The Audio Academy Podcast

Hear how BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq show celebrated the station’s Goes Back month in January with four exclusive remixes of iconic albums.  Laura finds out how Matt Tasker (6 Music and Radio 2 producer) persuaded some of the biggest names in electronic music to rework their tracks.  It provides a great insight into working to a broad brief and tailoring it to a specific show and podcast series. Th...

Laura Rawlings takes the reins of The Radio Academy podcast, and begins by talking to Andi Durrant, Director of indie This Is Distorted and Exec Producer of Dance Britannia - the KISSTORY series of interviews with dance music legends hosted by Sister Bliss. Andi shares how the team at Distorted worked with Sister Bliss to put the shows together with some of the biggest names in British dance music...

In Christian's final Radio Academy Podcast episode, he's joined by co-presenter William Hanson and producer Ben Cartwright from the hit podcast Help I Sexted My Boss. The guys are on to talk about how they've successfully transitioned in to TikTok. But they also cover how they've grown the podcast, why it's worked so well, William and his co-host Jordan North's chemistry - and why Jordan couldn't...

Life After Prison is a new podcast for anyone who has an interest in what it's like to have spent time behind bars, and how to adjust to life after. It's also an ideal resource for anyone who's spent time in prison, or who has been affected by the criminal justice system.  This week Christian is joined by the show's presenters Zak Addae Kodua and Jules Rowan, as well as producer Beth Madden from t...

The Audio & Radio Industry Awards are the premium awards scheme in the sector, recognising the talented individuals and teams in UK audio and radio who excel at their craft and produce the very best body of work in the world. And this week Christian is joined by two head judges, Phil Riley and Helen Thomas, for an invaluable insight on the dos and don'ts of entering the awards.  There's also a...

What happens when tragedy makes you a target? Why would anybody accuse terrorism survivors of being liars and "crisis actors"? On this week's Radio Academy Podcast, Christian talks to the BBC's Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent Marianna Spring.  For her Radio 4 series Disaster Trolls, she's been investigating how people caught up in the Manchester Arena bombing and other UK terror atta...

For the first Radio Academy Podcast of 2023, Craig Charles and his producer Helen Weatherhead join Christian to look back on the first year of their 6 Music afternoon show. The pair talk about their presenter/producer dynamic, and what they wanted to do with the show when they launched it.  They discuss their plans for the second year, just how unique the show is and, well... a few questions you m...

In the UK, Michelle Visage is perhaps best known in the UK for sitting alongside RuPaul as a judge on Drag Race - the format is a global hit and has turned Michelle in to a superstar. But her journey didn't start on Ru's catwalk, or in the Strictly ballroom... Michelle Visage is a radio lover through and through. And to celebrate the final Radio Academy podcast of 2022, Christian picks his favouri...

It's commonly known in radio as the C-word. CHRISTMAS, of course. This week Christian is joined by Ben Woolford, Head of Music at the Magic network, Stuart Davies, Content Manager at the Virgin Radio network and Gary Bones from the music team at BBC Radio 2. They start by discussing the best time to "go Christmas" - Magic goes early and they flip their playlist to 100% Christmas, while Radio 2 and...

It truly is the end of an era. My Dad Wrote a Porno is a podcasting powerhouse. Its final episode is out later this month and this week joining Christian is the man whose Dad really did write a porno, Jamie Morton. Jamie explains his emotions as the series draws to a close, talks us through some of the magic moments (from sell out world tours, to a listener in space) and gives some brilliant advic...

From The Radio 1 Roadshow, to Capital's Summertime ball, radio has long known how to put on a big bash for its listeners.  But what goes in to planning these events? How long does it all take? And how do you make sure it's just as good for listeners who aren't there, as those who are lucky enough to have a ticket? This week Christian is joined by Andrew Wyke from TBI, a company which specialises i...

It's been more than a year since Grimmy hung up his BBC Radio 1 headphones. Now, he's written a book, started a new podcast and had a chat to Radio 1's Arielle Free for us here at the Radio Academy.  This week's episode is highlights of that event, in which Grimmy talks about discovering his love for radio, getting a foot in the door of Radio 1 and life after his time there.  If you love this and...

"Ralph and Katie" is a BBC One sitcom. "Inside the world of Ralph and Katie" is its companion podcast on BBC Sounds.  This week, Christian talks to the team from Audio Always behind that podcast, who talk about how the project came about, and what they think is key to a good accompanying pod. Jo Meek is the podcast's Executive Producer and Audio Always' Head of Factual and Development. Becky Green...

In a very competitive market, what's the key to a great daily news podcast? Sky News think they've cracked it and this week joining Christian are two guests. A main face of Sky News on TV, Niall Paterson has recently taken over as host of a revamped Sky News Daily, while Paul Stanworth joined Sky at the start of the year and has been in charge of Sky News' new push on audio content.  Niall and Pau...

This week Christian hands over the Radio Academy Podcast mic to a guest presenter, Garry Spence from Clyde 1. Garry is chatting to George Bowie, one of Glasgow and Scotland’s best-known radio personalities. He's been at the top of the game for a quarter of a century. He's celebrating a quarter of a century on breakfast, and also his cult dance show GBXperience.  George talks about the highs and lo...

This week, BBC Radio Leicester presenter Summaya Mughal talks to Christian about her Brown Gal Can't Swim podcast for BBC Sounds. As part of the Commonwealth games legacy, money has been given to Swim England to help people from diverse communities in the West Midlands learn to swim.  Figures also show that 98 per cent of British South Asian women can't swim. Summaya is one of them and in the podc...

Is the radio industry known for its fashion sense? We'll let you draw your own conclusions there. But this week, Christian Hewgill is joined by Alex Lawless from production company Somethin' Else.  They were tasked with bringing one of the fashion world's biggest names in to the world of audio, with the Chanel Connects podcast. Alex and Christian talk about: The importance of determining who your...

BBC Radio 1Xtra has been celebrating its 20th birthday throughout this year. It launched on 16 August 2002, and has become a vital part of Black British culture and the music scene in the UK. This week Christian talks to drive host Reece Parkinson about what the station has achieved in those 20 years. Reece discusses his personal journey in radio, why he was so keen to be part of 1Xtra, and why he...

Last week all ears turned to BBC Local Radio, as Prime Minister Liz Truss faced a round of local interviews ahead of the Conservative Party conference. Given the huge impact of the recent so-called "mini budget", and the PM's absence from the media circuit since it was announced, the interviews were closely followed by not just BBC local radio's loyal listeners, but by journalists in the lobbies o...

This week it's a bumper edition of the podcast, as we break our own 20-minute rule to bring you an hour of highlights from the 2022 Radio Academy Festival. Christian Hewgill has a selection of highlights from just some of our brilliant speakers and panelists. Hear from the teams and bosses at KISS, talkSPORT, and 6Music, and we've got in-conversation chats with Michelle Visage, Sam Ryder, Jon Holm...

In-line with most broadcasters in the past week, this episode of The Radio Academy Podcast is a break from our scheduled programming, as we talk to the leaders of three radio stations about how they covered the sad death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II last week. Joining Christian this week is Nick Pitts (Content Director of Jazz FM and Deputy Chair of The Radio Academy); Rebecca Frank (Content...

This week Christian talks to Rob Tobin and Grace Hopper, producers of KISS Breakfast with Jordan and Perri. When the boys went off on tour with their group Diversity - the dance troupe made world-famous by Britain's Got Talent - KISS grabbed the chance to take the show on the road, making some big event radio along the way.  Rob and Grace tell Christian... The challenges of launching a breakfast s...

Alongside its cousins the weather and the travel, the news is a massive part of radio.  And this week we're taking a look at one of the flagship news programmes on the BBC World Service, which has hundreds of millions of listeners across the globe. Jackie Leonard is one of The Newsroom's main presenters and its podcast The Global News Podcast is celebrating 15 years on air. It's become a huge succ...

After nearly a quarter of a century at BBC Radio 1, Scott Mills is leaving to take over BBC Radio 2's afternoon show.  From early breakfast, to drive, afternoons and hundreds of breakfast cover shows - Scott has soundtracked a generation of Radio 1 listeners lives. This week, in an extended episode, Christian Hewgill talks to Scott about his unforgettable time at the station he wanted to work at s...

If you listen to this podcast you probably love radio. So thank goodness for the pirates.  For one day only, on Friday 12th August, Absolute Radio Pirates was born. A pop-up station celebrating the music and personalities of the pirate radio stations of the 1960s, 55 years after they were brought to an end. Executive Producer of the project, broadcaster Jon Holmes, tells Christian Hewgill how he a...