Being a community station, you will join the dedicated band of volunteers that the station relies on. As they say, "It is a bit like a family with people of all ages and walks of life and, of course, a common love of community radio". If you're planning a gap year or career break and contemplating a career in radio, a work experience placement such as this could be just the thing you're looking for. This type of work experience is a great way of enhancing your CV or résumé and making you stand out from the crowd in this increasingly competitive world. Working overseas is a challenging yet wonderfully rewarding experience and this placement will give you excellent hands-on broadcasting and production experience. Whether you're starting out or taking a career break, th

is placement will broaden your horizons and give you experience of a new way of working in a different yet exciting culture where language is not a problem and the people are particularly friendly and welcoming.



ABOUT THE COMMUNITY RADIO STATION

TC FM is a community radio station run by volunteers who are passionate about their communities and their radio. The Station covers primarily the northern suburbs of Perth, i.e. the satellite Cities of Joondalup and Wanneroo, specifically the area from Two Rocks to Warwick. They broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, with programmes on music, local information and entertainment.
• Weekdays feature a blend of music, local information and interviews on various topics.
• Weeknights feature young people and programs for young people in the community.
• Weekends present a variety of programs, from local sport through to different genres.

Supporting Local Talent: "At [TC FM] we have supported local artists, local community groups, local sporting clubs and local businesses since 2001." The Station invites locals to send in demo CD's or new releases so that they can be played on air. They also actively encourage the promotion of local events and activities by offering free on air promotions ... This is truly community radio for the community!


WORK CONTENT

Being a community station, TC FM relies on a dedicated band of volunteers. It's a bit like a family with people of all ages and walks of life and of course, a common love of community radio. Volunteers at the station currently dedicate their time to things like:
• Production
• Broadcasting
• Script writing
• Station Management
• Technical Management
• Organising events
• Marketing & Promotion
• Local Bands and Music Co-ordination

Most of your time is likely to be spent working alongside one of the main staff members or long-term volunteers, helping to put together a programme to go on air. This involves reviewing and selecting, as well as helping with the research, putting the programme together and interviewing people. It may even extend to actually broadcasting the material.

Some programmes may be long and others may be very short, but even a short programme of only five minutes in length, with four segments, can take a week to put together, so you're likely to be kept very busy! Most of the work is done inside the studios with very little work taking place outside.

Work at the station is very flexible and you can either do morning shifts that start from about 6-7am until about 1-2 pm, or the afternoon to evening shift - this will depend on what the station requires at the time you're there, but they are very flexible and happy to accommodate you wherever possible. Although the station is on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the computer runs the station during the night on the graveyard shift of midnight to 6 a.m.

The equipment you'll use will depend on your own interests and skills, but will more than likely comprise general office computers, recording software, recording devices, and possibly one of the studio panels if they think you're able to assist in creating programmes or segments. Depending on the duration of your project, you may be able to fill in on a few live on-air shifts, but it is more than likely that you'll assist with work on the pre-recorded segments and and also assist the current announcer.


LOCATION

The Radio Station is located on the campus of Edith Cowan University in Joondalup, which is just a half-hour drive north of Perth. Like everywhere else in Western Australia, this is a beautiful area. The region around Joondalup is renowned for its white sandy beaches and clean environment. The rolling sand dunes of the coast contrast sharply with a chain of inland lakes and the large area of natural bushland and National Parks.

Nearby Lake Joondalup is part of Yellagonga Regional Park and has several heritage trails through natural bushland, which are ideal for viewing the plentiful wildlife and birds.
How the Radio Station benefits from volunteers:
he people at the radio station are looking forward having volunteers from outside Australia who may be able to contribute new ideas. They are very open to free-thinking, innovative ideas! The more effort you put in, the more the responsibility you'll get. This is an excellent project that will give you good grounding and good experience.
Please note that this project is not available during December and January. Also, the work that you'll be involved in depends on what is available at the time of your placement.


REQUIREMENTS

• You don't need any qualifications to do this placement.
• You need to have an interest in media and prepared to be flexible with the work.
• You must be able to work with, and get on with, other people, particularly bearing in mind that the station is run almost entirely by volunteers from the community.
• If your placement is for a shorter-term, it's unlikely that you'll be given your own programmes, but if you're there longer-term, this may well be a possibility, depending on your own capabilities.
• We will ask you to submit a voice recording or demo tape, but this is only so that the project can judge whether you are able to broadcast on air. It will not affect your ability to assist in all the other areas of radio broadcasting.
• Lastly, self-reliance and independence will help you make the most of this wonderful opportunity!


ACCOMMODATION

Your accommodation is located in the CBD (Central Business District) of Perth, Western Australia. Therefore you are very central, close to the main train station and shopping district. You'll live with other Travellers volunteers in a very friendly and relaxing Lodge which is ideal for long-term stays. You may have your own room or you may share a room with other volunteers. There is an excellent kitchen and storage area for cooking meals and plenty of space to relax.

Entertainment at your accommodation currently includes a pool table, cheap internet access, arcade machines and cable TV (Foxtel), to name a few. But with all the sunshine Perth has, you’ll be out and about enjoying the many outdoor activities! You are literally a stroll from the Swan River and free CBD transport. Trains and buses are also only a few minutes away to take you to Fremantle, King’s Park or to the many other ‘things to do’!