline. You practice and practice and then you learn from the TV and other online media sites. A job comes up at the BBC, they ask you to send in your CV. What are we to put for work history (unemployed, sickness & other benefits), qualifications (none), experience in media production (voluntary community news gathering) and a good knowledge of BBC procedures in media news gathering and journalism (behind the scenes look at NWT)? Arrgh!

How would I feel if my CV was mainly blank and at the bottom “Community Reporting”? Not very confident next to 100 graduates from MMU, Salford Uni, Man Uni, UCLan, Edge Hill Uni and all other universities in the North West; all having been on placements at 3sixtyMedia, BBC Manchester, Liverpool, etc., Granada/Carlton, Lime Pictures and Channel M as part of their course. Remember the last job advertised in my previous report? Not forgetting that young female university graduate, who was on a 6 week placement – now she knows BBC procedures.

More jobs opportunities are coming soon to Manchester when Channel 4 has its regional news programs for Channel 4 News, even though ITV who part-owns ITN covers local news already. Would C4 grab established people from Channel M, Granada Reports and North West Today/Tonight, who are experienced already? Or, is C4 looking for everyday folk like you and me? Will they just advertise and take on more university graduates with a degree and an MA to read the autocue?

I believe we must, amidst the competition (500 applicants for 12 placements), look realistically at this and past the hype. We are all used to politicians saying they will do this or that, then we vote them in and they mess this country up more. Like when Gordon Brown says he wanted to eradicate child poverty, then Alistair Darling scraps the 10p tax rate and sends the poorer families further into poverty. So, should we just open our arms wide and fully believe the BBC? Maybe they could really be totally genuine and will employ local people at MediaCityUK.

The BBC are making every effort to put their point across through video, seminar workshops, leaflets and behind the scenes invitations. It certainly increased my expectations that I could, one day, be employed by the BBC. Then, I began to look realistically at my chances and realised that I still needed to gain more qualifications and up-skill. I have talent and have been spotted by BBC recruitment, but I’ve not been contacted yet. “I’m still free, by the way, BBC!”

I like to think that the BBC are sincere about the way they say they are looking for ‘local voices’ and new talent and not just in its cleaning department. We don’t want to end up missing the boat on the Manchester Ship Canal, do we?

This is Paul Ridyard,  for MCIN Community News - Hulme.

Will this lead to actual real jobs within MediaCity and other media production houses renting property from Peel Holdings at Salford Quays? What skills are relevant to CBBC that are developed over this signed agreement or by community reporting?

I’ve seen the MediaCityUK’s Media City promo DVD when I was at BBC Radio Lancashire. I was assured that the BBC would NOT be moving workers from London to Manchester and that job opportunities would be open to local people. Are Salford or Manchester University students, who are from London originally, classed now as local because they live temporary in Manchester & Salford?

Such a proposal looks exciting for us com reporters who have the heart and are not “university degree clones”. It does look like the BBC are looking for real local ordinary folk, who, with help and encouragement (esp. from the Job Centre + & Connextions), could contribute talent and creativity.

Yet, I find that Job Centre Plus (plus what?) is not interested in anyone being trained for 2011 - only that they get them off the dole. That’s the impression I get, anyways. How do people keep the Job Centre off their back while training, when the Government has took people’s freedom away and forces them to do 15 hours over 5 days, sat in a dingy rundown office  sifting through papers, to be forced to do the worse lowest paid job ever  or “..you’ll lose your benefits if you don’t apply for it”? That’s reality. Those 15 hours could be best spent learning, developing and engaging in new technology training to work across multi-media platforms. Why doesn’t the Government help those people to gain skills and really learn and develop those gifts, instead of being more interested in vote-grabbing unemployment figures and using the money for new fitted kitchens in their second homes?

What real skills are developed and what qualifications do people actually gain from this partnership?

The clock is ticking towards 2011 and I’m interested to see how MCIN & the BBC can help those, who are volunteering for free like me, get into media paid employment. Not just for MediaCity, but the rest of the media industry throughout the UK. It takes 1 year to study an undergraduate course in Journalism and 3 years after that for a degree. That takes us to 2012 by my watch. Still, handy for Newsround.. and how, exactly, does community reporting fit in with the rest of CBBC?

Then there’s WFA Media, plenty of skilled students come out of there. Adult Learning Centre, Manchester University, Man Met University, Salford University, MANCAT, Manchester College, North Trafford College, Loreto Sixth Form College and let’s not forget North West Vision & Media trainees as well - all skilled students, all wanting jobs at MediaCity. That’s not including Tameside, Oldham, Bolton and Stockport Colleges.

I don’t want to be still volunteering in 2012, still claiming benefits, while all the jobs at MediaCity are taken up by the above.

If the BBC have come up with a tangible viable practical way for those of us who are volunteering in the community media sector to break into the media industry, then I’m all for it. If its just an exercise in community relations, then what’s the point?

When the BBC informed me that they were committed to looking for local people with a heart for media production and “not university clones” I thought, ‘great - now show me!’

If its true, then it’s brilliant and that means they can have talented people, some who maybe dyslexic but creative.. those that are not able to gain a degree but can put sound & voice clips together with digital effect and make a great trailer or news report.. and those who might not have a GCSE but has a good personality that can “tell it as it is”.

If it’s just hot air, then we should get our license fee back for the next 10 years.

Henry Winkler, who played the Fonz in the US sit com “Happy Days”, has dylexia. He now writes children’s books and is the founder member of Children’s Action Network. So, this guy proves that given a chance you can make it.

BBC Local Radio & North West Tonight have staff already and paid placements are given to.. you guessed it.. university graduates - community reporters only get a tour.

I have a BA Hons degree in Contemporary Film and Video from Manchester Metropolitan University. While at university I did some work experience on Spooks. Since graduating I have built up my experience, working within the industry on various productions.

There were nearly 500 applications for 22 places across the North of England

My placement is split: 6 weeks on North West Tonight (regional news for the BBC) and 6 weeks on The Cup for Hartswood films; a comedy shot in an ob doc style, set in Bolton about the lives of the parents of an under 11’s football team.

http://www.northwestvisionandmedia.co.uk/page/amy-somers

The BBC say they are not looking for “university clones”, you don’t have to have a degree to work here. Mmm… maybe that memo hasn’t reached BBC Manchester yet!

Trust: Trust is the foundation of the BBC, we are independent, impartial and honest.

CBBC would probably want talented children, computer animators, runners and researchers. So this leaves BBC Formal Learning in which we would have a chance to gain any employment, in my opinion, in MediaCity. The production houses already have their staff. Cosgrove Hall (Danger Mouse) are moving from Charlton to Salford, perhaps even make a new animation series called “Salford and The Wheelie Bins” to celebrate the move.

Doing radio and community reporting has helped me to practice and develop skills. However, I found that this may not be enough. I still need to learn more to get into broadcasting.

Community reporting is only one of the multi-media platforms along with video camera work, video editing, taking audio from timelines, posting images and writing updates, sound editing, researching, producing trailers and ads - all within BBC guidelines and basic values.

After returning from BBC Radio Lancashire, I found that I needed to gain a qualification -  even though I have the skills. Yes, I do need some more training to come up to BBC standards. Community reporting for MCIN was a step in the right direction as it shows that I am ready for the multi-media age. It does help you get to the next step and found it, in itself, is a good practice ground for honing your skills. A show case to prove I can do it. But, now I must move on and apply for a recognised qualification and learn.. in fact, you never stop learning in the industry.

What I am really saying is, I believe com reporters still need to further develop our skills through education and training or placement schemes. Com reporting is a good platform for seeing if you have a skill in web reporting and updating. The practice is good in developing, the more you do the more you flow. But, is it enough to get paid employment at the BBC in MediaCity in 2011?

Hands up if you know how to operate a Z1 camera? Me neither! Write a treatment? Extract audio from Avid?

It does look promising, Gary, developing “clear pathways into the BBC and the wider industry” and I’d like a closer look at this as 2011 approaches. It does look like a step in the right direction and is good for a starter. I would like to see these “pathways” to work work and see the BBC really helping us volunteers towards training and industry recognised qualifications or a paid full time career.

“This partnership has helped raise the aspirations of the local community reporters who feel that they have a real possibility of working at the BBC or in media.“

Gary Copitch, Director of MCIN

Local? To Salford or Manchester as well? Is BBC Manchester giving us local (Salford & Manchester) community volunteers placements, paid or unpaid? If the BBC are committed to taking on local talent, without university degrees or distinctions from acting schools, then how do we find the jobs they say they will give us?

Is there really a real possibility? Even though I’ve seen MediaCityUK’s promo DVD, I’m still not totally convinced - unless you’re a 14yr old.

This is an extract from an email from Sophia Rehman, Editorial Administrator, Talent & Diversity, Commissioning Management at Channel 4:

Diversity Production Training Scheme – TV and New Media

Opportunities nationwide

We’re on the lookout for new voices. Talented people who are keen to spend 12 months with either a TV or new media production company, building the skills they need to launch their careers. The important thing here is NEW voices. Which is why this programme has been created for those who think they might never be able to break into the industry. There could be a hundred reasons why: you may be disabled for example, or from an ethnic minority, or perhaps you’ve never seen the inside of a university. Maybe you believe that your age could cause those doors to slam in your face. Whatever. The important thing is that you can bring ideas, energy and real passion. In return, we’ll bring you every opportunity to shine.

 What you get:

Training and experience. Lots of it. You could be developing story ideas for Skins, joking with Justin on the Friday Night Project or flirting with Gordon on the FWord. You could even be whipping up widgets for one of our websites. That’s the kind of thing you can look forward to during your year. Of course, there’ll be on-the-job learning when you’re with your assigned production company. But you’ll also get structured industry training sessions at Channel 4 and other top locations every month. Depending on the area you focus on, these might include working on location and in the studio, writing treatments, script reading, archive and copyright research, sketch writing, interviewing, camera techniques, games creation, working with actors and assessing contributors for television. On top of all that, there’s a generous training allowance of £17,000.

 Then what?

Although we can’t promise you a job at the end of it, we can promise that you’ll have developed the skills, knowledge and network of key contacts you need to start building your career.

This sounds fantastic “on the job training” and, as you can see, Channel 4 is dedicated to this. Even though C4 is London based, there are production companies here in the North West and I would imagine that there would be localised placing. But, the biggest production company in Manchester is the BBC itself along with Carlton/Granada.

I’m not paid to do this, so I’m not ringing round and writing to all these people. But, it does look good for the future and one way to prove you really want to do it is to do it voluntary at first. With real help from the BBC in getting into the industry it could lead to a fulfilling exciting career and good pay.

Here is a recent BBC vacancy:

Broadcast Assistant- Radio Drama

Knowledge, Skills & Abiities

Postholders at all levels must have a minimum of the following:

1. Broadly based general knowledge, with enthusiasm for and knowledge of broadcasting and the output of BBC Radio Drama.
2. A knowledge of the drama community and an interest in working with writers, actors etc.
3. Good knowledge of reference sources.
4. Knowledge of radio production techniques and of operational and administrative systems.
5. Familiarity with the technical equipment used in radio production and potential to undertake straightforward operation under transmission pressures.
6. Good aural judgement together with a developed interest in sound.
7. Good understanding of BBC Producer Guidelines.
8. Knowledge and experience of using IT systems / keyboard skills.
9. Knowledge of BBC accident, incident, broadcasting emergency and evacuation procedures.
10. A creative and proactive approach and able to offer up ideas and suggestions for future Drama.

BBC.co.uk/jobs

How do you get to know 1 - 10 unless you’ve been inside the BBC and trained in this area?

I joined MCIN November of last year and over 9 months later, still no news of BBC training in Manchester.. tick.. tick.. tick..

If  the BBC in Manchester are really committed to us, then it could be an exciting prospect and a great opportunity for all of us who are working voluntary, for no pay, because we want to do it. Hopefully, it will lead to payed full time employment in the media industry.

“Isn’t it small?” I remarked. “I know!” replied Kaite. What a grand day out in them there hills, we had.

BBC Radio Lancashire sits in a small showroom at the heart of Blackburn. Quietly ticking away the beat of entertainment, music and local news, pumping it out across the Lancashire hills to feed the brains of attentive listeners and any wandering sheep.

Their open day gave us an insight into the diversity of the ‘now’ BBC local radio & it’s multi-media platforms. Oh, let’s get techie. Creativity, opportunities, food & the Ladies @ Lunch went down a treat. Kaite enjoyed herself, as there were a few charity shops close by. Myself, I got to find out more info about News & Journalism courses held at UCLan.

What I learned at the first workshop was valuable, even if I never get to do a course like undergraduate.. or is it foundation? Anyways, I suddenly realised that what skills I gained here in Manchester is exactly what BBC local radio or BBC journalism is looking for. People that can work across different multi-media platforms, producing content for radio, TV and website.

The last time I went to a BBC open day was a few years back when BBC Manchester opened it’s doors for a day. That was not very good, too many people collecting free pens besides me. I just didn’t get anything out of it. BBC Radio Lancashire was more smaller and better, having quality workshops where I gained insight and got better understanding of todays 21st Century BBC background diversity drive.

There was a workshop on Media City, Salford Quays, and what it means to have a media city there for 2011. Did you know that there will be doctors and dentists there, too? All private, I guess! I know CBBC is not my ambition, but there are other opportunities in the UK (think national).

Some guys were surprised to find out that you can have a career in the BBC developing software. Yes, BBC iPlayer is an example. Then there’s web development and other areas, such as electricians. All them cables, someone has to change the fuse when they blow!

One day, you could be driving up the M61 / M6 and be listening to Paul Ridyard on BBC Radio Lancashire. Why not BBC RM, you may ask? They haven’t rang me yet. And I’m still waiting to hear about the 2 day journalism workshops put on by BBC Manchester. I won’t hold my breath, instead I’m going to find out more about BBC Lancashire & UCLan and look at the education opportunities and career prospects.. seeing that BBC are heading North, doesn’t seem to be much happening here at the mo.

Yes.. that is Tony Livesey on the wall and somewhere in the distance, where the banner is, is sex change soldier Jan Hamilton.