RTHK Head of English Programming Talks to Radio News Production Class

RTHK‘s Head of English Programming, Bryan Curtis, came into the JMSC to talk to the Radio News Production class on Tuesday, March 8, 2011.

Bryan Curtis, Head of English Programming at RTHK

Curtis has worked at RTHK for 12 years. He is responsible for Radio 3 and Radio 4 at the public broadcaster. Prior to this, he worked as a news editor at Metro Broadcast in Hong Kong and before that as a radio presenter and news editor in Taiwan.

Curtis explained to the class how RTHK operates, discussed why public service broadcasting is important and summarised the recent battle between the Hong Kong government and the broadcaster. He also told the students about his career and talked about how programming works at a major radio station, running through an average day.

Prior to the talk, the class heard editions of Backchat, RTHK 3’s live talk show, which goes on air between 8.30 and 09.30 each morning. The programme covers social and political topics in Hong Kong.

Curtis ran through how the programme is made as an example of how radio production works.

He urged the students to polish up their multi-media skills and said that nowadays radio producers are expected to be able to shoot film and provide content for the web, as well as be competent at the more traditional aspects of radio production.

Angharad Law, a visiting lecturer at the JMSC, who also reports for the BBC World Service from Hong Kong, teaches the class.

“Several students have an interest in working in radio as a career,” said Law. “It was extremely useful for them to have the opportunity to hear Bryan Curtis talk and to hear him explain a bit about the history of RTHK, the importance of public radio and also, most importantly, to tell them about job opportunities in the  industry.”