Want to get involved with Dales Radio? We're always looking for keen volunteers to join our passionate team. Why not take a look at the roles below and get in touch with us for more information?
Driven by a passionate team of volunteers, Dales Radio relies on a diverse range of talents to keep the station on the air. Every role is fueled by community spirit.
More than just a voice on the airwaves, a community radio presenter serves as a vital link to the local area. While commercial DJs focus on ratings, these presenters—often dedicated volunteers—prioritise social gain, providing a platform for underrepresented groups and local stories. They are motivated, community-minded individuals who act as both the host and the heartbeat of the station.
On a daily basis, the role demands a high level of multitasking and technical skill:
- Content & Production: Presenters research and produce their own material, from local news and traffic updates to interviewing small business owners and charity leaders.
- Audience Engagement: They bridge the gap between the studio and the street by managing phone-ins, interacting on social media, and representing the station at public events.
- Technical Execution: Operating the studio desk is a core requirement. Whether broadcasting live or voice-tracking, they manage the music, jingles, and sound levels to ensure a professional finish.
- Compliance: Above all, they serve as the frontline of broadcasting standards, ensuring every show adheres to the Ofcom Broadcast Code to protect the station’s license.
Ultimately, the presenter’s goal is to craft a consistent, high-quality program that celebrates and connects the community they serve.
As the creative and logistical engine of a radio show, the Producer ensures that every broadcast aligns with the station’s mission of community service. In the world of community radio—where resources are lean, and passion is high—producers are "organisers-in-chief," handling a diverse range of tasks that would typically be split among several departments at a commercial station.
Three core pillars define the producer’s role:
- Creative Development: They act as the masterminds behind the microphone, generating fresh ideas that reflect local culture. This involves deep-dive research and booking community guests whose stories give the station its unique local flavour.
- Technical Direction: Beyond just planning, they are hands-on in the studio. They draft running orders and scripts, select music, and often operate the mixing desk during live shows to manage sound levels and cues. They are also responsible for the "polish," recording and editing audio packages while ensuring all content stays within the bounds of copyright and media law.
- Station Advocacy: Often working voluntarily, these producers frequently extend their reach to the station’s digital platforms, managing social media and website updates to keep the community informed.
By acting as a mentor and technical guide, the producer does more than just make radio; they provide vital training opportunities and create distinctive, high-quality content that fosters a deep sense of local belonging.
The role of a reporter is intrinsically linked to the station's mission: to give a voice to the local community and cover stories often overlooked by larger media outlets. Unlike reporters at major networks, the community reporter typically has a broad, multi-skilled remit, combining the duties of a traditional broadcast journalist and a hyper-local content producer. Their primary focus is to engage with people in a defined geographic area or community of interest, cultivating strong relationships and networks both in-person and online to source original, relevant stories.
A community radio reporter spends significant time out in the 'patch', attending local meetings, events, and talking to residents to generate unique content. They are responsible for the entire lifecycle of a story: researching, verifying facts, conducting interviews, and then producing the final broadcast-ready package. This involves writing scripts for news bulletins and features, recording and editing audio using technical equipment, and often presenting their own reports live or pre-recorded on-air. They must have a keen understanding of media law, particularly concerning libel and court reporting, as accuracy is paramount. Ultimately, their job is to ensure the station's output truly reflects the concerns, issues, and positive happenings of the community it serves, transforming local information into engaging, balanced, and accurate radio journalism.
A journalist plays a vital, multifaceted role that centres on serving the local area, often with limited resources. Unlike their counterparts in larger media organisations, a community radio journalist is typically a generalist, expected to cover a wide range of tasks from pitch to publication. Their primary function is to focus on hyper-local news that directly affects the station's listening community, providing a platform for stories and voices that might be overlooked by regional or national broadcasters.
This involves diligently sourcing, researching, and verifying stories relevant to the immediate locality, such as local council decisions, school events, charity initiatives, and human-interest features. They are the station's ears and eyes on the ground, attending local meetings, building relationships with community leaders, and establishing a network of contacts. The practical duties are broad: the journalist will often be a reporter, editor, presenter, and producer all in one. They are responsible for writing news scripts, conducting and editing interviews—which may involve operating recording equipment and editing software—and then often presenting the news bulletins live on air.
Crucially, the role extends beyond just reporting. A community radio journalist is a community champion and an advocate for local dialogue. They manage social media updates, contribute to the station's website, and work to ensure the station is an accessible, inclusive platform for diverse local voices. This connection to the community is their unique strength, fostering a sense of local identity and holding local power to account in a manner that is accessible and engaging to their neighbours. They are essential to the station’s mission of providing relevant, timely, and impactful local information.
The Website Editor is crucial for extending the station's local presence and mission into the digital realm, transforming the broadcast output into engaging online content. This role involves more than simple uploading; it requires strong editorial judgement to select, write, and polish news, features, and programme descriptions provided by volunteer presenters and staff, ensuring all material is accurate, grammatically correct, and aligns with the station's style and community focus.
A major duty is content management—using a Content Management System (CMS) to schedule new posts, update show pages, manage presenter biographies, and publish local news stories or community event details. They must also ensure that the website and its content adhere to relevant media law and OFCOM guidelines, protecting the non-profit station from libel or other compliance issues. Furthermore, the editor is often responsible for the site's overall digital health and promotion, employing basic Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques to increase visibility, improving website accessibility for all users, and maintaining brand consistency across the site. They work collaboratively with the marketing and social media teams to create a unified digital strategy, and they might also analyse website traffic data to better understand the audience and inform future content planning. Essentially, the Website Editor acts as the digital gatekeeper, ensuring the radio station's community spirit and local relevance shine online.
As the guardians of the station's infrastructure, Technical Volunteers are the central figures responsible for keeping the broadcast alive, legal, and operational. Their role is a unique hybrid of engineering expertise and creative support, ensuring the station meets Ofcom’s strict technical specifications while providing a seamless environment for presenters and producers.
The responsibilities of a technical volunteer cover several critical areas:
- Infrastructure Management: They oversee the entire technical ecosystem, from studio mixing desks and play-out software to the high-stakes transmission equipment that sends the signal to the community. In a non-profit setting, they must be calm, resourceful problem-solvers capable of troubleshooting complex hardware or IT issues on the fly.
- Mentorship & Training: A vital part of the role involves empowering others. They teach fellow volunteers how to master the equipment for live broadcasts, audio editing, and podcast creation, ensuring the station’s output remains professional.
- Digital & Compliance: Beyond the hardware, they often manage the digital pipeline—uploading podcasts, maintaining website content, and ensuring all technical operations follow strict Health and Safety protocols.
- Special Projects: When the station goes on the road, these volunteers design and deploy temporary studio solutions for outside broadcasts or live music sessions, making sure the audio quality is top-tier regardless of the location.
Essentially, technical volunteers are the indispensable link between community-led storytelling and the technology that powers it. Their blend of technical savvy and clear communication ensures that Dales Radio stays on the air and remains a reliable voice for its listeners.
Acting as the organisational backbone of the station, Admin Volunteers handle the essential day-to-day operations that keep the "business" side of the radio running smoothly. By managing the logistical heavy lifting, they ensure the broadcasting and production teams are free to focus entirely on creating great local content.
The administrative role is diverse and multifaceted, centring on several key pillars:
- The Face of the Station: Admin volunteers are often the first point of contact for the public. Whether they are answering phone calls, responding to emails, or greeting visitors, they provide a professional and welcoming presence for listeners, partners, and guests.
- Logistics & Scheduling: Efficiency is at the heart of this role. From coordinating volunteer rotas and booking studio sessions to organising management meetings, they ensure that the station's time and resources are used effectively.
- Office & Financial Support: They maintain the station’s vital records, both digital and physical. Under the guidance of the treasurer or manager, they may also assist with basic financial tasks like tracking donations, managing petty cash, or processing volunteer expense forms.
- Community Outreach: During fundraising drives or local events, admin volunteers are indispensable. They prepare promotional materials, manage databases of community stakeholders, and support the planning of training sessions for new recruits.
Ultimately, their meticulous attention to detail ensures the station remains compliant with its regulatory obligations and stays deeply connected to the community it serves. Without the steady hand of the admin team, the station simply couldn't function.
Interested in joining our team? CLICK HERE to share your details and the role you are interested in, and a member of the team will contact you.