RADIO WILL NEVER DIE!

Hamish Denton is the operations manager at the New Zealand Radio Training School (NZRTS)'s Tauranga campus  (www.radioschool.co.nz). NZRTS offers courses covering everything from announcing, copywriting (for radio ads), commercial production, and music programming to newsreading, voiceovers and radio sales, all in industry-standard broadcasting studios. While its courses aren't cheap ($7995 - at the time of writing), NZRTS should be seriously considered by anyone with a genuine passion for radio, because it's one of only three schools officially endorsed by the Radio Broadcasters Association of New Zealand.

We chatted with Hamish about what a career in radio offers the 21st century student who is still interested in what many people now think of as a 20th century medium.

Tell us about yourself - how did you get into this business?

I did a radio course 16 years ago, which took me all over the world, working at stations in London, England and Toronto, Canada. It also gave me the skills and confidence to branch out into TV and movies. My biggest claim to fame is working as Liam Neeson's double on the movie K19: The Widowmaker. Most recently, I did the breakfast show for five years on MORE FM in Tauranga and for the past year I've been the operations manager here.

What qualities is it essential for young people to possess if they want to pursue a career in radio?

The two biggest things are drive and enthusiasm. The industry is tough but it's about having fun, as well.

What's the best way to find out whether radio is the career for you before embarking on an expensive course?

Open days are a good way to try before you train. We have two open days a year where you can go on air, voice a commercial and have a look around. The other option is going through the gateway programme in your school. We are fully accredited and offer five unit standards that are part of our course, and you'll also get some practical hands-on experience at a radio station.

Can students try it as a hobby first? If so, what kind of equipment would they need to buy, and roughly how much would it cost?

Yes, you can: at a basic level you can set-up an internet radio station fairly cheaply. All you need is a computer with a decent sound card, a microphone, and about $400 worth of software.

What would you recommend students to take as their option subjects in high school if they're interested in applying to attend the NZRTS?

If your school has a media class, that would be the best option. Another idea would be to approach your local radio station and ask if you can get some work experience. You wouldn't be paid for it, but it would be a good way to learn about the industry.

Would students have to attend university before they can apply for the NZRTS?

No, they have to have a reasonable grasp of the English language and good computer skills, but a lot of the course is practical
hands-on learning.

To what extent can NZRTS help young people get started on a career as a music DJ?

In the very first week the students are put on air on either of our two radio stations. They then continue to do on-air shifts every week throughout the semester. Also, they receive one-on-one training from over 20 guest tutors who come into the school from the industry. After they graduate, we assist them as much as we can and, because of our reputation, the industry actually comes to us when it needs to fill a position.

Tell us about some of your well-known graduates and the radio stations they work for.

We've been very lucky with our job success rate, and have a very long list of graduates doing extremely well in the industry. To name a few: New Hot Guy (ZM Breakfast Show), Jono Pryor (C4, The Rock), Willie Lose (Sky Sport, Radio Sport), Sharyn Wakefield (Night Show, The EDGE) and, most recently, Matt Ward went straight from our school into doing the nationwide Night Show on ZM.

Isn't a career in radio a dead-end job - isn't it being superseded by the internet, podcasts, audiobooks and other on-demand digital entertainment?

No, radio will never die! There will always be the need for human interaction. Radio is a very portable medium, too. If you're a mum, you can listen to it while you're getting the kids ready for school or while you're travelling somewhere in your car. The biggest asset, though, is that it's immediate. A news story could be taking place; seconds later it's being reported live on the radio - as it happens! It's the very first place people go to in the event of an emergency.