Maggie Ayre is an award winning BBC RADIO FOUR producer living in Bristol. Maggie graduated from the University of Liverpool with a degree in Hispanic Studies and German, and started her career at the BBC World Service. After leaving to work for Radio Netherlands for 5 years, Maggie returned to the BBC to produce and report for BBC Radio Four.
Maggie has been awarded the ‘Guild of Food Writers Award’, as well as the award for Best Radio Programme by the Broadcasting Press Guild 2012, the ‘New York Radio Festival Silver and Bronze Medal’, and her documentaries in 2007 and 2008 respectively won the ‘BEMA Best Radio Documentary award’, and the ‘IVCA Clarion Award’. She was recently awarded the Radio Academy Gold award for ‘Soul Music’-referred to as “stunning” by programme judges.
Maggie’s programmes provide compelling insights into a wide variety of domains including music, literature, and the complex and inspiring relationships between people.
Soul Music: BBC Radio 4
What does your current job entail, and how did you get into your field?
My job is to make radio programmes for the BBC’s national speech radio network ‘Radio For Curious Minds’, as it is billed. I come up with ideas for one off documentaries as well as for regular series on Radio 4 such as ‘Great Lives’, ‘With Great Pleasure’, ‘Soul Music’ and ‘Shared Experience’. I then research them, find suitable guest speakers, organise the recordings – either in studio or on location, then edit to time in a way that makes sense.
What do you love the most about your job?
What I love about my job is the freedom to be creative and to explore ideas that interest me. I am a naturally curious person who is interested in the world and my job gives me license to delve into other people’s lives and worlds. Mostly, people are only too glad to share them with me. I particularly enjoy making ‘Soul Music’, a programme that features a piece of music and explores people’s emotional stories that are connected to it. It combines two of my major interests – music and storytelling. I also enjoy engaging with people.
What was the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your professional career?
From time to time, a complaint is levelled against us as programme makers, especially as part of the BBC, which does have its detractors. I once had a complaint about a programme I made, which a lobby group was not happy with and tried to have stopped before broadcast. The organisation subsequently complained on thirteen different points in the programme, all of which I had to defend to our Head of Complaints Unit in order to save my reputation as an accurate and impartial journalist. It was very stressful, but ultimately we were vindicated, as many of the issues we raised have become a reality.
Costing The Earth: BBC Radio 4
Is there anyone that has changed your professional life for the better ?
I’m lucky, as I have had several very supportive bosses and editors who have recognised my strengths, encouraged me to develop them and have given me the chance to do so.
What was the best advice you were ever given? Aim high.
What do you think students need to do to stand out from the crowd once they leave university?
It’s no good saying you want to work in TV or radio without a clear idea of why and in which area. The students who stand out are those who are clearly passionate about a particular area of broadcasting and can demonstrate that articulately. Otherwise, it can sound like you just want to be famous or on the X Factor!
Is there any career advice you would give students on breaking into the media industry?
Get involved in your chosen medium – do some voluntary work for radio or TV if you can. Find yourself a mentor, offer ideas, show willing, be creative and proactive.
Maggie at the Press Guild Awards