The eight-week course culminated in 39 graduates leaving with a solid grounding in the basics of radio and in a position to take their first steps in a possible radio career, with the industry in South Africa set to benefit from more young entrants in the market and a wider pool of talent from which to choose.
The course was run by experienced radio practitioners Tim Zunckel and Grant Nash, who put the Class of 2022 through their paces and provided them with the ideal introduction to an industry that has so many different parts to it, with so many different areas of opportunities for aspiring radio industry members.
“It’s not just out of a sense of duty to play a role in improving our industry that we host the Hot Radio Academy,” says Lloyd Madurai, managing director of Hot 102.7FM. “We believe it’s incredibly important to hold out a helping hand to the next generation of radio talent in this country. That’s the basis on which the Hot Radio Academy was founded and it will continue to offer invaluable training and a foothold to hundreds of people who otherwise would not have had any opportunity to enter the competitive world of radio.”
The Hot Radio Academy provides free radio training to deserving applicants and is the station’s commitment to the industry to provide radio training to students, with a view to expanding the skills and knowledge base within the industry.
The comprehensive course covers a range of relevant topics – an ‘A to Z of Radio' – with everything from radio management, programming and music scheduling to copy writing, news, sales, studio and technical, digital, regulatory affairs, voiceovers, imaging and production.
“You won’t find a better all-round grounding in the basics of radio,” says Madurai. “And there’s added value to this course, as these aspiring young radio professionals are able to see first-hand application of the basics they are taught, in the form of how Hot 102.7FM is run, whilst we also make sure that our senior managers and on-air talent contribute their time for practical sessions, to ensure maximum value for these students.”
All 2022 graduates received a certificate from the Hot Radio Academy, which has already started work on its 2023 curriculum, to ensure the course remains relevant and valuable in what has become an ever-evolving industry.
