| Nov 08 – present |
Rufus Runs Fast, Aberdeen |
| Role……………………. |
Owner of Rufus Runs Fast – online content, social networking and audience focus company |
| Tasks |
Helping clients do business and communitcate with their users/audience/market by creating and engaging with them online |
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| May 01 – May 08 |
Producer (Grassroots), BBC Radio Scotland |
| Role |
Produce weekly, 30-minute documentary about food, farming, rural affairs |
| Tasks |
To keep abreast of the rural agenda and communicate with a range of people from farmer to Government minister; manage a team of three people to research, schedule, record and edit a top quality, journalistic feature, promote the programme in the media; ‘push’ its web presence; contribute to BBC national and international radio networks; and develop the careers of team members |
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| Sep 03 – Dec 03 |
Producer (The Food Programme), BBC Radio 4 |
| Role |
Produce high quality, narrative-led food documentary in top profile ‘Food Programme’ slot |
| Tasks |
Large amounts of research on topics and contributors. Planning, scheduling and recording interviews in the field. Working in team to develop ideas, use audience research to focus on audience needs and expectations |
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| Sep 01 – Feb 02 |
TV Presenter (Inside Scotland), BBC Choice (digital TV) |
| Role |
Present 3 x 30 minute TV features profiling towns in Scotland |
| Tasks |
Interview contributors for their stories, link everything together in front of the camera and convey the programme narrative to the audience in as entertaining, clear and succinct way as possible |
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| May – Aug 01 |
TV Reporter (Nites ‘n’ Daze), BBC Choice (digital TV) |
| Role |
Report 6 x 7 minute TV packages on light-hearted aspects to popular culture in Scotland |
| Tasks |
Interview contributors, perform in front of audiences, learn different jobs as part of the strand |
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| Jan 01 – Apr 07 |
Producer (Network Features), BBC Radio Scotland |
| Role |
Produce ad-hoc, documentary features for BBC Radio Scotland, BBC R4 & BBC World Service |
| Tasks |
To find and research stories, pitch to commissioners, record interviews, edit and ensure highest editorial standards |
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| Sep – Dec 00 |
Producer (Lesley Riddoch Show), BBC Radio Scotland, Glasgow |
| Role |
Produce topical discussion programme on political issues of the day |
| Tasks |
Research stories, keep abreast of political issues of the day, nurture relationships with politicians, create debates which enable public phone-ins and stimulate discussion |
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| Jun – Aug 00 |
Broadcast Journalist, BBC Radio Orkney, Kirkwall |
| Role |
Team member supporting news production and volunteer broadcasting |
| Tasks |
Making tea, producing and reading news bulletins, presenting music shows, reporting live from around the islands, helping volunteers produce their own shows |
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| Jan – May 00 |
Researcher (Now You’re Talking), BBC Radio Scotland, Aberdeen |
| Role |
Researcher and reporter on ‘Now You’re Talking’, topical, human interest programme |
| Tasks |
Develop human interest ideas for live, daily strand. Research stories, find creative ways to present old stories, work with audience research to find most appealing topics and treat them in an appealing way |
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| Jul 99 – Dec 99 |
Programme Assistant, BBC Radio Shetland, Lerwick |
| Role |
Team member supporting news production and volunteer broadcasting |
| Tasks |
Everything from making the tea to reading news bulletins, and from presenting music shows to reporting live from around the islands |
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| Jan – Jun 99 |
Researcher (Fair Deal), BBC Radio Scotland |
| Role |
Research listeners’ complaints about companies and service, and reporting on stories |
| Tasks |
General research tasks, telephone briefing, interpreting consumer law, setting up interviews and encouraging listener interaction. Ensuring issues treated in the programme were legally and editorially balanced and fair, but that we acted as advocates for consumer rights |
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| July 99 – Apr 01 |
Researcher, Reporter, Presenter, BBC Scotland |
| Role |
Researcher, Reporter and Presenter for radio and TV programmes (across various BBC locations: Aberdeen, Glasgow, London, Shetland, Orkney) |
| Tasks |
Finding stories, research issues, brief contributors and present material, under time pressure, for a range of TV and radio programmes across BBC networks. Ensuring all information factually correct and delivered on time |
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| Jun 98 – Jun 99 |
Freelance journalist and radio reporter, Scotland |
| Role |
Finding stories to feed into newspapers and radio programmes |
| Tasks |
Freelance work involved knowing my market, knowing the specific needs of the newspapers and programmes which I could feed into, and keeping abreast of current affairs to help me identify stories |
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| Nov 94 – Aug 97 |
Agency contracts, Scotland |
| Jobs |
I did a variety of jobs for various recruitment agencies in Dundee, incl: 1. Turnkey, Tayside Police HQ: involved searching and looking after prisoners; 2. 192 Directory Enquiries, BT: finding numbers for callers; 3. Road surveyor, Dundee City Council: travelling round Tayside surveying roads and verges; 4. Complaints officer, Dundee City Council: recording complaints for pavements and street lighting |
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| Mar 93 – Nov 94 |
Journalist, INS Newsagency, Berkshire |
| Role |
Shift work journalist, covering crime, courts, councils, celebrity stories across the south of England. These stories were fed into the daily nationals |
| Tasks |
To find and follow up stories, at speed, accurately and write in as entertaining a way as possible |
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| Jan 91 – Mar 93 |
Journalist, Bucks Free Press Group, Buckinghamshire |
| Role |
This was an indentured post, in which I trained as a journalist, learning the skills of shorthand, typing and legal issues (libel and defamation).The work involved finding stories (from court, council and off-diary) and feeding into the main news pages as well as my own district supplement |
