In comes the Tuned Media Mentorship Programme, which will guide three young professionals over the course of a year.

Zunckel’s decades of broadcast media experience, both as talent and as a revered media executive, not only gave him an ear for talent but also exposed prevailing gaps in the industry that desperately need to be addressed. 

“There is no mentorship,” he laments. Working in a different profession altogether exposed him to this particular lack.

“My story starts with working at a law firm in 2000 and being an article clerk. It’s a structured mentorship in that you sign a contract, there are people around you, and there’s guidance. And they show you what to do, and when you step out of line, they help you.

/When I transitioned from the law back to working in radio, I reached out to one or two people in a similar way that I would have reached out at a law firm. I quickly realised there’s no appetite for someone to put their hand up and pull you up or to guide you,” explained the media veteran.

Talent is everywhere, opportunity isn't. That's why I've created the Tuned Media Mentorship Programme.

If you know someone who would benefit from this opportunity, please share it.

To read more about the programme, click : https://t.co/JLD6q29MBm#BroadcastMedia #Mentorship pic.twitter.com/9ZUssIL7aO

— Tim Zunckel (@TimZunckel) June 2, 2026

Talent is often spoken about as hugely problematic in the broadcasting business. The industry has varied moving parts, and people with specific skills are needed in those roles. At the heart of it, the programme is what he was looking for as a 24-year-old.

“I knew that I had something, but I didn’t have anyone who could validate it or say, ‘Look in this direction’. And a lot of what I achieved, I had to do the hard way. I don’t think, as an industry we should let people do it the hard way.”

The intention is that those mentored will pass the knowledge on to others, as a new culture is created in the broadcasting landscape. The Tuned Media lead consultant wants applicants who have the long game in mind and aren’t just seeking an avenue to a salary increase.

Programme details

• Applications close: 20 June.
• The programme will select three emerging broadcast media professionals for its inaugural cohort.
• Applicants must have at least one year of professional experience and be actively working in the broader broadcast media industry.
• The programme runs for 12 months, from July 2026 to June 2027.
• Participants are required to commit a minimum of three hours per month to programme activities. Each mentee will receive monthly one-on-one mentorship sessions tailored to their career goals, challenges and aspirations. The programme includes monthly check-ins and bi-monthly group sessions to encourage accountability, peer learning and reflection.
• Participants will attend four industry training sessions presented by senior media professionals and industry leaders.
• The programme provides structured networking opportunities, including facilitated introductions to influential figures in the broadcast media sector.
• Key focus areas include career planning, professional positioning, personal branding, industry insights and network development. Participants will complete regular self-reflection exercises and a final assessment to measure growth and progress.
• The programme is offered free of charge, with Tuned Media covering participation-related costs.

The intention is to start this year’s cohort with three young media professionals, and then hopefully, expand to six and so forth in the coming years.

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