The BBC Academy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Talking to the internet: Digital assistants and the media Feb 09, 2017

Show notes

New internet devices that use voice are starting to appear in our homes: you speak and they answer back. So what is the likely impact of these so-called digital assistants?

The BBC is looking into the possibilities while independent developers are already creating content for such devices.

"It is an opportunity for those of us who are producing content because every platform that is hungry for content has to be filled.” – Flora Graham

In this podcast you will learn:

- how digital assistants work - what kind of content is already popular - what new ideas the BBC is developing - how the technology is likely to develop in the years ahead

We also put two devices through their paces, challenging them to translate a sentence into German and to "tell me something interesting".

The BBC Academy's Charles Miller speaks to Henry Cooke, senior development producer at BBC Research & Development, independent technology developer Robin Jewsbury and New Scientist digital editor Flora Graham.

The truth about fake news Feb 02, 2017

Show notes

The BBC’s media editor Amol Rajan asks James Ball, special correspondent at BuzzFeed News, and Mark Frankel, social media editor at BBC News, about the different meanings of 'fake news' and how journalists should respond to it.

From community radio to the BBC: How to be a presenter Jan 26, 2017

Show notes

The prospect of presenting your first ever live show on national radio can be both daunting and exciting in equal measure but how do you get to that position in the first place?

Roxy Ebrahim-Khan talks to Jasmine Takhar about her journey from broadcasting on two community radio stations to launching the Friday Night Residency on national radio station Asian Network.

Also, hear from producer Che Chumber who was tasked with the challenge of launching and developing a new presenter and getting them ready to broadcast live.

“Something clicks when you work hard. Persistence and determination always gets you there.” – Jasmine Takhar In this podcast you will learn how to:

- secure your dream job - Deal with nerves before going live on air - Build producer/presenter relationships - Use social media to launch and establish your career

Jasmine presents the Friday Night Residency from 21:00 to midnight every Friday. She was previously a presenter on community radio stations Kemet FM and Westside of London.

Che Chumber has worked on Strictly Come Dancing, The Gadget Show and as a social media producer at Somethin’ Else.

BBC Academy Podcast: Highlights of 2016 Dec 15, 2016

Show notes

2016 is nearly at an end, so you know what that means - it's highlights time!

Kris Bramwell, Roxy Ebrahim-Khan, Zayna Shaikh and Charles Miller, aka the BBC Academy Podcast team (left to right above), share their favourite clips from the past year to mark the end of the current series.

Peaky Blinders producer Simon Maloney, Operation Gold Rush’s Dan Snow, BBC News presenter Maxine Mawhinney, journalist Vanessa Feltz, television producer Jon Plowman and Sima Kotecha, a reporter for Radio 4’s Today programme, all feature.

In this podcast you will learn:

- about the personal qualities Sima says you need to be a journalist - what makes good video content for social media - how good ideas come first, and the platform second, when telling stories - what Vanessa looks for in a caller to her radio phone-in - and more!

Charles Miller is the editorial lead for the BBC Academy Podcast and also writes the BBC Academy blog.

Roxy Ebrahim-Khan, Zayna Shaikh and Kris Bramwell are producers in the BBC Academy’s digital content team.

Home Front: History in the making Dec 08, 2016

Show notes

The challenge for Home Front's production team has always been to create a historical drama that’s true to the time yet connects with today’s audiences.

In this podcast you will learn:

- where to start researching the history - how to write a radio drama series - about the role of digital content - the scriptwriter’s role during a studio recording - the difference between performing for radio and TV

"The thing that's at the heart of all audio storytelling for me is why are they listening? Are they still listening? Is it the best listening experience that it can be?"

– Allegra Mcllroy

Each 12-minute episode of the Radio 4 drama series is set exactly 100 years before the date of broadcast and tells the story of a fictional character living in the UK during World War One. The drama has been on air since 2014 and will run until 11 November 2018 – the centenary of the armistice.

Sebastian Baczkiewicz - the BBC’s first writer in residence in 2000 - was the lead writer on the first season.

Allegra Mcllroy is producer/director.

Ciaran Bermingham is the historical researcher and known as an authority on all things World War One.

Actors Laura Elphinstone and Kathryn Beaumont play Marion Wardle and Edie Chadwick.

Dan Lyons: The changing tech workplace Dec 01, 2016

Show notes

Journalist, author and screenwriter Dan Lyons questions many of the norms of tech businesses, including the practice of building loyalty through a written ‘cultural code’.

How to manage people Nov 24, 2016

Show notes

BBC managers past and present - Simon Waldman, Sara Shepherd and Karen Hannah - discuss the dilemmas, challenges and rewards of making the step up.

How to engage Generation Y Nov 17, 2016

Show notes

Millennials, Generation Y, people born between 1980 and 2000 - turns out there’s 14 million of them in the UK.

They’re tech-savvy, spending hours online: reading, listening or posting their own content. And it turns out they don’t just want cat videos.

So what do they want and how can you give it to them?

“Without a good idea and without good storytelling at the heart of whatever you do, regardless of the platform it’s on, it probably won’t fly.”– Max Gogarty

Who better to get the answers from than people who are already doing it well.

Vlogger and YouTube star Grace Victory (above) talks about what to think about when creating content on different platforms - like the similarities and differences between online and TV.

Dan Murdoch made the documentaries KKK: The Fight for White Supremacy, Black Power: America’s Armed Resistance and Transsexual Teen Beauty Queen. Dan talks about the life of a freelance documentary-maker and gaining access to controversial contributors.

Max Gogarty is BBC Three’s content editor, has been a producer/director with credits including ChemSex - not to mention winning a Bafta for his work on Skins online.

In this podcast you will learn:

- how the commissioning process works - about the relationship between content creators and commissioners - what comes first - platform or content? - tips for creating content for Generation Y

Dan Snow: Making adventure documentaries Nov 10, 2016

Show notes

Presenter and historian Dan Snow and producer Ben Crichton discuss the vast challenges of making Operation Gold Rush.

How to write radio drama Nov 03, 2016

Show notes

Jessica Dromgoole, editor of Radio 4's Home Front, and Birmingham's first writer-in-residence, Caroline Horton, answer questions from aspiring playwrights on writing radio drama.

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