Justin Kings tells TVBEurope about his journey in the media industry, from Capital Radio to the BBC, and now leading the EBU Academy, which enables public service media colleagues to benefit from each other’s experiences, ideas and skills.
Talk us through an average day in your role.
What makes the EBU Academy unique as a media learning and development provider is how we’re powered by the best practices and new ways of working of our members. In other words, we have inspiring and highly skilled professionals sharing their experiences and knowledge with colleagues. Every day, I find time to connect with our network of public service media colleagues within Europe. I’m also working with our brilliant Academy team who’re developing events such as our world class Executive Programme and the Faculty Members who expertly blend theoretical teaching with a lot of interactivity and practical exercises.
How did you get started in the media industry?
As a media obsessed 16-year-old I became a presenter at my local hospital radio station, then university work experience in commercial radio led to my first job. I went on to work at Capital Radio in London and at the BBC’s first multi-media newsroom, again in the capital.
What training did you have before entering the industry?
I did a university media degree with a heavy focus on practical teaching and throughout my career I’ve benefited from training opportunities. For me fulfilling training is not just about the teaching of new skills but it allows participants to reflect on their role within their organisation and how they can use what they have learned. There’s also a great opportunity for participants to connect with peers facing the same challenges. These are important elements in the training offered by the EBU Academy. Of course, today, media is continually evolving, so it makes learning and development more crucial than ever in my view.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry?
It’s always been about serving and delighting audiences. I discovered the power of media when as a teenager I heard a local radio station’s weekly show for teens. I forged a special connection with the programme and it inspired my career. In my radio career, I put the audience at the heart of my decisions. Today, the vision for the EBU Academy in up-skilling a growing number of public service media colleagues is to ultimately delight and powerfully engage audiences.
What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours?
Learning and development is fundamentally about people. So, you need to have an interest in understanding how people grow professionally in a way that is going to make a tangible difference to them and to the organisation they work for. You can then use this knowledge to create impactful learning content and experiences as we strive to do at the EBU Academy.
You can read more about the EBU Academy and sign up for its newsletter at academy.ebu.ch
