Sound Women

This special one off episode focuses on the 2014 Sound Women BBC Local Radio Mentoring Scheme. We catch up with a few of the mentees who took part. Broadcaster Fi Glover discusses the ins and outs of being a mentor. Plus Sue Ahern, Creative Director of Creative People, offers tips on how to get the best out of a potential mentor, and how women working in audio can equip themselves for the ever-changing workplace. This episode was presented and produced by Shola Aleje Join the new Sound Women Network facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/soundwomennetwork Thanks for listening!

After 5 glorious years, the legendary Sound Women organisation has come to an end. In this finale episode presented by patron Angie Greaves, we hear from some of the women that have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make it all happen. Tune in to find out how Sound Women chair Chris Burns (Head of Group Operations for Audio & Music at BBC) got her start; why Jane Garvey (BBC Radio 4 Women's Hour) believes it is vital to have diversity across all areas of radio; and why Sue Bowerman (Blanket) and Nicky Birch (Rosina Sound), are excited about the future for women in audio. You can also expect a heartfelt interview with founder, Maria Williams, as she recounts the challenges that led her to taking action, and why she feels positive about the legacy Sound Women is leaving behind. This episode was produced by Cassandra Denton & Nicki Bannerman @cass_denton @NickiHBC Find out more about Angie and her guests: Angie Greaves: www.angiegreaves.com Jane Garvey: bbc.co.uk/womanshour Nicky Birch: www.rosina.io Sue Bowerman: www.blanket.org.uk Maria Williams: mariawilliams.org And if you want to stay connected to awesome women in audio, join the Sound Women Network over on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/soundwomennetwork/

In this month’s edition of the Sound Women podcast Chelsea TV and BBC 5 Live presenter Gigi Salmon introduces ‘Be A Good Sport’ with some of the leading female figures in sports broadcasting. We hear from the first female commentator on ‘Match of the Day’ as Jacqui Oatley MBE explains that it’s never too late to follow your dream career. We also pinned down BBC World Service’s Caroline Barker in-between her world travels with sports stories from Rio, Kenya, the United States and even from Essex. Finally, Nicki Bannerman catches up with producer and talent agent , Jo Tongue, who gives the inside scoop on life behind the scenes of sport broadcasting. This episode was produced by Nicki Bannerman and edited by sports Producer Abi Paterson. A huge thanks to hosts Chelsea TV, ITV and Tongue Tied Management for helping support Sound Women with their amazing facilities. Find out more about Sound Women at www.soundwomen.co.uk and join the conversation on twitter @soundwomen. @NickiHBC @AbiPaterson @JacquiOatley @carolinebarker @tonguetweets

In the latest edition of the Sound Women Podcast we shine a light on the technical roles within sound & audio. Whether you work in this field or not, we’re here to break down the barriers and reinforce the message that tech is not as scary as it seems! Presenter Ann Charles is joined by Ioana Barbu, an engineer from Bauer Media and Aradhna Tayal, a producer and organiser of RadTechCon. We hear from Terri Winston, the founder of the Women’s Audio Mission in California. Plus, we'll be discussing the opportunities out there for you to get yourself fully tech-trained up. This episode was produced by Hayley Clarke and engineered by Candela Palencia. Thanks to Sound Women supporters Somethin Else for hosting the recording of this episode and also to all our contributors for volunteering their time. Find out more about Sound Women at www.soundwomen.co.uk and join the 
conversation on Twitter by following @soundwomen or using the hashtag #SWPodcast. Find out more about the amazing Sound Women featured in this episode: Ann Charles - http://anncharles.tv/ Aradhna Tayal - www.clockhousemedia.com Terri Winston, Women's Audio Mission - womensaudiomission.org Contributors Presenter Ann Charles @sparkyannc Producer: Hayley Clarke @iamhayleyclarke Aradhna Tayal - @AradhnaTayal Ioana Barbu - @Jeanne_Barbu Women's Audio Mission - @womensaudio Thanks to @SomethinElse for the studio #WomenInTech #RadTechCon Further Info www.radiotechcon.com https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/ http://www.womenintechnology.co.uk/ https://www.everywoman.com/ http://www.wes.org.uk/ http://www.aes-uk.org/

In this edition of the podcast, Sound Women's Nicki Bannerman chairs the Breakfast Radio panel special. She is joined by Edith Bowman (Virgin Radio), A.Dot (BBC 1Xtra) and Charlie Hedges (Kiss FM). They discuss their roles in breakfast radio, side projects, how to get ahead, top tips for breaking into the industry and much more. We’ll also be talking to Heidi Secker from regional breakfast show Heart East Anglia - she discusses her background in radio, how to keep going in the face of rejection and tips on how to approach broadcasters for advice. Join the conversation on Twitter by following @soundwomen or using the hashtag #SWPODCAST. This episode was produced by Shola Aleje Thanks to Sound Women supporters Virgin Radio for letting us use their amazing new studios to record this episode and also to The Angel hotel in Bury St Edmunds for hosting Heidi Secker interview. Edith Bowman (@edibow) A.Dot (@AmplifyDot) Charlie Hedges (@CharlieHedges) Heidi Secker (@heidisecker) Shola Aleje (@beefheartzappa) Nicki Bannerman (@NickiHBC)

This month's edition of the Sound Women podcast is jam-packed full of advice and insight for 'getting your foot in the door’, whether you are a budding presenter or keen to work behind the scenes. Hosted by Radio X’s Jo Good, this episode hears from DJ and radio presenter (The Selector, Capital Radio) Goldierocks and producer (Radio 1, 6 Music) Becky Grisedale-Sherry as the trio talk about their own experiences on getting in the industry. We also get some top tips from presenter, mentor and music manager Marsha Shandur on how to get noticed, make an impression and to become unforgettable. Find out more about Sound Women at www.soundwomen.co.uk and join the 
conversation on Twitter by following @soundwomen or using the hashtag #SWPODCAST. You can also find out more about the amazing Sound Women featured in this episode: Jo Good: http://www.radiox.co.uk/radio/jo-good/ Goldierocks (aka Sam Hall): http://www.goldierocks.co.uk/ Becky Grisedale-Sherry: http://sistersofmirthy.tumblr.com/ Marsha Shandur: www.yesyesmarsha.com Thanks to Sound Women supporters Somethin' Else for letting us record this episode in their studios.

This month's edition of the Sound Women podcast is a celebration of comedy, written and presented by comedian and actress Penelope Solomon. In this episode, Penelope talks about the BBC's upcoming sitcom revival, catches up with the founder of Funny Women, Lynne Parker and discusses the do's and don'ts of comedy with comedian Samantha Baines and journalist Karen Glaser. If you're an Ab Fab fan, you'll love Nicki Bannerman's chat with the legendary Helen Lederer. And be sure to have a tissue at the ready for Penelope's very moving tribute to the late, great Victoria Wood. Find out more about Sound Women at www.soundwomen.co.uk and join the 
conversation on Twitter by following @soundwomen or using the hashtag #SWPODCAST. You can also find out more about Penelope and her guests via their websites: Penelope Solomon: www.penelopesolomon.com/ Lynne Parker: funnywomen.com Samantha Baines: www.samanthabaines.com Karen Glaser: karen-glaser.com Helen Lederer: www.helenlederer.co.uk This podcast was recorded at Somethin' Else, who have been a huge support to Sound Women by letting us use their fantastic studios! Find out more about the wonderful work they do via their website: www.somethinelse.com

Have you landed a job in your dream industry, but find yourself unsure of how to take the next step up in your career? If so, this month’s instalment of the Sound Women podcast is not to be missed. Join Stephanie Hirst as she presents an episode dedicated to climbing the ladder, with interviews from Talk Radio’s Julia Hartley-Brewer, BBC Radio 6’s Lauren Laverne and Kiss FM’s Renee Alleyne. Find out why showing passion for your chosen field is essential when it comes to career progression, and why taking no for an answer should never be an option! Lead Producer: Cassandra Denton Co-Producer and interviewer: Nicki Bannerman Find out more about Sound Women at www.soundwomen.co.uk and join the conversation on Twitter by following @soundwomen or using the hashtag #SWPodcast

Gemma Cairney hosts this month’s episode all about Branded Content. We hear from Lauren Laverne who tells us about how her content site 'The Pool' works with brands. We also hear from Head of Entertainment Talia Lapidus and Head of Current Affairs and Business Tasha Proctor from Audioboom about how brands are using podcasts to build audiences. Shona Ghosh who is the Editor of the recently launched Marketing Mind Podcast shares her thoughts on what makes good and bad branded content.  Lead Producer: Hayley Clarke Co-Producer and interviewer: Nicki Bannerman Guests: Presenter Lauren Laverne               Head of Entertainment: Talia Lapidus               Head of Current Affairs and Business: Tasha Proctor Find out more about Sound Women at www.soundwomen.co.uk http://www.soundwomen.co.uk/ and join the conversation on Twitter by following @soundwomen or using the hashtag #SWPodcast

Curious about what it takes to be a voiceover artist? Join Liz Kershaw for the latest edition of the Sound Women podcast, dedicated to the voice industry. In this episode we hear from actress and comedienne Laura Shavin, international voice coach and author Yvonne Morley, and the voice of Absolute Radio’s Classic Rock Party, Claire Sturgess. Tune in to find out what makes a great demo, the difference between a ‘chocolatey’ tone and a ‘corporate’ one, and for an outstanding Jennifer Saunders impression! Lead Producer: Cassandra Denton Co-Producer and interviewer: Nicki Bannerman Find out more about Sound Women at www.soundwomen.co.uk and join the conversation on Twitter by following @soundwomen and using the hashtag #SWPodcast Thank you to BBC & Dean Chalkley for the photograph, Somethin' Else for the studio and to inRadio for sharing this episode.

Helen Zalztman takes us on a journey through American Audio. We meet Andrea Silenzi - presenter and creator of Why oh Why? and producer on commercial podcast network Panoply - as she navigates exciting opportunities becoming available in the industry. Sarah Geiss from Chicago's Third Coast Festival shares her tips on getting your work heard internationally. Ann Hepermann of The Sarah Awards tells us why 'audio-fiction' is the next audio-frontier. And 99% Invisible's Katie Mingle talks to Helen about what goes into making a show (clue: more wikipedia research than you'd think). Join the conversation @soundwomen #SWpodcast This month's podcast was produced by Ros Fraser and is available to listen to on inRadio.

Kate Thornton is joined in the Sound Women Studio by Caroline Raphael (ex Radio 4 Commissioner, Editorial Director of Audio Penguin Random House) and Fran Plowright (Creative Learning Consultant). They discuss how to get the most out of a being a mentee, how to find a suitable mentor and offer tips on C.V writing. In this episode we also hear from Helen Boaden (Director of BBC Radio) and Sue Ahern (Director of Training, Sound Women and Creative People). Find out more about Sound Women at www.soundwomen.co.uk and join the conversation @soundwomen #SWPodcast

Welcome to the Sound Women's second ever festival, based around the theme of Future, because the future is now! For those of you who missed the festival (or want to relive its glory) we’ve crammed in as much as possible into this highlights podcast. Hear Kerri Hoffman, founder of the podcast network Radiotopia, discuss how radio is consumed stateside. Clara Amfo catches up with campaigner and comedian Francesca Martinez. Dr Kate Murphy transports us back to 1922 to explore women’s place in the newly founded BBC, and we ask whether the traditional broadcaster is becoming irrelevant. For upcoming events, or to join Sound Women, visit soundwomen.co.uk.

We're in an exciting time for podcasting, so in this episode I speak to two of its foremost practitioners: • Theresa Thorn of One Bad Mother, and one half of the First Couple of Podcasting - she was on the frontline when her husband Jesse Thorn set up one of the first and greatest podcasting networks, Maximum Fun. http://maximumfun.org/shows/one-bad-mother http://twitter.com/TheresaThorn http://maximumfun.org • Roman Mars of 99% Invisible and founder of the Radiotopia network, where they see your institutional sexism and flip the bird at it. http://99pi.org http://twitter.com/RomanMars http://Radiotopia.fm But listeners, I'm sad to say that podcasting is actually preventing me from making this podcast any more. Along with my eight-year gig making Answer Me This, I have just joined Radiotopia with a new podcast, The Allusionist. I'm thus one of the few people in Britain making a full time job of podcasting, but it really is full time (seriously, I've forgotten where my front door is). So this is my last podcast for Sound Women, but the show will be back later this spring under new management; and until then, hear the back catalogue at http://soundcloud.com/soundwomen, on iTunes http://tinyurl.com/SWPitunes, and miscellaneous other podcast directories. Visit http://soundwomen.co.uk to join up, meet like-minded audiophiles in your area, and to buy tickets for the forthcoming Sound Women Festival as soon as they become available. If you're interested in podcasting, join the Podcasters' Support Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/571436979623574/, and here's my potted advice for getting started: http://helenzaltzman.com/podcasting Thanks to Maria Williams, Cheeka Eyers and Penny Bell for their excellent work on this show, to SoundCloud for hosting, and to you for listening! Helen Zaltzman http://helenzaltzman.com http://twitter.com/HelenZaltzman http://theallusionist.org http://answermethispodcast.com

What a way to round off the year: a chat with JO WHILEY! She spills the beans on being out-pedanted by her listeners, not being a cool parent, launching bands, and running in a glass box for 26 hours straight (with a little help from Les Mis). We also take a stroll back through the year's Sound Women podcasts, which you can hear in full on SoundCloud http://soundcloud.com/soundwomen, on iTunes http://tinyurl.com/SWPitunes, and miscellaneous other podcast directories. Farewell until January 2015! Helen Zaltzman helenzaltzman.com

In this month's show, THE voice of British radio, Charlotte Green, talks to me about keeping her voice in shape (but not at the expense of cheese), remaining calm in a crisis (even when you’ve had to get up at 3.30am), cracking up (just twice in her whole career!), and the poetry of the Shipping Forecast (rain, moderate or good). Tune in to Charlotte Green's Culture Club, 3pm every Sunday on Classic FM, or download the podcast. http://www.classicfm.com/radio/shows/charlotte-greens-culture-club/ I also speak to BBC Radio 3 editor Edwina Wolstencroft, about the station being too highbrow or lowbrow (but never the right amount of brow), appealing to all ages, and remaining constantly surprising. Here's Edwina: https://twitter.com/loveradio3 Here's Radio 3: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3 To find out more about Sound Women - events in your area, training, and membership - visit http://soundwomen.co.uk and/or tweet http://twitter.com/soundwomen. This episode was produced by Penny Bell, Cheeka Eyers, Maria Williams and me. Back in December! Helen Zaltzman helenzaltzman.com Subscribe to the Sound Women podcast on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/SWPitunes

If you're dipping your toe into the turgid waters of a freelance career, Sound Women have the event for you: a free freelancer training day on 21st November, in association with Creative Skillset and the BBC Academy. Keep an eye on http://soundwomen.co.uk to find out how to reserve your place. As a freelancer myself, I've spent ten years alternating between joy and terror. So for this month's podcast, I assembled a crack squadron of freelancers to share their self-propelled wisdom: • Nicky Patrick, current breakfast show presenter at Radio Jackie and previous official Mrs Potato Head http://nickypatrick.com/ • Ellie Davis, producer of the likes of Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq and deliberate avoider of staff jobs http://thisisellie.com • Matt Hill, producer of podcasts for the Guardian, BAFTA, and Broadcast, as well as the power behind the Media Podcast and Spark London audio thrones http://rethinkdaily.co.uk We're all available for hire! You can find me at http://twitter.com/helenzaltzman and http://helenzaltzman.com. This episode was produced by Penny Bell, Cheeka Eyers, Maria Williams and me. Many thanks to Somethin' Else for kindly lending their studios, and to Martin Austwick for the theme tune. To find out more about Sound Women - events in your area, training, and membership - visit http://soundwomen.co.uk and/or tweet http://twitter.com/soundwomen. You can also email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk if you'd like to get involved with this show. Back in November! Helen Zaltzman helenzaltzman.com Subscribe to the Sound Women podcast on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/SWPitunes

Serious faces, please: this is a news special of the Sound Women podcast. Coming up: • Petrie Hosken weighs up her former job as a war reporter and life on the frontline at LBC; • The team at Sky News Radio show how they get those bulletins onto commercial radio stations across the nation on the hour, every hour; • PM and Broadcasting House editor Jo Carr tells Ruth Barnes about the Martha Kearney test and keeping Radio 4's current affairs broadcasting at the top of its game. Look out for Petrie Hosken's new book, available for pre-order at http://gastronomicalcookbook.com and out in The Shops on October 6th. This episode was produced by Penny Bell, Cheeka Eyers, Maria Williams and me. Thanks to Martin Austwick for the music, and apologies to Channel 4 News for abusing their theme tune. Give in to your urge to subscribe to the Sound Women podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://tinyurl.com/SWPitunes. To find out more about Sound Women - events in your area, training, and membership - visit http://soundwomen.co.uk and/or tweet http://twitter.com/soundwomen. Join us again in October, when we'll be talking about the freelancer life. I'll try not to spend the whole episode crying into a pile of unpaid bills... Helen Zaltzman http://helenzaltzman.com

Don your sweatbands and side-vent gym shorts, because it’s a sporty special of the Sound Women podcast! On the team, we have: • Georgie Bingham, presenter of TalkSport’s weekend breakfast show and alum of ESPN and Sky Sports; • Jennie Gow and Chessie Bent, who bring Formula 1 to BBC 5 Live; • Presenter and commentator Jacqui Oatley, the voice that launched a thousand (champion)ships; • Plus, of course, Sound Women Podcast regulars Cheeka Eyers and Ruth Barnes. If you want to contribute to the podcast yourself, email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk. You can - and should - subscribe to the Sound Women podcast on iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/SWPitunes. To find out more about Sound Women - events in your area, training, and membership - visit http://soundwomen.co.uk or tweet http://twitter.com/soundwomen. This episode was produced by Cheeka Eyers and Penny Bell; thanks to Soundcloud for hosting. Join us again in September. Helen Zaltzman http://helenzaltzman.com

She was the first woman ever to present on Radio 1; she's still there, 44 years on; and she's now a patron of Sound Women: this month's special guest is the almighty Annie Nightingale! She tells me about getting a job in the boys' club, keeping the Duranies on side, and the period of music that nearly destroyed even her indefatigable enthusiasm. Since it's July and therefore we're knee deep in festival season, this episode contains a crash course in what's involved in bringing the festival experience to the airways. Radio 2 editor Philippa Aylott describes the daunting job of being lead editor for the BBC's radio coverage of Glastonbury, while sound engineer Jo Miflin handles the tech side through balloon attacks and Gwyneth Paltrow encounters. And Cheeka Eyers squelches through the mud to Glastonbury's in-house (in-field?) radio station Worthy FM. To find out more about Sound Women - events in your area, training, and membership - visit soundwomen.co.uk or tweet @soundwomen. Thanks to Martin Austwick for the music, to Penny Bell and Cheeka Eyers for producing this episode, and to you for listening! Back in August with a sports special, so limber up and make sure your gym kit has been through the wash. Helen Zaltzman • CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUND WOMEN PODCAST ON iTUNES •

In this month's Sound Women podcast, there is a VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT: the new patrons of Sound Women! Not only that, there is also a VERY EXCITING PERSON: the magnificent Fi Glover. A founder member of Sound Women, Radio 4 starlet and all-round smart lady, Fi tells me about: • Working hard and for free (but not, in her case, as a lawyer or recruitment consultant), while you’re still young enough to recover physically, and can still be arsed; • The jammiest job in the world; • Hosting the GLR breakfast show, then moving to the prescient 5 Live; • Fanny Trollope; • Cabecou cheese. You can hear Fi on (and submit your own audio to) The Listening Project as well as Generations Apart; check out her book Travels With My Radio; and follow her on Twitter @fifiglover. To find out more about Sound Women - events in your area, training, and membership - visit soundwomen.co.uk or tweet @soundwomen. Thanks to Martin Austwick for the music, and to you for listening! Back in July. Helen Zaltzman • CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUND WOMEN PODCAST ON iTUNES •

PAY ATTENTION, CLASS! This month's Sound Women podcast is all about getting a radio education. There are oodles of tips from the great and good of radio; and to make the case for more formal training, we also hear from: • Cheeka Eyers, producer at Podium.me, which trains under-20s in broadcasting and journalism and releases their audio daily (they've done more than 400 podcasts in less than two years! Blimey…). The organisation is doing terrific work and, on a selfish note, I really wish such a thing had been around when I was a teenager, because back then the only equivalent was making terrible cassette tapes in my bedroom. • Kate Murphy, senior lecturer and course coordinator for the Radio BA at Bournemouth University, which sounds very interesting and fun, although "It’s not three years of mucking around!" Kate also warns against becoming stuck in a job, and discusses the women who worked at the surprisingly liberated BBC of the 1920s. Please share your own radio lessons in the comments or email them to podcast@soundwomen.co.uk; and as next month's episode will be all about different routes into broadcasting, do let me know your story about that too. To find out more about Sound Women - events in your area, training, and becoming a member - visit soundwomen.co.uk or tweet @soundwomen. Thanks to Martin Austwick and Kevin MacLeod for the music, and to you for listening! Back in one month. Helen Zaltzman • CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUND WOMEN PODCAST ON iTUNES •

For International Women's Day, Radio 1 ran an all-female line-up for 39 hours. I don't know about you, but I was relieved to note that despite all these women on air, radio sets around the country did not explode in protest, listeners did not howl in agony, the industry did not crumble, and the Earth did not tremble on its axis. Instead, Radio 1 and 1Xtra's raft of talented presenters just went about their usual business of being great at what they do, and happily, three of them chatted to us before going on air. Hence in this special edition of the Sound Women podcast, we have: • Annie Mac on getting all the girls at gigs, starting out in internet radio, and DJing whilst pregnant; • B.Traits on her love of bass, getting a foothold in British radio thanks to snowboarders in Whistler, and practicing as hard as you can but not taking it TOO seriously; • Monki on being launched by Annie Mac, getting nervous, and enjoying work so much it doesn't feel like work. What an incredible bunch! And I defy your icicle heart not to melt hearing these women talking about how they've been inspired by their fellow DJs. The podcast will return on 1st April, and if you want to contribute, get in touch: tweet @soundwomen or email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk. For more about Sound Women and to get involved, visit soundwomen.co.uk. Thanks to Hayley Clarke and Carina Tillson for their work on this episode, to Martin Austwick for the music, and to SoundCloud for hosting. Farewell! Helen Zaltzman • CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUND WOMEN PODCAST ON iTUNES •

This month's edition of the Sound Women podcast is an absolute humdinger! In it: • Natalie B, cohost of the Breakfast Show on Heart Four Counties, provides her Survival Guide for doing a breakfast show (spoiler alert! Get a thermos flask, choose your outfits the night before, don't pull sickies, and stay off the booze in the week but GO FOR IT on a Friday night). • Danielle Perry, presenter of Xfm's Evening Show, tells Ruth Barnes about persistence, her dreams of being on a show played in London cabs, and talking to dogs. • Eleanor McDowall from Falling Tree Productions teaches me how she concocts Radio 4's Short Cuts: eavesdropping, embarrassment, not broadcasting anything rude during the school run, and telling stories through toilets. There's also bonus Danielle Perry, discussing music and her own genre 'Topshop indie', for fully paid up Sound Women members in their special Members' Only Clubhouse on the Sound Women website. Want in? Join at soundwomen.co.uk/joinus. Since International Women's Day is almost upon us, there will be an extra episode of the podcast next week, where we pay a visit to Radio 1 and 1Xtra during their special all-female line-ups. If you'd like to contribute to the Sound Women podcast, get in touch: tweet @soundwomen or email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk. Thanks to Martin Austwick and Kevin MacLeod for the music, and to you for listening! Helen Zaltzman • CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUND WOMEN PODCAST ON iTUNES •

It's February, the shortest but arguably most interminable month of the year; but at least a few laughs hasten its progress a little. So in this month's edition of the Sound Women podcast, I find out how the radio comedy sausage is made from: 1. Isy Suttie, winner of the 2013 Sony Radio Academy Award for comedy for her Radio 4 show Pearl and Dave. As she gears up for the imminent second series of Isy Suttie's Love Letters, she tells me about song-writing, skiing, stealing, and harvesting material from her own love life as well as those of the inhabitants of her home town of Matlock in Derbyshire. Pearl and Dave is available to buy here, and series 1 of Love Letters here; Isy herself is available on Twitter here. 2. Caroline Raphael, BBC Radio 4 comedy commissioner. She describes how ballet and theatre led her into radio comedy, bathing babies in BBC basins (try saying that phrase ten times in quick succession) and making the radio industry more welcoming to women, particularly once they've had children. Find her on Twitter here. For you paid-up Sound Women members, there's a bumper bit of bonus audio on the members' only enclosure of the website: Ruth Barnes talks to comedy producer Julia McKenzie about offending people, creative boundaries, and learning from Danny Baker. Non-paid-up Sound Women members should rush off to soundwomen.co.uk/joinus to amend that state. If you'd like to contribute to the Sound Women podcast, get in touch: tweet @soundwomen or email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk. Thanks to SoundCloud for hosting, Martin Austwick and Kevin MacLeod for the music, and to you for listening! Please listen again on 1st March, when the next Sound Women podcast will arrive. Helen Zaltzman • CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUND WOMEN PODCAST ON iTUNES •

In this month's Sound Women podcast: • Mary Anne Hobbs sits down with her BBC 6 Music Kate Cocker to mull over their working relationship, just as Kate leaves for a new job at Key 103. They discuss dubstep, women's magazines, being saved by John Peel, looking like Nikki Sixx, poached eggs, and why it's alright to admit you don't know what you're doing. Incidentally, if you've never heard Mary Anne talking about her childhood's illicit music-listening and running away with a band, this interview is well worth your reading-time. • Lorna Skingley and Sarah Louie Harrison of Smooth Operations talk about their 50-part Radio 2 series The People's Songs, a social history of post-war Britain via fifty popular songs. The series is still available to listen to on the BBC website, so get stuck in. • Karen Pearson talks to Ruth Barnes about setting up her indie Folded Wing, creating new platforms, getting commissions, nurturing presenters and becoming a Big Deal despite (or thanks to?) not having a plan. On the members' only page of the Sound Women website, there's also a bonus bit of podcast, in which Mary Anne and Kate consider the power of silence in radio. It's not just them sitting in silence. I assure you they do speak. If you'd like to be on the Sound Women podcast, get in touch: tweet @soundwomen or email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk. The next podcast will appear on 1st February 2014, so please do return then! Helen Zaltzman • CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUND WOMEN PODCAST ON iTUNES •

In this month's Sound Women podcast: • The Voice of An Angel has grown into the Voice of Feminism in the Music Industry: Charlotte Church spoke to me at the Radio Festival, fresh off the stage after she delivered the BBC 6 Music John Peel Lecture (the whole of which is available for download here). She doesn't mess about in urging young female artists not to play submissive, and if the radio industry thinks it plays no part in modern pop's tide of scantily clad music videos, THINK AGAIN. • Louisa Compton thrives on stress, which is lucky since she's the uber-busy editor of 5 Live's daytime content including Victoria Derbyshire, Shelagh Fogarty and Richard Bacon (as well as, ahem, my own Saturday job, Saturday Edition). • Andrea Day, formerly of INRIX, explains how one of the Four Cornerstones of Radio gets made: traffic reports. When you're swamped with real-time information, which is more important, accuracy or speed? And how do you make traffic jams sound interesting? There's a lot more in those bulletins than meets the ear, you know... There's also a snippet of the Radio Festival session in which TalkSPORT's Liam Fisher and BBC 5 Live's Jonathan Wall are taken to task by Nihal over the representation of gender and race on their stations. To hear more of this and other talks from the festival, check the Radio Academy website where the audio will soon be available. Meanwhile, in the exclusive audio pen that is available only to paid-up Sound Women members, Andrea Day reveals how she shuns her own expert advice, and also nominates Britain's worst road. If you'd like to be on the Sound Women podcast, get in touch: tweet @soundwomen or email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk. The next podcast will land on 1st December 2013, so please do join me again then! Helen Zaltzman • CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUND WOMEN PODCAST ON iTUNES •

In this month's podcast, I hear from both sides of one of British radio's finest mixed doubles: Annabel Port and Geoff Lloyd of Absolute Radio. Annabel reveals her Damascene conversion to radio, how she lost her social inhibitions, why doing a breakfast show ruined her personality, how to keep an on-air partnership fresh, and why she has tricky relationships with Topshop and the Harlem Globetrotters. Geoff describes how he discovered Annabel, vents about the Women Aren't Funny brigade, and insists that radio listeners are not unwashed mutants. Also, in the Sound Women members only audio snippet, he contemplates the BBC Desk Of Death. For more about Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show on Absolute, and to subscribe to the podcast, click HERE. And click HERE for information about the annual Next Radio conference, and to see videos of previous years' talks. If you'd like to be on the Sound Women podcast, get in touch: email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk or tweet @soundwomen. Meanwhile, if you see me prowling around the forthcoming Radio Festival with a microphone, please do come up and start spouting podcast-friendly soundbites for November's episode. Helen Zaltzman *** CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUND WOMEN PODCAST ON iTUNES ***

In this month's podcast, Jane Garvey delivers abundant wit and wisdom. "There's no such thing as a boring person," she says, and she definitely is not one. She describes how her childhood career ambitions went so askew, she ended up becoming the first ever voice on BBC 5 Live and, now, presenter of Radio 4's Woman's Hour; she ponders the gender politics of the show, how to go from Gordon Brown to gussets, and whether they can ever replace the 15-minute drama with football; and she advises women who want to get on in radio not to be self-deprecating and, most of all, to learn to listen. If you want to hear her sexy late-night show that brought Radio 4 to its knees, click here. And if you're a paid-up Sound Women member, head over to the secret bonus content page for a chunk of extra Garvey, in which she hints at her dream radio show, but denies any ambition to compete on The Great British Bake-Off. Also in the show: Ruth Barnes interviews Rachael Devine, who produces her weekday show on Amazing Radio and her weekend showcase of new music by female artists, The Other Woman. Plus, Lucy Duffield explains how and why you should get involved with your local outpost of the Sound Women network - because it's not all London London London, you know. Visit soundwomen.co.uk/regions to find out more. This podcast needs you! If you fancy contributing something interesting about your own radio world, please get in touch: email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk or tweet @soundwomen. Thanks to SoundCloud for hosting, Martin Austwick for the music, and to you for listening! See you back here on 1st October for the next Sound Women podcast. Helen Zaltzman • • • Click here to subscribe to the Sound Women podcast on iTunes • • •

In the wake of Sound Women and Creative Skillset's Women on Air Report, I gathered together Maria Williams, Sound Women's founder, Emma Barnett, host of Sunday Drive on LBC97.3 and Women's Editor of the Daily Telegraph, and Tony Moorey, content director for Absolute Radio. Together they chew over why only one in five radio presenters is female, why you'll rarely hear a female duo on the airwaves, and why you can't afford to be shy if you want a career in radio. To help redress the balance, Absolute are holding demo open days on 12th and 13th August; click here for more information. Also in this month's podcast: Amazing Radio's Ruth Barnes talks to sports broadcaster Caroline Barker about nearly trashing the BBC radio car, and how Father Christmas compelled her to co-found her production company Jibba Jabba. I hear from BBC 6 Music's Camilla Pia about the scrapping and puzzling that goes on behind the scenes at BBC 6 Music to come up with their diverse playlist. And if you're a paid-up Sound Women member, over at the secret members' only bonus content page you can hear Camilla's recommendations for bands to name-drop. If you want to contribute to the Sound Women podcast, or if you have questions for the Radio Agony Aunt, email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk or tweet @soundwomen. Thanks to SoundCloud for hosting, Martin Austwick for the music, and to you for listening! See you back here on 1st September for the next Sound Women podcast. Helen Zaltzman • • • Click here to subscribe to the Sound Women podcast on iTunes • • •

In July's Sound Women podcast: • Radio critic, journalist and presenter Miranda Sawyer praises quirkiness and confidence, and wishes drama and documentaries would loosen up a bit; • Amazing Radio's Ruth Barnes speaks to Adele Roberts about how she got from the Big Brother 3 house to BBC 1Xtra, and the importance of speaking off-air as well as on; • Emma Bradshaw reports on the Sound Women mentoring scheme as its first year wraps up; • and this month's radio agony aunt Laura Parfitt of White Pebble Media talks about how to pitch, set up your own indie, and make excellent radio. Over on the secret members’ only bonus content page, Laura divulges the meaning of the white pebble, and remembers a brief encounter with Richard Burton. To hear it, become a paid-up Sound Women member at soundwomen.co.uk/joinus. If you want to contribute to the Sound Women podcast, or if you have questions for the Radio Agony Aunt, email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk or tweet @soundwomen. Thanks to SoundCloud for hosting, Martin Austwick for the music, and to you for listening! See you back here on 1st August for the next Sound Women podcast. Helen Zaltzman • • • Click here to subscribe to the Sound Women podcast on iTunes • • •

This month's Sound Women podcast is a Sound Women festival extravaganza, featuring: • Anita Anand on radio magic; • Dame Stephanie Shirley on how and why she came to be known as 'Steve'; • Angie Greaves on going from Gone With The Wind to the drivetime show on Magic; • Jo Good on the importance of networking and learning from Grimmy; • Fi Glover on why you should always be prepared; • Gloria Abramoff on being fun in the workplace. And if you're a Sound Women member, you can hear a whole load more audio from the festival here. If you're not a member, rectify this right now at soundwomen.co.uk/joinus. If you want to contribute to the Sound Women podcast, or if you have questions for the Radio Agony Aunt, email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk or tweet @soundwomen; and for more information about Sound Women, visit soundwomen.co.uk. Thanks to Lucy Duffield for the interviews, Martin Austwick and Kevin McLeod for the music, and to SoundCloud for hosting the show. The next episode of the Sound Women podcast will be out on July 1st, so you have a month in which to mentally prepare yourself. Helen Zaltzman • • • Click here to subscribe to the Sound Women podcast on iTunes • • •

In this month's Sound Women podcast, hosted by Helen Zaltzman: • Lauren Laverne of BBC 6 Music talks about pseudonyms, combining work and family life, dealing with earworms, and trophies in the toilet; • Radio 1 Newsbeat reporter Sinead Garvan confesses to on-air innuendo to Ruth Barnes; • The Student Radio Association's Emma Bradshaw reports from the Student Radio Conference; • Nicky Birch of Somethin' Else tackles your radio problems; • and Sound Women founder Maria Williams talks about what made her start this whole shebang. To find out more about Sound Women, visit soundwomen.co.uk, and click here to buy tickets to the first Sound Women Festival at the Radio Theatre on 18th May, featuring Anita Anand, Fi Glover and Angie Greaves. Plus, if you're a Sound Women member, you will get an email with a link to a hidden page to hear special bonus podcast content in which Lauren Laverne talks about making wishes at the Clootie Well, and reveals whether a Kenickie reunion is in the offing. And if you're not a Sound Women member, ask yourself why not. Here's an easy fix: join up! If you want to contribute to the Sound Women podcast, or send a question for the Radio Agony Aunt, email podcast@soundwomen.co.uk or tweet @soundwomen. Thanks to Martin Austwick and Kevin McLeod for the music, and to SoundCloud for hosting the show. The next episode of the Sound Women podcast will appear on 1st June, so please join us again then.