The Radio Academy Podcast

This week on the podcast, we meet another of our new Fellows of the Academy, Nick Pitts, who has been in the radio and audio industry for over 30 years. He chats about being Content Director at Magic Classical and Jazz FM for Bauer, the surprise of being made a Fellow of the Academy and his earliest memories and love of radio. 

Book now for our Foot in the Door event at the University of Essex in Colchester 12th March - https://www.radioacademy.org/events/foot-in-the-door-university-of-essex/ 

This week, we meet the first of our new fellows from last September’s Radio Academy Festival, the founder and MD of We Are Grape. Rachel Barton. She talks about winning a competition to work at Radio 1, her love of music, and what becoming a fellow of the Academy means to her. 

What impact can winning an ARIA have on your career? Lady Unchained from the Prison Radio Association won Gold for the Best Specialist Music show in 2024 for FreeFlow. She talks about how perceptions change once you’re an ARIA award-winning broadcaster and why you should apply. Former ARIAS winners, Iain Lee, Mylo and Rosie, Jayne Morgan, Justin Dealey and Louis Timpany also talk about how important winning was to them. You can enter the ARIAS here The deadline is 23.59 on Monday 16th February. 

How does BBC Radio 1 find new presenters for the Christmas Takeover, and what are they looking for in a new voice? Georgy chats with Aled Haydn Jones, Head of BBC Radio 1, Alex Rata, Assistant Commissioner for BBC Radio 1 and Rachel McHalroy Commissioning  Executive for Radio 1 about the process and how this opportunity has been a springboard for successful radio careers. 

This week we’re answering your questions about the ARIAS. We have lots of tips and advice on what to enter, how to enter and how to win. Dixi Stewart, Acting Radio Academy MD, puts all your questions to Bob Shennan, Chair of Judges, and Victoria Easton Riley, Head of Audio and Events at BBC Scotland, also a Head Judge of the ARIAS. 

This week’s podcast is the last in our Meet the Experts series where we ask leading industry experts for their insight and advice on having a lasting career in radio and audio. This week our topic is Production Companies and our experts are Paul Fernley, Business Development Director at Audio Always, Rachel Barton, founder and MD at We Are Grape, Rachel Simpson, Podcast Partner Manager at Spotify, Rebecca Maxted, Head of Development at Blanchard House and Steven Rajam, Creative Director at Overcoat Media. 

This week’s podcast is another in our Meet the Experts series where we ask leading industry experts for their insight and advice on having a lasting career in radio and audio. This week our topic is Speech Audio and our experts are Managing Editor of BBC Radio 5 Live Julie Cullen, Programme Director at Times Radio Tim Levell, Commissioning Editor, Comedy and Entertainment for BBC Radio 4 Julia McKenzie, Head of Radio at RNIB Yvonne Milne and Global Content Partnerships Director at Acast Sophie Herdman. 

We start 2026 by kick starting your career with the first episode of our new Meet the Experts series. Back in September, at the Radio Academy Festival, we asked some leading industry experts for their knowledge and advice on making a demo, pitching an idea, skills sets you need and getting yourself prepared for a career in audio. This week our topic is Music Radio and our experts are Sam Moy, Rebecca Frank, Paul Sylvester, Sarika Unadkat and Sam Jackson. 

For our last podcast of 2025, we look back at some of the amazing events we have held or attended this year. From our Foot in the Door days to the big night of the Oscars of the radio and audio industry, the Arias, the EPOD and Crossed Wires festivals, the International Women’s Podcast Awards, SRA Con, and of course our own Radio Academy Festival, we have been there, getting the best stories and chatting to the people at the heart of it. 

A look back at the best of the Radio Academy podcast guests from 2025. Georgy chats with Academy Fellows Adele Cross and Liam Fisher, and she finds out what it's like to record in the Arctic with Oceans: Life Under Water, plus Ahmed Hussain, head of BBC Asian Network, talks about their new news and current affairs show. She also chatted to Scout Tzofiya Bolton from Prison Radio Association about her double Gold Arias win, to Radio 1 Xtra’s Fee Mak about women in broadcasting, and Ed Moorish from Lead Mojo talks about radio comedy. 

The story of the very first radio drama is not what many people think; it was actually a children’s drama and was written by a woman. The Truth About Phyllis Twigg, written by Paul Kerensa and directed and produced by Helen Quigley from B7, airs on BBC Radio 4 on Christmas Eve and tells the story of the very first radio drama, which had been forgotten until now. Paula and Helen talk about the process of writing and commissioning the new play, and how other female firsts in radio have been wiped from the history books. 

How do you successfully mix podcasting with daily reporting? Broadcaster Anoushka Mutanda Dougherty chats about her style of podcasting with the shows Diddy on Trial and Fame Under Fire, and how she cuts through the hype of showbiz’s biggest stories to get to what’s really going on.  Contains Strong Language. 

How do you capture the sounds of Christmas across the UK? Overcoat Media have produced ‘A British Christmas’ for the BBC Radio 4 Illuminated strand of programmes, which is made up entirely of a montage of WhatsApp voice notes from Christmas Day 2024. Amy Wheel, from Overcoat Media, and freelance producer James Bonney, discuss the show’s social history concept and how they gathered the audio. 

Our 2025 class of The Aiir Radio Academy 30 Under 30 were all surprised with phone calls to let them know they had been successful. This week on the podcast we share some of their reactions as they received the exciting news. We also hear more from Ricki Lee, CEO of Aiir, who has sponsored this year's 30 Under 30, about how he got started in the industry.

BBC Asian Network has recently launched its first speech and current affairs show, Asian Networking Trending. The station has been broadcasting across the UK on DAB and online since October 2002, and in 2024, it won UK Station of the Year at the ARIAS. Head of the Network is Ahmed Hussain, who took over in 2020. He discusses Asian Network Trending and why they identified a need for this type of show, as well as how the station has evolved and what the future holds.

What is sonic branding and why is it so important? Chris Stevens from TMStudios talks about the new sonic branding the company has created for all of Bauer’s Magic Radio brand. He also chats about how they work with a client to get the right sound and feel for a range of audio to make a station stand out, and how sonic branding can help your listeners instantly recognise your brand. 

Audiotrain from Audio UK have linked up with the BBC and relaunched. This free resource provides modules for training in audio and podcast skills. Juliette Nicholls is Audiotrain Programme manager, and this week on the podcast she tells Georgy all about the training programme, what the modules are, some of the amazing names sharing their advice and knowledge and how you can sign up.

*RAMP closes on 9th November - previous episodes to listen to before making your application are 
RAMP 2026  and What's RAMP and Why You Should Apply  * 

How do we change our mindset around AI? How do we learn to navigate what it can do for us in the audio and radio industry? Dan McQuillin from Broadcast Bionics answers these questions along with talking about embracing change, what actually is ‘AI slop’, and why he is passionate about nurturing new talent and ideas by supporting our Foot in the Door and RAMP programmes. 

Our latest Foot in the Door event was held at The University of Sunderland and this week on the podcast Spark University Sunderland are our guest hosts. Grace and Granger from Spark spoke to some of the people involved in the event, from the talks to the networking, who shared their invaluable knowledge. 

Our RAMP scheme for 2026, sponsored by Broadcast Bionics and BBC Sounds, has now launched. RAMP is the Radio Academy’s mentor programme for mid-career professionals and in the podcast we chat with course lead Fran Plowright about the power of mentoring and hear from some of the 2025 cohort at their graduation about what the scheme has meant to them.  

Adam Skinn brings you the third part of a special Radio Academy Podcast, sponsored by Rayo, covering all of the action from The Radio Academy Festival 2025 in London. Tom Jackson, Ruth Cooper-Dickson and Issy Brand chat with a range of speakers from the event, including Louis Theroux, Nick Ryan, Steve Taylor and the hosts of all four stages who reflect on the event.

Adam Skinn brings you the second part of a special Radio Academy Podcast, sponsored by Rayo, covering all of the action from The Radio Academy Festival 2025 in London. Tom Jackson, Ruth Cooper-Dickson and Issy Brand chat with a range of speakers from the event, including Phil Maguire OBE, Monica Whitlock and Penny Murphy - and we go all Eurovision, hearing from Will Wilkin and Remember Monday.

Adam Skinn brings you part 1 of a special Radio Academy Podcast Sponsored by Rayo, covering all of the action from The Radio Academy Festival 2025 in London. Tom Jackson, Ruth Cooper-Dickson and Issy Brand chat with a range of speakers from the event in this episode, including Valerie Geller, Tony Phillips and Axel Kacoutiè. 

Thank you for joining us at The Radio Academy Festival 2025. We dissected everything from the history of radio to the future of audio and took a deep dive into where our industry is heading over the next decade.

We heard from individuals on every continent about sound and what it means to them.

And over the next few weeks, The Radio Academy Podcast supported by Rayo is sharing all the gossip.

The 2025 Radio Academy Festival’s theme is World of Sound and this week on the podcast we hear about some of the sessions from the new Dolby Library Stage and how they explore the fusion between science and sound. Georgy chats to Richard Addis from Dolby about their Atmos technology, she also talks with Kay Matschullat from Media Art Xploration about the exclusive preview of their immersive sound piece Sonic Sunset. Finally, broadcaster and Psychologist Dr Sian Williams explains how immersing ourselves in music changes the way we think and feel.

This week we are back to full episodes after the summer and we find out about the Fix Radio story with their CEO and founder Louis Timpany. Fix Radio is the UK's national digital radio station for tradespeople, with trade news and music. Louis chats about how he had the initial idea for the station, the importance of market research and what winning Gold at the Arias meant to the station. 

This year's Radio Academy Festival 2025 World of Sound is on 17th September, so in this week’s Summer Shorts podcast we look back at some of the highlights of last year's festival, Impact Amplified. We’ll hear highlights from conversations with speakers and guests from all three stages, along with Arias winners and people getting their first break in the audio industry. Book 2025 Festival Tickets at https://www.radioacademy.org/

This week’s Summer Shorts podcast captures the atmosphere of the Crossed Wires Podcast Festival. With previously unheard footage from Georgy’s time in Sheffield soaking up the sights and sounds of the world’s biggest podcast festival. She finds out about the BBC Sounds Garden, chats to people about how they got their start in audio and there’s more from participants of the Radio Academy speed networking session. 
Apply for our 30 Under 30 scheme 

This week our Summer Shorts podcast is with friends Aileen and Julie from the You Keep Me Sane podcast. Georgy met them at The Podcast Show in London and discovered that one of them lives here in the UK but the other lives in Australia. They chat about how the podcast started and why, after only 6 months they decided to invest in having a stand at The Podcast Show to evaluate their brand.  youkeepmesane.com/ 

In this week’s Summer Shorts podcast - where we revisit some best bits, highlights and previously unheard footage in bite size podcasts for your summer listening - Georgy chats with Geoff Jein, from Biscuit Jim, about the launch of the Pete Wicks podcast Man Made. In this previously unheard audio Geoff talks about how the mini Man Made podcasts for mental health awareness week weren’t planned as a marketing tool but happened organically. 

It’s another Summer Shorts podcast - where we revisit some best bits, highlights and previously unheard footage in bite size podcasts for your summer listening. This week Georgy chats with Lloydie James Lloyd, Content Director of Fun Kids Radio, about how the station has taken their Science Weekly Podcast out on the road with a live tour. They talk about the new relationship between podcasts and live theatre and how the children and parents interact with the show. To see where the tour is going visit Fun Kids Science Weekly Live 

Welcome to our Summer Shorts series - where we  revisit some best bits, highlights and previously unheard footage in bite size podcasts for your summer listening. It’s Rajar time again and earlier in the year I chatted with Richard Johnson, managing director of the market research company Hallett Arendt. In this previously unheard footage he goes into more detail about the data Rajar collects and how the survey evolves in the future. 

Andy Ashton, Network Director of Content for Greatest Hits Radio, was honoured at this year's Arias with a Special Recognition Award. On the podcast this week he tells Georgy what a surprise this award was, about the success of Greatest Hits Radio and what he loves about radio. 

 30 Under 30 is the Radio Academy’s ‘one to watch’ list of up and coming talent in the audio industry. This week’s podcast features highlights of a webinar held to answer any queries to potential applicants, with acting Radio Academy MD Dixi Stewart, former 30U30 alumni Naomi Oiku, judge Nicky Ness and chair of judges Jimmy Buckland. Georgy also chats with Ricki Lee, CEO of broadcast software company Aiir, the sponsors of this year's 30U30 scheme. 

This week we are at the Crossed Wires podcast festival in Sheffield. Georgy chats with co-founders Alice Levine and Dino Sofos, from Persephonica, about how the festival has grown and catches up with people taking part like Sara Cox, Frank Skinner and Steph Hirst. She also gets reaction from participants of the Radio Academy Foot in the Door speed networking session, along with volunteers in the BBC Sounds garden and broadcasting students from the University of Sheffield. 

This week the podcast comes from the EPOD Conference at Morley College in London. EPOD, Education Through Podcasting, is for academics, researchers, and professionals to come together and share their research and practices using recorded audio media and podcasting. Georgy chatted to some of the organisers, speakers and students to discover how podcasting is being used in education. 

How do you put on a whole summer of live music across the BBC and handle the logistics of massive OBs? In this week’s podcast Georgy chats with Rhys Hughes, Head of Live Music and Events for BBC Popular Music, about the planning, tech and team that goes into events like Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Download and Glastonbury. 

This week’s podcast comes from last night’s International Women’s Podcast Awards, which took place at the BBC Radio Theatre in London. We’ll hear the winners' acceptance speeches, and current RAMP mentee and former 30 Under 30, Bea Duncan, was backstage, taking in the atmosphere and reactions of the winners. Ahead of the ceremony, Georgy also chatted with Naomi Mellor, founder of the IWPA and Everybody Media and Jennie Becker, the award event director. 

Scout Tzofiya Bolton won two Golds at this year's Arias, for Best New Presenter for her Prison Radio Association Rock Show and Best Creative or Technical Innovation Award for The Ballad of Scout and the Alcohol Tag. Scout chats to Georgy about what the awards mean to her, how she ‘found her tribe’ with PRA and the open and honest way she told her story through poetry and music. 

Geoff Jein has been working in the radio and audio industry for many years but he only founded his company Biscuit Jim last year. Recently they have launched two big new shows, the Zoe Ball Saturday show on BBC Radio 2 and Pete Wicks latest podcast for Bauer, Man Made. Georgy chats with Geoff about launching both of those in the same week and how you develop and nurture a new project alongside the talent involved.