This week, we were thrilled to announce that, fresh from the success of last week’s 2013 Sony Radio Academy Awards Ceremony, Chris Evans has confirmed his role as host of the event for a further two years.

Chris said: “I love hosting the Sonys – it’s a great awards ceremony and also a great event that I’m very proud to be a part of.”

You can see photos from the big night (and tag yourself) on flickr and facebook. Winners can also purchase duplicate trophies and certificates for the ultimate in mantelpiece chic. Click here for an order form.

Me Me Me: How to create a compelling personal brand

To celebrate the launch of our hunt for the next 30 Under 30, our London Branch event will ask: how important is it to have your own personal brand and just how do you go about trying to create one?

The evening will be hosted by 30 Under 30 star Emma Barnett (Woman’s Editor, The Telegraph), with a panel of 30 Under 30 judges – Paul Robinson (CEO and Principal of PR Media Consulting and Creative Media Partners), Lisa Kerr (Founder and Director, Lisa Kerr Media & Communications Consultancy) and James Cridland (Radio Futurologist) – all experts in what makes an individual stand out from the crowd.

Join us from 6pm on Monday 10th June at Gibson Guitar Studio, 29-35 Rathbone Street, London, W1T 1NJ. It’s free to members and £10 to non-members. For more info and to register, just hit the website.

London Event: Freelancing

On Wednesday night, our London Branch hosted a brilliantly informative event on Freelancing with Petrie Hosken, Dave Johns, Sandy Warr, and Lorna Clarke discussing the pros and cons of being your own boss. If you missed out, or just want to refresh your memory, the audio from the event will be up on the website soon. In the meantime, you can see our live tweets from the night @radioacademy #RAfreelance.

Creative Skillset funding for freelancers

Creative Skillset’s 2013 fund for training for freelancers working in UK radio opens today! Individuals can apply for up to 80% towards the cost of training in priority skills areas, including sound, production management, craft and technical, business and management.

To be eligible, applicants must have proven professional experience and be able to demonstrate how the training will benefit their career. Information and application forms can be found at www.creativeskillset.org/fundingfortraining. This is a tremendous opportunity for freelancers to develop their skills, so do NOT miss out!

RAJAR Learning Programme

Calling all RAJAR Subscribers! Are you fluent in Audience Measurement? If the answer is ‘no’, or you would just like to be reminded how the RAJAR Survey works, then the RAJAR Learning Programme might be for you.

The aim of the Programme is to provide an insightful and helpful Training Session that educates the attendee on how the Survey is designed and operated, why it uses the Diary, what the future of radio measurement looks like, what Publication includes and how to access, interpret and use the Data. For more information and to book, head to www.rajar.co.uk.

Listen

In this week’s RadioTalk, one of our 30 Under 30, James Carpenter, tackles the increasingly important question of how radio stations keep younger listeners for longer.

James and producer Tom Billington speak to George Ergatoudis (Head of Music, Radio 1), Andy Roberts (Group Programme Director, KISS/Bauer Media), Rod McKenzie (Editor of Radio 1 & 1Xtra Newsbeat), Hattie Pearson (Xfm) and Greg James (Radio 1) for their thoughts on that perpetual challenge. Plus, more radio history magic with another fantastic edition of David Lloyd’s Radio Moments. Enjoy!

Membership

Support The Radio Academy, get discounted rates for all our events and be the envy of all your friends by becoming a Member. You can sign up on our website for annual membership for just £25, but if you work for any of our Patrons it’s absolutely free! Just register with your work email address here.

Best wishes,

The Radio Academy Team

James and producer Tom Billington speak to George Ergatoudis (Head of Music, Radio 1), Andy Roberts (Group Programme Director, KISS/Bauer Media), Rod McKenzie (Editor of Radio 1 & 1Xtra Newsbeat), Hattie Pearson (Xfm) and Greg James (Radio 1) for their thoughts on that perpetual challenge.

Plus, more radio history magic with another fantastic edition of David Lloyd’s Radio Moments. Enjoy!

Produced by Tom Billington and James Carpenter and recorded at BBC Western House (some pieces on location) in London with imaging from On The Sly.

Comments always welcome. Also available via iTunes.

We are thrilled to announce that, fresh from the success of last week’s 2013 Sony Radio Academy Awards Ceremony, Chris Evans has confirmed his role as host of the event for a further two years.

Chris Evans said: “I love hosting the Sonys – it’s a great awards ceremony and also a great event that I’m very proud to be a part of.”

John Myers, Chairman of the Sony Radio Academy Awards, said: “We’re delighted that Chris has signed up for the 2014 and 2015 Awards. He’s a master at anchoring the event and adept at moving things along and keeping the audience together and on track to celebrate the very best of UK radio. The Radio Academy looks forward to continuing our working relationship with Chris and building on this year’s success.”

The Sony Radio Academy Awards are the most prestigious accolades in the UK radio industry’s year, and the only event that brings the entire sector together to celebrate outstanding content and creativity.

The 2013 Awards Ceremony was held on Monday 13th May at London’s Grosvenor House. For full details of this year’s winners, just click here. You can also see photos from the big night (and tag yourself) on flickr and facebook.

Information about the 2014 Awards will be posted on the website from late autumn, so watch this space.

Monday 10th June 2013 | 6pm for 6.30
Gibson Guitar Studio, 29-35 Rathbone Street, London, W1T 1NJ

Apple. Innocent. Honda. Given a blank sheet of paper you could conjure up at least 3 key words associated with each company. But how easily could you did this for yourself? Could you describe your personal brand in 3 words?

To celebrate the launch of The Radio Academy’s hunt for the next 30 Under 30, we ask – how important is it to have your own personal brand and just how do you go about trying to create one?

In an industry where introductions, networking and social media are vital, how you are perceived by others can have a tangible effect on your career, whether you are a freelancer, a newcomer or simply someone with an eye on your next move. In a crowded market, standing out has never been more important.

In our day-to-day lives we choose products based on their reputation. You may start the day with a “Just Do It” or a “Snap! Crackle! Pop!”, enjoy an “I’m Lovin’ It” for lunch, pop into “Every Little Helps” for your dinner, and maybe have a long shower before bed. “Because You’re Worth It” (of course).

Brands and their tag lines are laden with associations that inform decision-making: we may see a brand as more trustworthy, more luxurious, more ethical or more edgy. These associations may seem natural but are the result of careful planning, ensuring one product is chosen over another.

In the same way, your own personal brand affects how others perceive you in the workplace and the wider industry, and can directly impact your career prospects and your external level of influence.

The evening will be hosted by 30 Under 30 star Emma Barnett (Woman’s Editor, The Telegraph), with a panel featuring three of the 30 Under 30 judges – Paul Robinson (CEO and Principal of PR Media Consulting and Creative Media Partners), Lisa Kerr (Founder and Director, Lisa Kerr Media & Communications Consultancy) and James Cridland (Radio Futurologist) – all experts in what makes an individual stand out from the crowd. Your personal brand can make you or break you. But happily it is something you have the power to create and control. And we’re here to help you do it!

You can follow the event throughout the night on Twitter via @radioacademy and #RAmememe.

Details:

Date: Monday 10th June 2013
Time: 6pm for 6.30pm start
Venue: Gibson Guitar Studio, 29-35 Rathbone Street, London, W1T 1NJ

Registration:

Cost: members free / non-members £10 (inc VAT)

To register for this event, just click HERE.

Tickets for Radio Academy events are non-refundable, but may be transferred.

Did you know most people working in radio qualify for free membership of The Radio Academy via Patrons or as volunteers/staff of SRA, HBA and most community affiliated stations? Although registration is required, it’s a relatively quick process.
Click here to see if you qualify.

Speakers:

Emma Barnett – Women’s Editor, The Telegraph

Emma Barnett is The Telegraph’s Women’s Editor – heading up Wonder Women, a new daily section filled with sassy, irreverent and intelligent content about politics, business, family, life and sex. She writes news, comment and features across the section. Previously the paper’s award-winning Digital Media Editor, she also presents the Sunday drive-time radio show on LBC 97.3 each week, for which she was named best new radio presenter in 2012 at the Arqivas, makes Radio 4 documentaries and sometimes appears on the telly. @emmabarnett

Paul Robinson – CEO and Principal of PR Media Consulting and Creative Media Partners

Paul heads consultancy services which include content production and distribution, channel branding, design and programming, marketing, broadcast technology and talent management. Paul founded KidsCo, the international children’s channel and on demand service in 2005, securing funding, devising the strategy, and as CEO built the business into a successful network in 98 countries leading to a majority sale to NBC Universal, the Hollywood studio in 2011.
From 1998 Paul was Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Walt Disney Television responsible for Disney’s global content production and broadcast strategy, based in London and Los Angeles. Prior to Disney Paul was CEO of Talk Radio the national commercial station, turning it round from loss making and creatively repositioning it with high profile presenter signings and sports right acquisitions.
From 1990 Paul was Managing Editor of BBC Radio 1, responsible for all programming and music of the national radio network, before being promoted to Head of Strategy for Radios 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 live, leading strategic development of the BBC’s analogue and digital stations. Paul started his career in commercial radio as a presenter at Radio Tees and Mercia Sound, becoming Programme Director of Chiltern Radio, a network of 9 commercial stations. He holds a BSc(Hons) from Cambridge and Manchester Universities and MBA (with distinction) from the University of Bradford. @PaulRobinsonPR

Lisa Kerr – Founder and Director, Lisa Kerr Media & Communications Consultancy

Lisa Kerr is a Media and Communications consultant working with clients in the media, health, transport, arts and education sectors. She previously spent 20 years in commercial radio, latterly leading policy and strategy at RadioCentre, the industry body for UK commercial radio, and played a particularly significant role in the industry’s digital radio strategy.
In 2011 she became only the 11th woman to be made a Fellow of The Radio Academy and was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in the Long Term Development of Commercial Radio. An award winning radio presenter and producer, Lisa sits on the UK Regulatory Board of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, is a Vice Chair of Scottish Opera, a trustee of The Radio Academy and a governor of Gordonstoun Schools. She lives in Elgin and has three young children. @TheLisaKerr

James Cridland – Radio Futurologist

James is a radio futurologist, and is Managing Director of Media UK, the UK’s free media resource. James has worked in radio since 1989 as an award-winning copywriter, presenter, and internet advisor. In 2001 he joined the original Virgin Radio in London, where he was Digital Media Director, launching the world’s first radio smartphone app in March 2005. In 2007 he joined the BBC to work on the BBC iPlayer for radio, achieving a dramatic increase in the service’s audio quality.
Since leaving the BBC in 2009, he has worked for a variety of businesses, including the receiver manufacturer Pure, UK Radioplayer and Radioplayer Worldwide, OXIS Media, Absolute Radio and talkSPORT, and a variety of European media companies, helping them focus on the benefits and challenges that new platforms bring to their business. He is one of the organisers of nextrad.io, the radio conference for ‘people that do’ each September.
He is a Trustee of The Radio Academy and has served as a judge for a number of industry awards, including the Australian ABC Local Radio Awards, the UK Student Radio Awards and the Sony Radio Academy Awards, where he has also served on the committee. He was a founder of the hybrid radio technology association RadioDNS. James lives in North London and likes beer. He blogs about the future of radio on his own website at james.cridland.net. @JamesCridland

Wow, we had such a great time at Monday’s glittering Sony Radio Academy Awards! Thanks to everyone who came along and made it such a wonderful evening, and congratulations to all the night’s winners – click here to see the full list.

We’ll be sending out the certificates very soon, but winners can also purchase duplicate trophies and certificates for the ultimate in mantelpiece chic. Click here for an order form.

We’ve got some gorgeous photos from the night up on flickr and facebook. Go have a butchers, and don’t forget to tag yourself! You can also listen to audio highlights from RadioToday’s coverage over on Audioboo.

We’d like to say a very big thank-you to all our wonderful and hard-working judges, the committee, our Trustees and the staff at the beautiful Grosvenor House Hotel for helping us to make it a real night to remember!

London Event: Freelancing

Our next London Branch event is coming up this Wednesday, 22nd May, and there are still a few places available! We’ll be exploring the benefits and challenges of Freelancing. Join Sandy Warr, Lorna Clarke, Petrie Hosken and Dave Johns at Gibson Guitar Studio, 29-35 Rathbone Street, London, W1T 1NJ from 6pm for an invaluable insight into the pros and cons of being your own boss. It’s free to members, £10 to non-members – just click here to register.

Sound Women Festival

Tomorrow is the first ever Sound Women Festival and there’s still time to grab your ticket if you haven’t already! They’ve got a fantastic line-up, with Fi Glover, Anita Anand and Angie Greaves hosting an inspirational day of workshops and heated debate with speakers including Miranda Sawyer (The Observer), Gemma Cairney (Radio 1), Jo Good (XFM), Sam Cocker (Somethin’ Else), Gloria Abramoff (Tonic Productions) and Laura-May Coope (Radio 1). Tickets are £25 for Sound Women members and £40 for non-members. For more info and to grab your ticket, visit soundwomen.co.uk.

Listen

RadioTalk this week features Tim Blackmore MBE in conversation with another of the UK’s radio greats. Russ Williams is celebrating 20 years on the air in Golden Square, surviving a number of owners along the way and currently sitting very comfortably with the team at Absolute Radio. It’s an opinionated discussion about radio and a lifetime of success. We’ve also got another wonderful edition of David Lloyd’s Radio Moments. Enjoy!

Membership

Support The Radio Academy, get discounted rates for all our events and be the envy of all your friends by becoming a Member. You can sign up on our website for annual membership for just £25, but if you work for any of our Patrons it’s absolutely free! Just register with your work email address here.

Best wishes,

The Radio Academy Team

The podcast also includes another wonderful edition of David Lloyd’s Radio Moments. Enjoy!

Produced and presented by Tim Blackmore and recorded at Unique Facilities in London with imaging from On The Sly.

Comments always welcome. Also available via iTunes.

We’ll be sending out the official certificates soon, but winners can also purchase duplicate trophies and certificates for the ultimate in stylish mantelpiece decor!

To get your duplicates, just download an order form below, fill it out and email it back to us by Friday 31st May.

Duplicate Certificate Order Form 2013
Duplicate Trophy Order Form 2013

Host Chris Evans and a stellar line-up of guest presenters will reveal which of our nominees get to go home with a Gold, and we’ll have live performances from Robbie Williams, The Saturdays and Jamie Cullum! It really will be an unforgettable night – we can’t wait to see you there!

If you’re joining us at Grosvenor House, please make sure you bring your ticket with you and arrive in good time – doors open 5.30pm and the ceremony will begin promptly at 6.30pm.

If you’re not lucky enough to be attending, you can still keep up with all the news from the night through RadioToday’s live audio webcast, presented by Pat Sharp and Stuart Clarkson, and live tweets from @sonyradioawards #sraa2013.

Good luck audio messages from friends and colleagues can be submitted via email to news@radiotoday.co.uk or recorded on Audioboo tagged with #sraa2013.

Sony Golden Headphones – voting closes 5pm today!

It’s your last chance to vote for your favourite UK radio presenter! Voting for the Sony Golden Headphones Award closes at 5pm today, so drop what you’re doing and head over to www.sonygoldenheadphones.com to have your say! The winner will be announced at the ceremony on Monday night.

London Event: Freelancing

There are still a few places available for our next London Branch event, which will explore the benefits and challenges of Freelancing. Join Sandy Warr, Lorna Clarke, Petrie Hosken and Dave Johns at Gibson Guitar Studio, 29-35 Rathbone Street, London, W1T 1NJ from 6pm on Wednesday 22nd May for an interesting and informative insight into the pros and cons of being your own boss. It’s free to members, £10 to non-members – just click here to register.

Community Media Association Conference & AGM

Celebrate 30 years of the Community Media Association at the CMA’s 2013 Conference and AGM, which will take place at MediaCityUK, Salford on Saturday 1st June. There’ll be sessions on Local TV, the work of BBC Media Action and a session by them on measuring and evaluating your impact (without RAJAR/BARB).

Tickets are £50 (inc VAT) for CMA members and £100 (+VAT) for non-members. CMA member organisations are also able to bring one volunteer free-of-charge. For more information and to register, please visit www.commedia.org.uk/conference/.

Sound Women Festival

Have you booked your place yet for the first ever Sound Women Festival on Saturday 18th May in the legendary Radio Theatre at BBC Broadcasting House?

Hosted by BBC Radio 4’s Fi Glover and Anita Anand and Magic FM’s Angie Greaves, the Festival will offer ideas for how to achieve success, innovate, create, and work in this competitive and dynamic environment. Although bursting with some of our brightest audio talent, the line-up goes beyond radio to include business leaders, sportspeople and creatives, offering ideas, advice and inspiration.

Tickets are £25 for Sound Women members and £40 for non-members. For more info and to grab your ticket, visit soundwomen.co.uk.

Listen

This week’s RadioTalk is another fascinating rummage through the archives with David Lloyd’s Radio Moments. The show features the first gardening programme on radio, The Week In The Garden, back in 1931; the start of Mike Smith’s stint as host of BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast show in 1986; James Whale’s controversial departure from talkSPORT five years ago; and Winston Churchill’s historic announcement of the end of the Second World War. Enjoy!

Membership

Support The Radio Academy, get discounted rates for all our events and be the envy of all your friends by becoming a Member. You can sign up on our website for annual membership for just £25, but if you work for any of our Patrons it’s absolutely free! Just register with your work email address here.

Best wishes,

The Radio Academy Team

Comments always welcome. Also available via iTunes.

Presenters! There’s only one week left to maximise your votes for the Sony Golden Headphones Award! The competition so far has been fierce, with Lord Sugar giving Robbie Savage an endorsement to win as “he never won much as a player“, and outreach to social-savvy fans by BBC Radio 1’s Dan & Phil seeing both presenters inch their way up the voting chart.

Voting closes at 5pm on Friday 10th May and is limited to one vote per email address. The winner will be announced at the Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony on Monday 13th May. So, marshal your army of fans, over the airwaves and through your social media, and get them to vote at www.sonygoldenheadphones.com. Good luck!

Sony Radio Academy Awards

There’s just over a week to go until the Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Chris Evans at London’s Grosvenor House and featuring live performances from Robbie Williams, The Saturdays and Jamie Cullum, as well as a stellar line-up to present the all-important awards. If you want to slip on your glad rags and join us for the most glamorous night of the UK radio year, just email us for a booking form.

London Event: Freelancing

Is freelancing the freedom to shape your own career or does it mean you can never say no again? Sandy Warr, Lorna Clarke, Petrie Hosken and Dave Johns will be explaining the journey to becoming a freelancer, while highlighting the pros and cons of being your own boss!

Join us from 6pm on Wednesday 22nd May at Gibson Guitar Studio, 29-35 Rathbone Street, London, W1T 1NJ. It’s free to members, £10 to non-members – just click here to register.

London Event: Social Media in Radio – audio available

Our most recent London Branch event, Social Media In Radio, was a fascinating and really useful evening. If you missed it, just click here to have a listen to the audio from the night.

Sound Women Festival

Sound Women, in partnership with the BBC Academy and with the support of RadioCentre, will hold the first ever Sound Women Festival on Saturday 18th May in the legendary Radio Theatre at BBC Broadcasting House.

Hosted by BBC Radio 4’s Fi Glover and Anita Anand and Magic FM’s Angie Greaves, the Festival will offer ideas for how to achieve success, innovate, create, and work in this competitive and dynamic environment. Although bursting with some of our brightest audio talent, the line-up goes beyond radio to include business leaders, sportspeople and creatives, offering ideas, advice and inspiration.

Tickets are £25 for Sound Women members and £40 for non-members. For more info and to grab your ticket, visit soundwomen.co.uk.

JockFest

Over the weekend of 18-19th May, RadioToday is holding its first major event, JockFest – a social weekend and conference for radio presenters, producers and anyone working or aspiring to work in all elements of programming. They’ve got a great line-up of speakers, and sessions ranging from How To Make Extra Money With Audio to an after-dinner speech from legendary phone-in host and broadcaster Scottie McClue.

RadioToday’s Roy Martin says, “I believe it’s the first event of its kind – with the social element and fun sessions making it stand-out. We’ve managed to get the price right down, and we’ve had bulk bookings from UTV, Global Radio, Real & Smooth, BFBS and more, along with individual presenters and producers coming along.”

Tickets are £99 inc overnight stay at the Alton Towers Resort Hotel. Booking closes on Wednesday 8th May – full details and tickets can be found at jockfest.co.uk.

Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards Nominations

The Nominations for this year’s Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards will be announced from 11.30am on Thursday 9th May. Denise Van Outen and Neil Fox from Magic 105.4 will make the announcement via IRN Channel 1, with audio also available simultaneously from audioboo at http://audioboo.fm/channel/arqivaawards.
To watch the nominations teaser with Denise and Neil, just click here.

Listen

This week’s RadioTalk is short but sweet, as we enjoy another delightful foray into this week in radio history with David Lloyd’s Radio Moments, including Neil Fox’s emotional departure from Capital London; Richard Branson launching Virgin Radio 20 years ago; the first episode in 1969 of BBC Radio 2’s daily serial, Waggoners Walk; and the BBC moving into its pre-Broadcasting House premises at Savoy Hill. Happy listening!

Membership

Support The Radio Academy, get discounted rates for all our events and be the envy of all your friends by becoming a Member. You can sign up on our website for annual membership for just £25, but if you work for any of our Patrons it’s absolutely free! Just register with your work email address here.

Best wishes,

The Radio Academy Team