Radio Days

Things have become very serious for radio students at TAFE NSW - Sydney Institute's Radio Broadcasting - Production course since community radio station 2RDJ scheduled 40 hours of on air time per week to the TAFE students.

This course is only offered at Petersham College. The course is designed for those wishing to train as volunteers in community radio broadcasting and skills learned will assist future employment in the radio broadcasting industry.

However, students who see the importance of a sound bite and well-delivered speeches are joining those who would like to work in radio for the one-year TAFE Vocational Education and Training (TVET) course.

"This is the course to sink your teeth into, there is the idea of bringing to life the form of radio and students are getting real life experience,' says teacher Ben Starr.

Around 30 students from schools around Sydney including Vaucluse High, St Andrews, Fort Street, and Bradfield College attend classes with radio DJ Ben Starr.

Starr says there are valid reasons to why people would undertake a radio course. "While there's very limited number of jobs, the majority of students are looking at it from other angles. One student is very interested in pursuing a career in politics and understands that there is a way the media operates with sound bites and there is a necessity to learn the techniques employed."

Even in the night course for adults, Starr says there is a range of students wanting to learn the techniques for their current work - teaching or nursing are just two examples.

"Generally those with low self esteem find the course allows them to overcome a great fear of public speaking," says Starr.

The first year course covers all areas of on-air presentation including personal presentation, articulation, voice techniques, and research. "This is the most important ingredient as announcers have to learn what makes people listen," says Starr. "There is a journalism aspect in it and journalism students are often integrated into the program."

Starr's own first love is radio. He has worked at Radio 2RDJ, 2UW, 2CH and 2GB.

The radio team of Ben Starr and head teacher Dennis Heffernan recently took over the worst room in the building - an old locker room - and being resourceful transformed it into a studio with donations from Mix FM which was moving to a new studio.

Computer automation is the next piece of equipment required by the students to record programs for their midnight to dawn sessions. Students talk on air about other courses offered by TAFE, have interviews from the journalism students and program music.

Next year, the journalism students will generate a panel discussion program.

Radio 2RDJ is found at 88.1 on the FM dial. It broadcasts to Burwood, Ashfield, Concord Drummoyne and Strathfield.

Caption: Clockwise from top Simon Skeikh, Fort Street High School; Priyanka Rao, Fort Street High School; Diviga Paramatmu, Fort Street High School and Estee Oelofse, Vaucluse High; taking to the airwaves at Petersham College.

For more information please call media officer Julia Newbould on 9217 4136 or 0412 814 987 or julia.newbould@tafensw.edu.au

Radio Days - TAFE NSW - 2002 Annual Report