Meet eight new radio talent gunning for your job in 2017

Student radio pop-up station RTI returned in 2017 with breakfast, drive, and solo music shifts across the workday and into the night.

Covering a broad variety of shows and content including new and current affairs, lifestyle programs and special interest content, the pop-up was managed, produced and presented by the advanced radio students of the Radio Training Institute in Melbourne.

Radio Today takes a closer look at the young team of producers, announcers and editors behind RTI.

 LJ Gorse – Content Director

After starting her radio career in 2008, Gorse had stints at commercial stations Rockfm, Towerfm, Wishfm, & Wirefm. She stepped up to LIVE OB’s and stage shows, and eventually moved into the studio as an on-air announcer.

The Brit kept her hand in radio and MCing in Australia while working towards her Visa. She co-announced and produced the breakfast show on Gippsland’s 3mFM – Wake Up with LJ and Jarrod, as well as The Breakfast Club. She Mc’d Good Life from 2013 to 2016 and A Day on The Green in 2016 and 2017.

Daniel Hilliard – Assistant CD (Operations)

Hilliard started out creating one-hour shows from his bedroom with a friend, sending them off to radio stations for feedback. He also took on a role at a regional station to help expand its client base in a new section of the Blue Mountains, NSW.

Now, as RTI’s assistant CD, Hilliard was presenting news in the drive slot from 3pm to 6pm daily.

Jenny Rose – Social Media 

Previously working professionally in theatre, film and television, with aspirations to work on-air, Rose is looking forward to working creatively with teams to help create some killer radio. She aspires to follow in the footsteps of her radio idols Fifi Box, Kristie Mercer and Kate Langbroek.

Jackson Begelhole – Head of Imaging & Graphics

 RTI’s head of all things illustrative, Begelhole loves the collaborative nature of radio and the strength of connection that presenters can build with an audience. While working in radio, he’s enjoyed watching his skills develop, and experimenting with interesting and fun ways to tell a story, or relay information.

Begelhole was the drive producer and announcer for RTI from 3pm to 6pm.

He also loves The Simpsons…

Jason Sinnott – Audio Producer

RTI’s audio producer is also a sport and music fanatic. Sinnott nerds out over anything music/audio production and has created a soundbed collection and has produced full-length instrumental electronic tracks, all in the last year.

Sinnott lined up alongside LJ Gorse and Nick Backstrom to host the Breakfast session each morning.

Nomi Kal – News editor

Nomi spent two years on a community radio station hosting her own weekly show before she deciding to take the plunge and step into the next chapter of her radio career.

For Nomi, a qualified lawyer, radio combines her love of debating, speaking and advocacy on a platform that allows her to mix all her passions.

Nick Backstrom – Copywriter

Backstrom has been a writer and performer for over twenty years. Friends working in radio convinced him this was where he should go, and they were right.

His main interest is still in writing, and as a copywriter, he brings a lot to the table. As mentioned, Backstrom takes his place as breakfast announcer alongside LJ Gorse and Jason Sinnott.

David Murphy – News Editor

Murphy hails from Dublin via the BBC World Service in London. He is a news junkie with a degree in politics and a postgraduate degree in Journalism from Goldsmiths College.

He’s a talented copywriter, with experience in production management and scheduling for a large news team broadcasting to an audience of millions.