Credit: Vincent Lo
We’ve got a range of exciting sessions, ranging from real-life ‘technology-in-action’ stories, to future radio trends. We hope you will leave the day feeling inspired to try something new at your station.
Delegates to Radio TechCon 2018 get to experience every session, as well as being able to visit our exclusive exhibition area.
Radio TechCon 2018 session line-up
Credit: Vincent Lo
Credit: Rupert Brun
Welcome to Radio TechCon 2018
Our presenter David Lloyd welcomes you all, plus what to do in case he catches fire.
Keynote speech: That Sounds Intelligent: Audio transformation and role of Public Service
Judy Parnall, the new chair of the EBU (European Broadcasting Union)’s technical committee, brings us an overview of radio’s technical future, as well as an introduction to the EBU media map.
Norway: The big Switchoff
How do you switch a whole country from analogue to digital? What are the challenges? The joys? The pitfalls? What lessons should we learn for similar projects? Hear the behind-the-scenes details from NRK’s Bjørn Aarseth – the man who had to turn Norway on to DAB+
Credit: Richard Courtice
Loudness Standards for Smart Speakers and Podcasts
Podcasts are on the up. Smart speakers and other distribution platforms are becoming increasingly important for radio and audio. But how do you make sure that your content sounds good in so many different places? There are conflicting messages from the big American providers, so which Loudness value should you pick? And how do you create a workflow that doesn’t give your producers extra work? Adrian Wisbey from the BBC has being doing the research so you don’t have to.
LEDs and Radio
Rob Webber from the BBC explains why designer kitchens may be the enemy of signal distribution.
An ‘Agile Studio’ in 4 Weeks? It’ll never work!
Radio Studios are expensive things. Framework, wiring, air conditioning, it all adds up. But what if we started again from scratch? How easy would it be to turn a corner of an office into a radio studio using conventional building materials, what innovation can be used to make it quicker to build a studio and easier to maintain? How can AoIP technology speed up a studio build, and how will presenters cope with a Touch Screen instead of faders?
The team at Bauer had to do all that and more – find out how they got on – and what the Talent really thought!
Mini Masterclass: Lighting for Radio
Visualisation is becoming an increasingly popular workflow – but how do you light your studio to make it shareable without ruining the radio?
In this session, Jeremy Roberts from Stage Electrics will present an overview of the basics of lighting theory and then get in the the practicalities: what types of lights do you need? How do you make a studio look great without blowing your budget and blinding your presenters? And what do you do if you spent all last year installing a large window to let in the light…?
This session should give you everything you need to get switched on to lighting.
Credit: Rupert Brun
Diversity in Engineering
According to a recent Ofcom report, men make up 81% of the UK radio industry’s technical staff. How do we encourage people from more diverse backgrounds to get into radio – especially technology careers? Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE, Chair of The Radio Academy, will share some experiences and practical suggestions.
AI in Radio
In this session, Veritone’s Cordula Schellenberger explains how Artificial Intelligence could revolutionise the way you manage your output, by transcribing, analysing and categorising both live and archive content. Hear about the underlying technology and real world examples of AI in Broadcasting.
Hacking the Radio – New Ways to Innovate
Hackathons have long been a great ways to bring people together to innovate, so what happens when you get a bunch of enthusiasts together to do things with Radio? Hear a few tales of what might happen from Ben Poor of the EBU, as well as reasons for why you should host your own Hackathon.
University of Salford: Research and Vostok-K
Philippa Demonte from the University of Salford will give us an overview of the latest research in object-based audio. Find out about the development of a narrative importance control** for improved accessibility in sound, and how applying a binaural effect to dialogue can improve speech intelligibility for headphone reproduction. Then, get your phones out to experience ‘The Vostok-K Incident’ spatialised radio drama live in the room. What could possibly go wrong…?
** aka ‘Jon’s knob’
Credit: URY
URspy: York University’s Alien Invasion
URY is the University of York’s student radio station. The team collaborated across the production and technical departments to create an innovative audio app (URspy), which takes listeners on an interactive drama across the university campus. Find out how they developed the app, why it’s only on Android, and how you can do something similar for your city or town.
Credit: Arqiva
Emley Moor: The Trilogy
What do you do when your boss tells you that the transmitter tower which sends most of the UK’s radio signals needs to close down for maintenance? Start building, of course!
In this session, the team from Arqiva will give an overview of their ambitious project to maintain Emley Moor whilst also keeping the nation on air. Expect lots of inner-geek pleasing photos.
Ofcom Update
Our industry regulator sets out the planning for Small Scale DAB (SSDAB) and how this fits into the digital landscape. How will SSDAB affect you?
Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy: 40 Years On
How do you create the soundtrack to the meaning of life – all over again?
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series turned 40 this year. Dirk Maggs worked on the original shows, and was asked to produce updated episodes for the 2018 series. How does he create the sound of the universe – and how have the techniques changes over the years? Expect sound effects galore, as well as the inner workings of the Babel fish.
Credit: Vincent Lo
There’ll Be A Quiz At The End
Were you paying attention? Back by popular demand, we round off the day with an interactive quiz, hosted by Stephanie Hirst.
Prizes include studio tours and a trip up Emley Moor!
What else can I see and do?
Credit: Rupert Brun
As well as access to all the amazing talks, your Radio TechCon ticket includes:
- Access to the exclusive exhibition area, where you can meet our sponsors and exhibitors, as well as try out a virtual reality studio headset, smart speaker hybrid radio, and sign up to support STEMnet ambassadors by spreading the word about broadcast engineering.
- Arrival coffee, tea and coffee breaks, lunch and official Radio TechCon cake in the afternoon.
- A ‘meet and talk’ networking drinks session in the evening.
- The chance to meet friends old and new, as well as learn new things to help you in your work.
- Attending Radio TechCon also means you can receive IET-accredited CPD hours.
We hope you agree that it will be a packed and fun day!
You can find out more about our wonderful speakers on the speaker page.
We look forward to seeing you on Monday, 26th November 2018 at IET London: Savoy Place.
The day starts with arrival coffees and access to the exhibition area from 0900, conference sessions begin at 1000 and end at 1715 approx – although delegates are encourage to stay on for a drink or two as part of our evening ‘Meet & Talk’ celebrations.
If you have any questions not covered by our FAQ, please get in touch with the team.
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Radio TechCon reserves the right to amend the programme if necessary.
