The BBC Academy Podcast

How easy is it to go from acting to writing drama or comedy? Sarah Solemani, star of Bad Education and Him and Her, talks about her writing for BBC One's The Secrets and beyond.

What do the BBC production trainees get up to during their placements? And once the scheme is finished where can you go next? Back in March 2014 we talked to some of the latest intake of BBC trainees as they started their first placements at the BBC. Now the trainees are trainees no more and are fully fledged assistant producers and researchers working across the BBC in radio, TV and online. We ta...

It’s been another great year on the CoP Show. We’ve spoken to a wide range of people in the broadcast industry, all keen to share their tips and TV, radio and online know-how. We heard from Radio 1’s Greg James, Desert Island Discs presenter Kirsty Young, comedy genius Richard Curtis, Bob Shennan, head of BBC Radio 2, 6 Music and The Asian Network, Tania Alexander, creator and producer of Channel...

Billed as a speed dating event for radio, delegates from all over the UK were given 15 minutes to meet with industry experts such as Mike Walsh from Xfm, Paul Blakeley from 5live and Ric Blaxill from Bauer Media Group. Sessions included ‘Freelancing in radio’, ‘How do I get on air?’ and ‘Station branding’. We spoke to a few of the delegates, including students looking for advice on what their next...

Have you ever wondered how some of your favourite presenters got into radio? Greg James, Yasmin Evans, Marvin Humes and Sam Hall spill the beans on their paths into presenting.

‘Great storytelling is about complexity of character and simplicity of plot.’ Jimmy McGovern, writer of Cracker, Priest, Accused, The Street and Dockers, joins BBC Writersroom to explore the craft of writing and bringing complexity and richness to characters through simple narratives.

Listeners please be aware there are some adult themes are covered in this podcast. Multi award winning presenter Nihal takes us behind the scenes of his phone in radio show for The BBC Asian Network. He shares his views on how broadcast media deals with issues of ethnicity and talks about the editorial challenges of putting together one of the most controversial phone in shows aired on any of the...

The BRITs 2014 became the most tweeted about non-sporting event in UK TV history. The awards were streamed live to a world-wide audience on YouTube for the very first time, generating huge audience interaction outside of the UK during the broadcast itself and 7.5m views of the YouTube content in the week following the show – more than twice the figure from the previous year. In this session record...

From William Blake to Charles Dickens, authors have written or talked about experiencing auditory verbal hallucinations when writing fiction or hearing voices that others cannot hear. So is this the same when writing for radio or television? And if so, do writers hear characters as clearly as if a real person were speaking or as an external voice outside of themselves? In this podcast we hear from...

Go behind the scenes with Iain and Katherine as they lift the lid on their Radio Academy Award winning breakfast show for BBC Three Counties Radio. They talk about how they decide which stories to run, how to get the best out of callers and why awkward moments on air aren't necessarily a bad thing.

In this specially recorded session from the Radio Academy's Radio Festival 2014, Richard Herring, comedian, writer, online trailblazer and creator of the semi-legendary Leicester Square Theatre Podcast, chats to Absolute Radio's Geoff Lloyd about how he has become a podcasting sensation. He talks about how he shapes his brand, about mixing in free content and about engaging with his audience by bu...

Numbers of black, Asian and minority ethnic professionals working in TV have been steadily decreasing year on year. Why is it happening and what can be done to address it? Encouraging and equipping BAME professionals to re-enter the TV industry with renewed confidence and up to date knowledge - a special podcast from the BBC Academy Welcome Back event.

From 1942 to the present day – Desert Island Discs is one of BBC Radio’s longest-running programmes. In this special recording from the Radio Academy Radio Festival, journalist, broadcaster and presenter Kirsty Young answers questions about life on the mythical island. In this Q&A session led by Radio 4 broadcaster Jane Garvey, Kirsty describes how she approaches each interview, shares some of...

This week we hear from executive producer of BBC Two’s Peaky Blinders, Jamie Glazebrook. The session was recorded in Birmingham at the BBC Academy and Creative Skillset training day,‘Get your next job in drama.’ Jamie tells host Marverine Cole about the key ingredients that have made both series such critical successes and gives his insights into how the crew, from production designer Grant Montgo...

From Doctors to Line of Duty, drama production in Birmingham is firmly on the map again, meaning great opportunities for TV freelancers. But how do you spot and create opportunities for your next big role? A panel of drama and media experts give us their insights.

Colm McCarthy, director of hit series including Sherlock and Doctor Who, has an impressive record of imposing a clear visual style and tone on his work, and talks to us about the latest production of Peaky Blinders. He tells us how the distinct style of series one informed the new series, and talks about the practical challenges of working with writer, production designers and cast to give colour...

This is a special edition of the CoP Show podcast recorded at the Radio Academy's Radio Festival 2014. 2014 has been a big year so far for entry-level radio trainees, with more developments in the offing. In this session, Bauer, Global, the indies and the BBC come together to explain how they’re finding and nurturing the radio talent of tomorrow. Peter Curran introduces Courtnay McLeod from the Ba...

This a special edition of the CoP show podcast, recorded at the Radio Academy’s Radio Festival 2014. This recording was taken from one of the sessions at the Radio Festival 2014. Host Peter Curran discusses how to develop a podcast, how to get funding and asks, does it pay? On the panel, successful practitioners of the art of podcasting Helen Zaltzman, Roo Reynolds and Leila Johnston.

Recorded at the Radio Academy's Radio Festival 2014. We spoke to Bob Shennan, controller for BBC Radio 2, 6 Music and the Asian Network. He is also director of BBC Music, the pan-BBC brand bringing together all of the BBC's music programming. Bob talks about how he made his break into the radio industry and gives his tips for those trying to get in. He talks about the state of the radio industry a...

This is a special edition of the CoP Show podcast, taken from the session, “Breaking Bad? Can Radio Alone Still Break New Artists?”. It was recorded at the Radio Academy's Radio Festival 2014. In this podcast Kerrang FM’s Kate Lawler talks to Korda Marshall, director of the music label Infectious Music UK and Capital presenter JLS’s Marvin Humes about whether radio has managed to retain its place...

In this second podcast on file delivery, the panel discusses differences between tape and file delivery and offers pointers for programme makers embarking on file delivery. Joining Mark Harrison are Andy Tennant and Rowan de Pomerai from ITV Studios, and Stephanie Edwards and Andy Quested from the BBC.

Bringing a documentary to the screen takes planning as well as a real passion for the subject. This masterclass, recorded at Fast Train Cardiff, looks at the broad spectrum of docs, as well as delving into storytelling, access and building trust, dealing with and casting contributors and new techniques. Chair is Angharad Mair, executive director at Tinopolis and the panel includes Jon Connerty, ex...

Tapeless programme delivery is upon us and things are changing in a digital world. How will this affect workflow at the tail end of post production? A panel of experts discuss!

Peaky Blinders is not your typical English period drama. Writer and creator Steven Knight tells us how the series came about and how the tough characters and gritty stories take shape.

A good script editor is vital to any production, but what exactly do they do? Top soap writer Ellen Taylor and development producer Henry Swindell explain how passion and diplomacy are their most important skills.