Former Capital Radio group news editor Justin Kings has left BBC London after two years as assistant editor to launch his own broadcast journalism consultancy.
Kings, who spent 11 years at Capital FM in London including five as group news editor, was poached in late 2006 to oversee BBC London’s news and programming, working in its multimedia London newsroom.
He left the broadcaster shortly before Christmas and has now set up Newsleader, which fully launches today and claims to be the UK’s only radio consultancy firm focusing solely on news and talk radio.
Kings said the new company would provide voice coaching, writing clinics, multimedia training and advice on emergency planning to broadcasters.
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He said he was also in talks with a number of BBC and commercial radio stations about potential new projects – including a one-off independent producing assignment to coincide with the Oscars.
“I think the next year is going to be challenging for anyone working in radio,” Kings said.
“These days, newsreaders can climb the ranks far quicker than when I started.
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“In these situations where a journalist can end up on the breakfast show after a few months in the business, it means coaching is critical.”
Kings started at London flagship commercial radio station Capital FM in 1995, working on its evening news magazine programme, The Way It Is.
He was promoted to news editor across the Capital Radio Group’s 20 stations in 2001 and became group news editor of the UK’s biggest commercial radio group, GCap Media, when Capital merged with GWR Group in 2004.
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