The BBC Academy Podcast

Broadcaster Liz Barclay is joined by a panel of guests to discuss the practicalities of being an audio freelancer. They talk about the vital skills and attributes needed to get jobs, keep them and make sure the bills are paid. Their advice covers everything from tax status to networking, time management to training.The panel are Phil Critchlow, director of TBI media, Alex Firas Weaz, freelance multimedia producer and promoter and freelance journalist Angela Robson.

Simon Smith talks to three guests about job interview skills and how to land that media job once you’ve finally got an interview. What tips, tools and techniques are there to maximise your chances so you stand out against the crowd? With Emily Gale, talent manager at TV production company Talkback Thames. Simon Wright, a BBC Talent exec with a long career as a recruitment consultant. And Neil Walker who is director of Unlimited Performance (an independent recruitment, talent management and employee development consultancy) and former head of Production Talent at both ITV and BBC London Factual.

Simon Smith and guests talk about the work that goes on behind the scenes of secret filming and the safeguards that need to be in place before filming even starts. With Su Pennington, head of editorial policy for BBC Factual programming, Jamie Rea, executive producer of Mark and Sam’s Big Friday Wind Up for CBBC, Jo Vaughan-Jones, series producer of Watchdog and Rogue Traders and Paul Kenyon, reporter of Kenyon Confronts and Panorama.

Tommy Nagra, executive producer, and Fran Baker, producer/director, talk about their contentious BBC Three documentary Groomed for Sex, first screened in December 2011, which examined the spate of sexual grooming cases involving Pakistani men.

Simon Smith and guests discuss how to become a TV presenter. Joining Simon are presenters Lisa Rogers, Anita Rani and Alvin Hall and Hilary Murray, an agent for Arlington Enterprises.

Series editor Dave Morley and series producer James Longman from Talkback Thames talk to Amanda Lyon about the process of getting a panel show on air each week.

Simon Smith and guests discuss alternative funding models for TV productions. Stuart Cabb is managing director of Plum Pictures, Claire Heys is director of brand partnership and licensing for Endemol UK and Miranda Bertram is a commercial manager for the BBC.

Simon Smith talks to three members of the team behind After Life. They are executive producer Marcus Herbert, series producer Fred Hepburn and presenter Dr George McGavin.

Simon Smith discusses networking dos and don'ts with guests Moray Coulter, Liana Stewart and Elsa Sharp. Moray is the founder of TV jobs site ProductionBase and has worked as a talent executive at ITV, Liana is a researcher and the founder of Step2TV.org and Elsa Sharp is talent manager at Dragonfly and author of How to Get a Job in Television.

Hazel Marshall and guests discuss how to craft good radio documentaries. Joining Hazel are Russell Finch, head of features at Somethin’ Else, Laurence Grissell, award winning producer at Radio 4 and Jon Ronson, a bestselling author and producer of television and radio documentaries.