Bulgarian National Radio’s training centre – the BNR Academy – has celebrated the successful completion of its third Master Class in Radio Journalism.

The Academy was set up with the support of the Eurovision Academy and EBU Partnership Programme in 2014 to provide hands-on training to young journalists across Bulgaria.

Eleven journalists have completed the latest programme which included exams on the production of radio features and news materials. The new Director General of BNR, Alexander Velev, presented the graduates with their Diplomas. He said the BNR Academy was one of the best developments in public radio in the past three years:  “We must take care of our people, of our staff. We need to train them, to constantly enhance their qualifications, and we must show that we improve the quality progressively.”

As well as helping establish the BNR Academy, the EBU have helped other broadcasters such as Radio Algeria, Radio Television of Kosovo and Georgia Public Broadcasting set up their own Academies as part of a drive towards capacity building amongst Members. They have also developed a network of national trainers who make up the Eurovision Academy Corporate Learning Network.

Frederic Frantz, the Eurovision Academy project manager in charge of this initiative, says that: “for a public broadcaster, creating an internal academy is the best way to nurture a learning organization, to develop a corporate culture and to support the transfer of competences and knowledge in a cost effective way.”