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Ian Nancollas
Alumni Relations Manager
Alumni Relations Office
University of Bedfordshire
Luton campus
Luton, LU1 3JU
alumni@beds.ac.uk
Monday-Friday 08:30-17:00
+44 (0)1582 489 270
"I am now News Editor at Chiltern FM."
Debbie has worked her way up from a Trainee Broadcast Journalist to her current role as News Editor for Chiltern FM. She works with a team of 10 reporters supplying the news bulletins for five local stations including Chiltern FM, Classic Gold, FM103 Horizon and two digital stations.
Debbie studied journalism modules as part of her course at Luton, which made her realise that she wanted a career in journalism. She hadn’t considered working in radio until a placement at Chiltern FM gave her the chance to work in its busy newsroom. That was the ‘foot in the door’ that allowed her to make personal contacts in radio and eventually land a job as a Broadcast Journalist.
Like most glamorous-sounding careers, radio presenting takes discipline and lots of hard work. Debbie said: “Radio journalism is so different from print journalism because it’s so immediate. You have to be on the ball every minute of the day because you’re working to at least three deadlines every hour. You’re only as good as your last ‘exclusive’ or your last news bulletin.”
After learning the ropes as a broadcast journalist, Debbie then moved to FM103 Horizon in Milton Keynes as a Field Reporter. She then returned to Chiltern FM as a senior journalist and in the last year, has worked her way up to News Editor.
Debbie believes her quick progression up the career ladder was due to her involvement in a number of special projects.
She received an award from Independent Radio News and a World News Award at the New York Festival, for a feature she did on the sex industry in Herts, Beds and Bucks.
Another feature on domestic violence led to a 50 per cent increase in calls to police about domestic violence incidents in this region.
Debbie said: “Covering such topics can be tough but when you hear that it made a difference, you realise how important this job is.”
On her time at Luton Debbie said: “I loved studying in Luton and I’m still living in the area five years after I graduated. I have great memories of my time at the University both with my lecturers and my friends.”
Debbie’s new role means she is in charge of a busy newsroom which works to tight deadlines every day of the week. “Making News Editor was tough but very rewarding and I’m loving every minute of it,” she said.
Interview took place in 2005.
