Gwyneth Williams has been Controller of BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra for a year since leaving her post as Director of World Service English. In that time, she has commissioned new programmes ranging from science to poetry, plans to extend the World At One from November and has introduced fresh literary and dramatic interpretations of current events such as the Arab Spring and the anniversary of 9/11. She aims to make Radio 4 more outward-looking, with an emphasis on international perspectives. In the 2011 Reith Lectures she put together an especially extended series on freedom with Aung Sang Suu Kyi, the Burmese democracy campaigner, and Eliza Manningham-Buller, the former Director General of MI5. She has also introduced changes to the commissioning system to encourage creativity. In this 1-2-1 session with Paddy O’Connell, Gwyneth talks about her first year in the job and her vision for the future of Radio 4.

Gwyneth Williams (BBC). Hosted by Paddy O’Connell. Produced by Phil Jones.

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Local radio is the heartbeat of a community but Partridge, Parish Pump and big local heritage stations have been swept away as ‘brands’ are in and ‘loca’l is out. Newsrooms are now hubbed, networking is the norm and even BBC Local Radio are doing more of what they call ‘programme sharing’. How will BBC Local Radio sound after the latest round of cuts and can local stations continue to be relevant to listeners?

Sue Carter (JACKfm), Sarah Collins (BBC Manchester), David Holdsworth (BBC Local), David Lloyd (Orion Media), Gary Stein (Key 103). Hosted by Sam Walker (BBC 5 live). Produced by John Ryan.

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Andria Vidler is the former boss of the record breaking Magic FM and knows radio inside out. Formerly the Chief Marketing Officer of Bauer Media, having previously held the post of MD of Capital FM and the Capital Network, she was also the Head of Business Development and marketing at BBC Sport. It’s an impressive CV but, in her latest role as MD of EMI, she has gained new insight into the difference between the music industry and the radio business. After just two years in her present role, she has launched new artists like Tinie Tempah, Professor Green and Swedish House Mafia. Andria believes partnerships are important, but is that destined to change? Also, hear from Andria what radio can learn from the music business and vice versa. Don’t miss this session, hosted by the one and only Neil Fox, from one of the finest business leaders in the UK.

Andria Vidler (EMI). Hosted by Neil Fox (Magic 105.4). Produced by Terry Underhill.

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Gadget Show presenters Jon Bentley and Ortis Deley join the Radio Festival armed with the gadgets and gizmos which are absolute must haves for anyone working in the media. Whether you’re a producer, programmer or the voice behind a mic, this fun, interactive session is for you. For techie-phobes
Jon and Ortis will explain how the technology works and for the most tech-savvy, they’ll be armed with tips on how to get the very best out of the gadgets. There will be an opportunity to have a play with the toys and
come armed with your smartphone because in a true battle of technology we’ll be asking delegates to play along throughout the session and cast votes to determine the Ultimate Radio Gadget!

Jon Bentley, Ortis Deley. Hosted by Margherita Taylor (Global Radio). Produced by Jo Meek.

Dennis Clark is one of the world’s most experienced and respected producers. Known the world over as the main behind American radio and TV icon Ryan Secreast (American Idol, On Air With Ryan Seacreast American Top 40 and others). In this one-off session, hear from Dennis what you need to know to produce a breakfast show that delivers an audience and, more importantly, how to keep it Number One by creating and developing radio personalities that win markets.

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Two decades ago the late night phone-in was the highlight of many commercial radio stations’ schedules. In some markets, the late night slot was competing with breakfast shows for both share and audience affection. Yet very few today have survived. Nick Ferrari hosts his very own late night phone-in (even though it’s the afternoon) with a panel of people who know their late night onions. Has commercial radio lost its nerve, can programmers handle opinionated presenters, should the slot be reinvented and, if so, where are the speech stars of today? Or is it simply that the art of the phone-in is dead? From regulation and opportunities for new talent to the gender balance – have your say and ask the panel a question via your own phone and our interactive phone-booth.

Allan Beswick (BBC Radio Manchester), Jon Gaunt, Pete Price (Radio City 96.7), James Whale (LBC Radio). Hosted by: Nick Ferrari (LBC Radio). Produced by Sam Gregory.

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Connecting with the younger generation is never easy. As the competition for the ears (and eyes) of a young audience becomes ever more intense, how do some of radio’s leading youth brands stay relevant? Tim Westwood explores the issue with revealing research that provides a useful insight into the problem. Also appearing is Andy Roberts from Bauer and a number of others who spend their time trying to figure out how to get ‘ear time’ with the young.

Matt Deegan (Folder Media), Andy Roberts (Kiss FM). Hosted by Tim Westwood (BBC). Produced by Piers Bradford.

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The music we play is not a simple decision. It is often the result of much debate, backed up by research that suggests what listeners want (or, more importantly, what they don’t want). Gut feel is out and focus groups are in. Yet some of our most popular radio stations are starting to do things differently. Some are going back to good old-fashioned ‘gut feel’. Can this be true? What are the dark arts of music selection and how do people decide what we can hear and how long we hear it for? There is more than one way to schedule music, but which is the right way? Join us for a session that will no doubt bring up interesting opinions with the leading music programmers in their field having their say.

David Courtier-Dutton (Soundout), George Ergatoudis (BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra), John Simons (GMG Radio), Jeff Smith (BBC Radio 2 & 6 Music). Hosted by Terry Underhill (UTV Radio). Produced by Alex Donnelly.

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The huge power of social media just marches on. Radio listeners use it every single day of their lives, but how can radio stations make sure it works for them? From Canada, we hear from one radio station which has changed its format to use social media better. From the UK, we have a story of how BBC Local Radio used social media to achieve great results. Alongside this, there are many potential pitfalls. Rachel Clarke brings you up to speed on things to do and things to avoid. This is a fast moving session hosted by the man who has 402,000 ‘likes’ of his show’s Facebook fan page and 462,000 followers on Twitter – BBC Radio 1’s Scott Mills.

Ken Benson (P1 research), Rachel Clarke (Momentum London), Brett Spencer (BBC Radio 2 & 6 Music). Hosted by Scott Mills (BBC Radio 1). Produced by Helen Grimes.

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We research our playlists, our presenters, our marketing and our commercials, but our imaging is based primarily on what we think might work. So what happens when we put some of the jingles from some of the biggest radio stations in the UK in front of focus groups or research panels? Would they make that station’s A list? We try to find out. We’ll also hear from Brits now working in radio overseas. Is there anything to learn in the art of imaging from radio stations in the US and Australia? Plus, one lucky member of the audience will win the ultimate prize of having our live session singers putting together their very own jingle. A vocal harmony or a big mistake?

Sandy Beech (Music4), Chris Reay (BBC Radio 2). Hosted by Simon Hirst. Produced by Chris Stevens.

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In the last few years the renaissance of radio has proved that it will remain a major force in a fully digital world. However, while the industry has shown it can survive, could it ever deliver rapid growth and actually outpace the media market? This session will offer a chance for us to reflect on where major breakthroughs, both creative and technical, could take us.

Ben Fenton (Financial Times), Mathew Horsman (Mediatique), Chris Bishoff (Goldman Sachs), Alex Connock (PRETEND Limited). Hosted by Tim Davie (BBC). Produced by Chris Burns.

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