Speakers and guests for the Radio Festival have been unveiled ahead of October's event in Salford Quays.
This year, the festival covers a range of topics under three key themes of creativity, business and technology. Guest speakers include Ed Vaizey, Tim Davie and Ashley Tabor.
The Festival will kick-off with a hard-hitting health check on our industry, as writer and broadcaster Steve Hewlett questions leading policymakers including Tim Davie (BBC Audio & Music), Ashley Tabor (Global Radio), Paul Keenan (Bauer Media) and Andrew Harrison (RadioCentre).
It’s been a tricky year in our market due to the recession, but how has the rest of the world been coping? There will be a session to find out how overseas markets are behaving and what we can learn from them. Speakers include Prashant Panday (The Times of India), Steve Pratt (Director, CBC Radio Canada) and Andy Bird (Chairman, Walt Disney International).
Other key speakers this year include Ed Vaizey, Peter Salmon, Graham Norton, Nicholas Parsons, Paul Merton, Nick Ferrari, Gwyneth Williams, Ford Ennals, Will Page, Tim Smit, Wendy Harmer and David Liddiment.
This year's Radio Festival will be hosted by Richard Bacon (BBC Radio 5 Live) in the main Quays Theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Capital FM’s Margherita Taylor looking after the Festival “Extra” room.
New this year is the Festival Cafe where you can relax and chat with colleagues, grab a coffee, or join one of our “speed dating” session with radio bosses Clive Dickens (Absolute Radio) and Bob Shennan (BBC Radio 2 & 6 Music).
On Monday, TechCon returns with a programme described as a healthy mix of maths, plain speaking and multi-dimensional sound aimed at engineers, technologists and programmers alike. Monday evening plays host to the opening reception and PPL Party at new Salford venue The Point.
Following on from a packed programme on Tuesday will be The Radio Academy Hall of Fame, sponsored by PRS for Music. This event, held for the first time at the Festival, is the industry's tribute to those legendary voices who make and have made an outstanding contribution to the sound of British radio and to British cultural life.
Also new to the Festival this year is the Radio Fair – a trade exhibition showcasing the latest technological and software solutions, product launches, financial and legal services – in fact everything that will help you run your studios, outside broadcasts and businesses more efficiently and effectively.
Radio Today is a media partner of the Radio Festival 2010 and will be in Salford Quays for the duration of the festival, providing live updates and pictures for those who can’t make it. Further details and information on how to reserve your place can be found [link=http://www.radioacademy.org/events/radio-festival-2010/rf-2010-tickets/?utm_campaign=Radio%2BFestival%2BLastest%2BNews_source=emailCampaign&utm_medium=email]here[/link] on the Radio Academy website.