By Marc Leverton

Hospital or student radio can be an excellent way to learn about the medium and get a foot on the career ladder – it's where almost a third of Radio 1 presenters got their start.

Hospital radio

Radio 1's Huw Stephens remembers how his career began. "In school I managed a friend's band and loved listening to the radio at night. I got to help out at my local hospital radio station in Cardiff, sorting out the records and putting them back tidily on the shelves. After a while doing that and sitting in on other shows and practising a lot, I got to present my own show once a week. The experience was so enjoyable, and a perfect start to a career in radio."

There are 228 hospital radio stations in the UK, with almost 2,000 volunteers aiming to make patients' stay a little better.

As Nicola Pollard, a volunteer for Harrogate Hospital Radio, explains, there are opportunities to get involved in all aspects of radio production. "We have a dedicated kids' show called Rebel Radio on a Saturday afternoon which is manned entirely by 16 and 17 year-olds," she says. "They do everything from request collecting to getting the show together, using all the studio equipment. There is a lot to learn so you have to be enthusiastic. We are here to entertain the patients so if you are presenting that enthusiasm needs to be picked up by our listeners."

According to Nicola the BBC often call hospital radio their training ground and will suggest to aspiring DJs get experience there first. "Hospital radio is the perfect place to come and get some skills and see if radio is the career for you," she says.

Community radio

There are 162 community radio stations broadcasting in the UK. Most get 28-day licenses, but Future Radio in Norwich will soon be broadcasting on a longer term basis, seven days a week. Broadcasts are delivered entirely by volunteers and there are more than 500 volunteers at the station in total.

Paula Sanchez is the director of the project. "If you look at community radio stations across the country they reflect the diversity of our communities," she says. "There are stations for black and minority ethnic groups and for women, for example."

Jay Swift started by volunteering at Future Radio and has since presented on BBC 1Xtra. Other volunteers have also gone on to work in commercial radio and television. However, Paula believes that volunteering is for anyone who wants to learn new skills and have some fun at the same, not just those who want to work in the creative industries.

The Community Media Association has details of community radio stations around the country.

CSV Action Desks

Volunteering charity CSV has a unique relationship with the BBC, providing 200 volunteers to 36 different BBC local radio stations across the country through their network of Action Desks.

The 37 CSV Action Desks are run by a CSV Producer who works with BBC colleagues to produce great content for radio, TV and online. Across the network, there's a potential weekly reach of 10 million.

CSV uses its community links to identify local needs - encouraging the audience to then become part of the solution, either through volunteering or by learning new skills.

Damian Radcliffe runs the Action Desk programme for CSV.  Having worked for community and commercial radio stations himself he knows what it takes to make a career in broadcasting. "Nothing works better than knowing your stuff and being passionate about radio, you really need to do your homework. We have a huge demand for voluntary places and we are often more interested in attitude than aptitude, you can teach the skills but not that intrinsic interest in the world about you."

Opportunities with CSV reflect the diversity of positions in radio stations. "It isn't just about being the next Chris Moyles," Damian says. "You may specialise or you may be a bit of a jack of all trades. There are many other elements to radio such as production, editing, sales and marketing."

Many CSV volunteers have gone on to work at in radio, including James King the Radio 1 film critic.

Other options

In addition to hospital and community radio, students have the option of trying university and college radio stations. Or, for those who prefer the do-it yourself approach, the rise of internet radio and the falling cost of broadcasting equipment means that setting up your own station has become a realistic option.

Whichever route you take the advice seems to be the same: success is a mixture of drive, determination, skill and talent.

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