The radio industry’s been preoccupied by business matters recently but Production 08 will put the focus back on making radio – making it sound better, making it engage more people and making it more competitive in a multi-media world.
Virgin Radio’s Christian O’Connell hosts a day of workshops, debates and interviews designed to make your station or programme sound better, connect better with listeners and expand successfully onto other platforms. Among sessions already confirmed, Radio 2’s Mark Radcliffe gives Trevor Dann the presenter’s perspective on what makes a good producer and vice-versa, Jay Crawford tells David Lloyd how to take your station to No.1, Karen Pearson reveals some of the New Voices & New Noises in radio worldwide, Scott Solder explains how to get the most out of every link and The Guardian’s Matt Wells takes us on a tour of the potentials of podcasting.
Following the all-day conference and workshops IndigO2 will host the annual Celebration of Music Radio with exciting live music and the presentations of the Scott Piering Award, the John Peel Award, the National Pluggers Award, the Regional Pluggers Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award. Tickets are available for the conference only, the evening event only or for both at a discount.
Programme
10.30 REGISTRATION & COFFEE
11.00 Mark Radcliffe in conversation
PDs and programme producers don’t always see eye-to-eye with their on-air talent. DJs sometimes interpret demands for a coherent station image as a constraint on their ability to express themselves. Management can supress presenter freedom to the extent that the broadcasters delight in subverting the rules. Radio 1 and 2 presenter, independent producer, novelist and drummer Mark Radcliffe has seen both sides of the great divide and flourished in both. In conversation with Trevor Dann, Mark shares his thoughts on how presenters and producers can get the best out of each other.
Trevor Dann (Director, Radio Academy), Mark Radcliffe (Presenter, BBC Radio 2)
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11.30 Audio On Demand
Moving the argument on from discussions regarding the threat of audio-on-demand to traditional radio, this session looks at some actual case studies of successful podcasts. Our speakers will talk about the creative process from idea generation to completion through to measurement of success.
The audience will gain practical insight into how creativity was applied to specific briefs and achieve an understanding of the challenges that were faced during the production of some of the UK’s most effective podcasts.
Simon Crosse (Director of Programmes, USP Content), Suzy Goodall (Podcast Production Manager, GCap Media), Damon Rose (Editor, BBC disability website Ouch!), Matt Wells (Head of Audio, The Guardian)
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12.10 New Voices, New Noises
Exploring the latest sounds and textures in radio production worldwide. Independent radio producer Karen Pearson hosts a discussion with author and podcast presenter Patrick Neate & producer Becky Jacobs on challenging traditional thinking in terms of literary broadcasting. Producer and sound innovator Martyn Ware (Human League/Heaven 17) joins us to discuss new possibilities in the use of sound artistically and creatively in the wider world, and how this thinking is and can be applied to broadcasting worldwide.
Becky Jacobs (Executive Producer, Karen P Productions), Patrick Neate (Author and Broadcaster), Karen Pearson (Director, Karen P Productions), Martyn Ware (Sound Designer / Producer, Future of Sound/Illustrious)
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12.40 BREAKOUT SESSION: The Playlist Clinic
This session takes the lid off some of the UK’s most influential playlist meetings. Heads of Music from Xfm, Radio 1, Virgin, the One Network and MTV will discuss what influences their decisions and how they create the most competitive playlist possible.
James Curran (Head of Music, Virgin Radio), George Ergatoudis (Head of Music, BBC Radio 1), Mark Findlay (Head of Music, The One Network, GCap Media), Chris Price (Director of Music Programming, MTV Networks UK & Ireland), Mike Walsh (Head of Music, Xfm Network)
OR
12.40 BREAKOUT SESSION: Promoting Your Station on a Shoestring
Top tips and ideas for promoting your station at no cost and how to make the most of small marketing budgets. Marketing Executive for Trent FM and Ram FM, Lucy Chapman will be sharing some of her successes over the past year along with Joe Pignatiello from BBC Radio Northampton. They will be joined by Lucy Kelly from guerilla marketing company Jack Liberties who will be showcasing some of the high impact, low cost campaigns to help get your station noticed in today’s crowded market place.
Lucy Chapman (Marketing Executive, Trent FM and Ram FM), Lucy Kelly (Senior Account Manager, Jack Liberties), Joe Pignatiello (Producer/Presenter, BBC Radio Northampton)
13.20 LUNCH
14.20 Facebook
Top Tips from Facebook:
• Facebook is a social utility, not a social media
• Authentication of users, thus targeting capabilities are far more accurate.
• Social Advertisements – New way of connecting with you’re audience, using the influence of friends to spread interest about your brand!
• Facebook Pages for clients.
• How Facebook can promote your show!
Stephen Haines (Sales Director, Facebook)
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14.50 BREAKOUT SESSION: It’s About You – How To Win With Words
An interactive and fun guide to getting the most out of every link with Scott Solder, communications consultant and former LBC PD. The voice of the DJ will be played by Mitch Johnson and together they will demonstrate how Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques can improve the way presenters connect with your audience. You will leave this session full of coaching tips to get the most out of your talent.
Scott Solder (Director, You Need This), Mitch Johnson (Presenter and Voice-Over Artist)
OR
14.50 BREAKOUT SESSION: News / UGC
How people cover breaking stories in their region. What happens in the news room when there is no news? When is news news and when is it listener generated content?
Louise Birt (Audience Editor, BBC 5Live), Andrew Edwards (Presenter, BBC Radio Leeds)
15.30 TEA
15.50 How to Make Your Station No. 1
Not long ago the regional station for southern Scotland Scot FM was languishing with half its current audience. Now, rebranded as Real Radio, it’s No1 in its market with a reach of over 30%, the highest for any commercial regional station in the UK. So how did they do it? Programme Director Jay Crawford tells Virgin Radio MD David Lloyd a few trade secrets.
Jay Crawford (Programme Director, Real Radio Scotland), David Lloyd (Programme and Marketing Director, Virgin Radio)
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16.20 Have I Got Compliance For You?
It’s not a competition because all competitions are now completely illegal. We plough through the paperwork so you can avoid the pitfalls and stay on the right side of the Regulator.
Fran Barnes (Senior Producer, BBC Radio 4), David Burkin (Programme Executive, Content and Standards, Ofcom), Jon Holmes (Writer, Presenter, Broadcaster), Daniel Owen (Director of Regulatory and Public Affairs, Global Radio), Ian Parkinson(Freelance Consultant and Coach, Parkinson Media), Paul March (Media Lawyer and Partner, Clintons)
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17.00 Celebrity Interview
How do you prepare for an interview with a pop star who’s doing the rounds? How can you get something different? How can you keep him interested? Gary Barlow shares his recollections of radio interviews, good and bad, and offers Christian O’Connell some advice on how to make the most of a plugging session.
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17.30 Drinks Reception
18.30 CELEBRATION OF MUSIC RADIO
