Job Description

JOB BAND: Fp

CONTRACT TYPE: 2 year fixed-term contract

DEPARTMENT: Chief Presenter 5 Live

LOCATION: Salford

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

BBC Radio 5 Live is the voice of the UK, and the home of live news and sport. It’s BBC Radio’s main outlet for breaking news, bringing its audience major stories as they happen, and providing context with wide-ranging analysis and discussion. As presenter of 5 Live Lates, you’ll anchor a three-hour news show four days a week, serving 5 Live’s evening and late-night community from the station’s studios in Salford. An experienced broadcaster and journalist, you’ll also have the warmth and humour to connect with the late-night radio audience.

You’ll have a demonstrable knowledge of UK and global news as well as a comprehensive understanding of domestic politics, making sense of late embargo stories, breaking newspaper headlines and political developments in UK and the US. You’ll have an infectious passion for sport that connects instantly with our audience backed up with broad knowledge, as the show inherits audience from 5 Live Sport, continuing live post-match reaction on commentary evenings as well as responding to significant sports events around the world that may be live in this airtime. A natural broadcaster, you’ll be able to engage, inform, and entertain audiences, appealing to news and sport fans of all ages, from all backgrounds across the UK.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

Late night radio on BBC Radio 5 Live is a key news programme in the schedule, with a warm and welcoming tone, serving a loyal community of listeners. This is an opportunity to create and develop a new programme that delivers the latest news agenda, builds a strong late-night community and puts listeners at the heart of its output. Joining an experienced editorial team that thrives on creativity, collaboration and journalistic rigour, you’ll play a key broadcast role in shaping a programme delivering outstanding content for millions of people across the UK.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Broadcast a live 3-hour late-night radio show from Salford
• Deliver breaking news and bring audiences major stories as they happen. 
• Lead editorially balanced interviews with guests across news, current affairs, politics and sport  
• Contribute to the programme’s editorial process with topical news and sport angles and creative radio treatments
• Build strong relationships with the 5 Live listenership and grow audiences 
• Undertake regular development and review sessions 
• Contribute to the growth of 5 Live’s digital and social media strategy, to build audiences on BBC Sounds and other platforms. 

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Extensive experience of presenting programmes on live speech radio, ideally national news and sport.
• Strong editorial judgment and knowledge of BBC editorial policy. 
• Comprehensive knowledge of UK politics and global affairs
• Demonstrable experience in scrutinising and explaining major UK and International breaking news stories 
• Excellent in-depth sporting knowledge and passion, particularly football as the show will regularly react to matches as they finish. 
• Ability to engage and involve 5 Live’s audience 
• Rigorous journalistic integrity with the confidence to hold people with power to account. 
• Warm personality with the ability to build a community of loyal listeners 
• Creativity to identify and generate original ideas to implement within the programme. 

The Application Process:

After submitting your responses to the application questions, shortlisted candidates may be asked to provide an audio submission and subsequently come to Salford to meet the 5 Live leadership and record pilots.