The BBC Academy Podcast

‘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 BBC networks, and explains the preparation required to get the tone right. This is a special edition of the CoP Show was recorded at the Radio Academy's Radio Festival 2014.

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 recorded at the Radio Academy's Radio Festival 2014, Michelle Feuerlicht, executive producer of digital at Somethin’ Else, Giuseppe De Cristofano, head of digital at BPI, and YouTube fashion sensation Fleur De Force talk to Steve Ackerman about the secrets behind this huge success.

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 accomplished TV and radio writers Sarah Phelps and Al Smith and from Dr. Jennifer Hodgson, co-author of The Writers' Inner Voices project, the first ever large-scale investigation into how writers and storytellers hear voices. They discuss what it feels like to hear characters, whether there’s a difference between creating characters for television, radio and written fiction and the practicalities of script writing. For more podcasts, videos and articles visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/production

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 building an active Herring community.

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 her favourite moments and takes you behind the scenes of one of the nation’s favourite programmes.

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 Montgomery to directors Otto Bathurst and Colm McCarthy, shaped the look, feel and sound of the series. He also highlights and discusses the vital relationship of trust between writer Steven Knight and production company Tiger Aspect who respected his vision.

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.