Ben Carlos Gilmour - HNC Radio Broadcasting
With a passion for popular music and dream of becoming a big name in Scottish radio, former Reid Kerr College student Ben Gilmour has been lucky enough to work with some of Scotland's well known radio stations since he left college. With over 40,000 listeners each week, Ben is now a regular presenter with Central FM who broadcast to listeners across the Forth Valley.
The 23 year old from Kilmarnock studied an HNC Radio Broadcasting course at Reid Kerr and says that the qualification was invaluable to his career. "The course was brilliant, every aspect of it has helped me in my career so far. The training didn't seem like work and I looked forward to going in everyday. We covered many of the key areas relating to radio from Programming to Radio Law and News."
"The tutors were great to work with and had a wealth of knowledge, which gave me a great insight into working life in the industry. I particularly enjoyed the practical aspects of the course including the opportunity to use a live studio, which was a very hands-on experience - there isn't a better way to learn how to be a radio presenter. It was great to go from the classroom and follow it straight up in the studio. When I delivered my very first live broadcast, it was a great buzz."
After leaving college, Ben produced his own radio demo which he sent out in the hope that one of the stations might give him a break. Picked up very quickly by YOURradio in Dumbarton, Ben had his first ever show where he says he found his feet with overnight slots, Drivetime on Christmas Day including the ‘queens speech' and a regular Saturday afternoon show.
Ben continued, "After a few successful shows and couple of months of hard work, I was asked to cover other shows in the evenings and more Drivetime hours. The experience at YOURradio really helped me break in to the industry and later I was lucky enough to be offered work with L107 in Hamilton, where I presented overnight shows. More recently, I have been carrying out freelance cover for Central FM in Falkirk, who has given me my own show on a Sunday. The move to Central is one that I am very proud of."
Ben hopes 2010 will be a big year for him and he is really looking forward to progressing in what has become an exciting and dynamic industry and since his first taste of the airwaves at Reid Kerr College, he hasn't looked back once!
Reid Kerr's media section is located in the newest facility on the college's main campus and offers a variety of media courses, with a strong focus on radio in its many forms. Courses are delivered by a team with considerable broadcast experience as presenters, producers and sound engineers in the commercial sector and the BBC. Close links with Scotland's biggest radio stations in the area give students a unique opportunity to meet and learn from the experts, while the opportunity to manage the student radio station on campus gives them an excellent insight into the growing world of radio broadcasting.
Places are available now for the course beginning August 2010 and you can find out more information by contacting Student Services on 0800 052 7343 or log on to http://www.reidkerr.ac.uk/