It's a small but significant step. Bauer will promote the course and steer suitable candidates in our direction. They'll also provide additional voice and presentation sessions for our trainees.
We're not building a new wing on the media centre but it's a welcome gesture from a major player in an industry where investment in new talent is miserly. I'll be commenting at length about that very soon.
So I believe this is something to celebrate. The text of the official announcement is reproduced below.
Stations at one of Britain’s leading commercial radio groups are joining forces with a top postgraduate journalism training course in an initiative to develop and retain the best radio news talent in the north of England.Radio Aire in Leeds and Viking FM in Hull, together with their associated Magic radio services on AM, are part of Bauer Media's Place portfolio, which runs many long-established FM stations across the UK.The group gives a high priority to quality local and regional news, a commitment recognised with recent success for both news teams and individual journalists in the IRN, Arqiva and 02 industry awards.Now Bauer in Yorkshire is taking steps to secure fresh new talent for its future development by forming a partnership with the Postgraduate Broadcast Journalism course at Leeds Trinity University College, one of the most respected industry training courses in the country.Many of the group’s existing journalists started their careers at Leeds Trinity, including Radio Aire’s multi-award winning news editor Claire Warren and Viking FM’s Corinne Wheatley.
Bauer will promote the course on the Radio Aire and Viking FM websites and through social media to encourage applications from bright graduates in the region; people who may have the skills, personality, enthusiasm and aptitude to be creative radio journalists but are currently stuck in a job that doesn’t let them use that potential. They’re especially keen to attract articulate, inquisitive and highly motivated graduates who may have inside knowledge of Yorkshire’s many diverse communities, but who may never have considered a career in radio news.Experienced journalists from Bauer will provide advice and contribute sessions through the year-long postgraduate course, which starts in January 2013. For those who make the grade there will be guaranteed, high quality placements in Bauer’s regional newsrooms in October and November; the essential first step towards employment in the highly competitive radio industry.Jim Foulger from Bauer News in Yorkshire said:“Identifying the next generation of broadcasting talent is essential for us. We pride ourselves on providing a high standard of local news and information for listeners across Yorkshire and a significant part of staying at the forefront is fostering and encouraging new reporters and newsreaders. The course at Leeds Trinity provides a great springboard for people who want to join a great industry and we’re very pleased to have a role in that training.”Leeds Trinity Broadcast course leader Richard Horsman said:“We are delighted to see a major radio group offer real commitment to training; at a time of change in the world of journalism many potential applicants need the reassurance that they have a clear path through their training with the real prospect of work at the end of it. Our trainees already have a fantastic track record of securing employment off the course, many of them with Bauer. This partnership formalises our existing warm relationship and we look forward to welcoming the first Bauer News Breakers to Leeds Trinity in January 2013”
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