A radio station with its own business school?

The unique idea is providing great brand synergies for  Malaysia’s business station BFM 89.9.

BFM began broadcasting in 2008 and has built a strong reputation for its coverage of financial news, business and current affairs.

Asia Radio Today spoke to the head of its school, Noelle Lim.

1. Please can you start by explaining more about the business school and how it got started?

I think it was in 2009, after we aired an interview with the first provost Prof Dr Khoo Hoon Eng, of Asian University for Women (AUW) in Bangladesh, we thought we should start a BFM University. Education is something very close to the hearts of many Malaysians, and there’s no business school in Malaysia of the standards of Harvard Business School .

When BFM was financially stable, we started the groundwork in 2012. The first BFM General Management Programme was conducted in 2013. This is our only product for now. The course provides a comprehensive overview about business; covers strategy, design thinking, marketing, finance, and leadership. I think what sets our school/programme apart is its curriculum, faculty and content.

2. It is of course a natural brand extension from a business radio station but what specific niche did you hope to serve?

The immediate intention of the school is still to serve our core listeners who are working professionals and entrepreneurs. It makes sense from a marketing point of view and we like to think we are most familiar with the needs of this market segment.

3. Does the school regularly work with the radio station apart from being promoted on BFM? Are there other tie ups?

Yes, we promote the school through our own database of CEOs (direct marketing), radio station, and The Edge which is Malaysia’s number one business publication and a new shareholder of BFM (The Edge took up a stake last year).

4. How do you see the school expanding?

We are looking at various options. Maybe collaborate with a top foreign university. Continuing education is important and BFM has more than 10,000 podcasts of business interviews. Can we repackage and monetise them? Lecturers in universities and colleges are already using our podcasts to teach.

5. How does the school contribute to BFM’s revenues and has it been a worthwhile venture so far?

The results exceeded our expectations which was just to break even in the first year.  The business school contributed more than 5 percent of BFM’s revenues in its maiden year, and we made a profit. We had more than 30 students in our 2013 programme.