Radio TechCon 2023 – Sessions
Radio TechCon 2023 takes place on Monday, 27th November 2023 at IET London: Savoy Place.
0900-1000 Enjoy a welcome coffee and pastry in the Maxwell Library and visit our sponsors in the Exhibition zone. The Welcome Table will also be available if you would like to be introduced to some new contacts.
10:00 Welcome to Radio TechCon 2023
Our host, David Lloyd, welcomes you to the Turing Theatre and explains what to do if he catches fire.
Photo credit: Rupert Brun
Host: David Lloyd
10:05 5G – Fit for a King
The crowning glory of the coronation of King Charles III was, of course, the innovative use of 5G to broadcast the procession.
Ian and Matt will delve into the technical detail around private 5G networks and how they can be used for real.
Based on years of research and development, is the future of reliable 5G contribution now actually here?
Discover how, when and what you might need to plan, licence and deploy a real network in the field and find out how it worked on the day of the Coronation itself.
Speakers: Ian Wagdin and Matt Gray
10:30 Keeping Afghanistan On Air
We cross to Kabul, where engineers are working hard to keep stations on air, despite constant threats to their safety.
Speaker: Naim Sarwari
10:50 BBC – Business, Broadcasting and Carbon
There’s a climate emergency. But how can broadcasters and radio industry businesses track their actual carbon footprint? This session will show you with a particular focus on ‘Scope 3’ – your company’s supply chain.
Speaker: Alison Butler
11:15-11:45 – Coffee Break – Head to the Maxwell Library for a caffeine boost and enjoy our mini trade fair.
11:45 A Tale of Two Cities – and 5 Live Studios
When 5Live revamped the Voice of the Nation show, they faced two challenges.
Not only did the programme have to be simulcast on radio, tv, and iPlayer, but the workflow had to operate seamlessly between a team working in London and Salford at the same time.
In this session you’ll learn how it was done – and how hard keeping things in synch across multiple platforms while pushing the boundaries of visualised radio can be!
Speakers: Gary Boast and Felicity Norton
12:05 Mini Masterclass: Sound Network Design
Mini-masterclasses allow us to revise a common engineering topic. In this session, networking expert Ross Livings will take you from complete beginner to understanding advanced network design – and how to prevent hackers from taking over your business.
We’ll start with a quick refresher on network basics before we dive into resilience. Learn how to recognise and mitigate potential single points of failure.
We will then delve into security, teaching you how to defend against lurking security risks and minimize lateral movement in your network.
And finally, we will discuss micro-segmentation and virtualisation. These powerful dynamic tools will help you strike the perfect balance between security and flexibility, taking your network to the next level.
Whether you’re just starting out in the network world or you’re a seasoned pro, this mini-masterclass is here to empower you with the knowledge you need for broadcast media in the 21st century.
Speaker: Ross Livings
12:35 The Needs of Older Workers
What do you need to do to support those with the most experience in the workplace?
Ageism means we don’t value older people or invest in ways to help people age well. Ageism affects people of all ages, but its damaging impact is often felt most strongly as people get older, whether through discrimination in the workplace or being denied access to potentially life-saving healthcare.
In this session, the Centre for Ageing Better will show you how to support a more positive environment for older workers – as well as what younger people need to do to prepare for a long and happy working life!
Speaker: John Kiernan
13:00-14:00 Lunch – Take a break, chat to other delegates and meet our sponsors. There’s more than one food point in the Maxwell Library, so don’t go hungry!
14:00 Eurovision – Frequency Asked Questions
When large-scale events such as Eurovision or Silverstone take place, thousands of wireless frequencies are in use at once. And one false input could ruin a broadcast. Ofcom’s spectrum team will show us how they support shows in the fight against rogue frequencies.
Speakers: Jaydev Patel and Jonathan Tuck
14:20 Russia, Ukraine and the Clone Wars
Transmission experts Arqiva explain the rise in cyber threats as a result of the war in Ukraine, how their own staff have been attacked, and what you need to know to stop your station being taken over by rogue AI presenters.
Photo credit: Arqiva
Speakers: Denis Onuoha and Nathan Dixon
14:40 Podcasting, the Next Chapter: with AI
There’s a lot of buzz around AI at present, but not much practical information. At Radio TechCon, you’ll be among the first in the world to hear the latest research on using AI for podcast segmentation.
This session focuses on practical uses of AI for audio production and podcasting, introducing – for the first time ever – pod-CLIPR (Podcast Chapterisation through Intelligent Pattern Recognition), an algorithm that automatically segments audio based on sound event detection.
We will look at the potential applications of pod-CLIPR and implications for next-generation podcasting.
Speaker: Jemily Rime
15:00 Audio Perception in d/Deaf Audiences
Around 12 million people in the UK have some form of hearing loss. That’s a lot of your listeners.
Lena Batra is an expert in the field of hearing, perception and music. In this fascinating session, she’ll explain how d/Deaf audiences perceive sound, and what broadcasters are overlooking when they make assumptions about who is listening – and how.
Speaker: Lena Batra
15:25 – 15:55 Engineers’ Tea Time – enjoy a cuppa and some cake, thanks to our official Sponsor Of Cake, Broadcast Radio. This is your last chance to view the exhibition area.
15:55 Sun, Sea and Wavebands
Radio Caroline is a community radio station which operates from a boat – the Ross Revenge.
Their transmission base is on land in an abandoned BBC World Service site.
The station – whose name stretches back to the original pirate radio era – broadcasts on AM, SSDAB and online.
Electricity costs were rising and so instead of shutting down expensive AM services, the volunteer-run team turned to solar power in a bid to reduce costs.
They will share the lessons learned, the challenges faced when broadcasting at sea – and how your radio station could benefit from being run by the sun (even when it’s raining…).
Speaker: Alan Beech
16:15 50 Years of Commercial Radio Technology
UK commercial radio celebrates its half century this year, but what has it ever done for the technical side of broadcasting? Turns out – an awful lot.
Stephanie Hirst will be unpacking her shed to showcase innovations from reel-to-reel to real-time advertising.
Photo credit: BBC
Speaker: Stephanie Hirst
16:40 There’ll Be A Quiz At The End!
Stephanie Hirst returns to host our interactive end-of-TechCon quiz. She’ll be looking to see who was really paying attention, and awarding prizes to the winners!
Photo credit: Vincent Lo
Quiz Host: Stephanie Hirst
17:15 onwards – Evening reception – Once the main Radio TechCon sessions end, head back to the Maxwell Library for a post-TechCon drink and some nibbles, sponsored by LAWO.
What else can I see and do?
As well as giving you access to all our sessions, your ticket includes:
- Access to the exclusive exhibition area, where you can meet our sponsors and try new equipment hands-on.
- A chance to meet our amazing speakers.
- Arrival coffee and pastries, tea and coffee breaks, a lovely lunch and official Radio TechCon cake in the afternoon.
- A post event drink / networking session.
- 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 8 hours of official CPD accreditation from the IET.
We look forward to seeing you on Monday, 27th November 2023 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 afterwards.
If you have any questions not covered by our FAQ, please get in touch with the team.
We look forward to welcoming you!
Radio TechCon reserves the right to amend the programme if necessary.
