Our Tutors

Our tutors are passionate about radio. They are not theorists, they're practitioners. They know what it takes to be successful. They can spot talent. They know the disciplines and the shortcuts, and they understand what will be expected of you when you start work.

Rory McLeod – Director
Rory trained in radio journalism at Radio Clyde and subsequently worked in newsrooms in Belfast, Edinburgh and London. He has covered many national and international stories, both as reporter and as a network news editor. He has also worked extensively in sports journalism, producing the country's most successful Saturday afternoon sports shows. He has made several documentary series and has hosted phone-ins on major market radio stations. He has taught radio news students, some of who are now household names or at the top of the broadcast news industry. He has founded, launched and managed several successful radio stations. And he has helped to pioneer new digital radio formats.
 

Rick Houghton (Senior Lecturer - Liverpool)

Rick Houghton is a vastly experienced radio presenter based in the North West of England. He has over 20 years broadcasting experience with presenter credits at Radio City, Key 103, Metro Radio, Rock FM and most recently Real Radio. He also spent time in the Middle East launching and programming English stations in Dubai.

Mark Walker (Programming)
A radio presenter for almost 30 years, Mark Walker ditched an offer to study at Newcastle University to join a radio station as a go-fer! He’s had an immensely successful career in the business. He has worked for a number of national and local radio companies as a broadcaster, producer, music producer and programme director. He is also one of the few people accredited to train people in RCS radio programming and music scheduling software. Previous students have found him both knowledgeable and helpful.

Barbara Groom (Radio News)
Barbara Groom is an editor at BBC network news. She trained as a newspaper journalist before moving to commercial radio. She was a senior reporter with Independent Radio News where she covered many national and international stories. During the following years, she was a staff reporter for “Today”, the BBC's flagship current affairs programme. She also spent several years in television news, and then on BBC Radio 5Live.

Luke Smith (Presentation)
Luke Smith is talented. He teaches presentation skills, and desk and mic techniques. Currently, he's at the top of his game as a commercial radio presenter. In his mid-twenties, he's been broadcasting professionally for almost a decade. He's also much in demand as a voice-over artist.

Judith Phillips (Voice)
The School's principal Voice Coach is Judith Phillips. She teaches Voice Skills to NBS Presentation and News students as a group and on an individual basis. Judith teaches professional actors, and students at the London Academy of Dramatic Art. A graduate of Cambridge University, she also has an MA in Voice Studies from the Central School of Speech and Drama. Judith's stage experience includes spells with the English Touring Theatre, the Theatre Royal, the Royal Shakespeare Company and York Theatre Royal.

Keith Belcher (External Moderator, Broadcast Law)
Keith has been a journalist, broadcaster and educator for forty years. He has worked in provincial and national newspapers, and in commercial radio. He was Assistant Editorial Director of LBC/IRN and Senior Producer (News) at Talk Radio. He has been an External Moderator in broadcast news for many years and has trained extensively overseas.