The Radio Academy Festival is taking place at the Royal College of Physicians in London on Tuesday 12th September 2023 and Bauer Media talent are amongst a fantastic line-up of speakers exploring this year’s theme of Sound Connection.

Following a welcome from new Radio Academy Director Aradhna Tayal, attendees will hear from Bauer Media Audio’s Chief Content and Music Officer Ben Cooper, who is introducing a filmed discussion between Greatest Hits Radio’s Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo. The two broadcasters will converse about their respective moves to commercial radio from the BBC as well as what its like to have been part of the biggest radio story of the year.

On the ARIA’s Winners Stage, which returns for a second year, Hits Radio Breakfast host – and ARIAs co-presenter Fleur East, will be in conversation with Craig Charles who won Best Music Entertainment Show at May’s ceremony. Also appearing on that stage will be Best Local Show winners, Pulse 1 Breakfast’s Mylo and Rosie, lifting the lid on what it takes to create an award-winning team and Cool FM Breakfast’s Pete Snodden will be making his debut at the festival.

Bauer Media’s Director of Music Pete Black will also be at the event, chatting to KISS Content Director Rebecca Frank about his first year at the company and which areas we can rip up the rulebook to establish greater bonds and partnerships within the music industry.

As well as these Bauer Audio highlights there will be an I’m a Celeb reunion as Victoria Derbyshire chats to Vernon Kay about filling some rather big boots at Radio 2. And comedian Romesh Ranganathan discusses his ARIA-winning show, For the Love of Hip Hop, with BBC Radio 1Xtra’s DJ Ace.

Other guests across the day include Radio 4’s Dr Sian Williams, author and podcaster Will Page and broadcast futurist Daniel Anstandig. BBC Radio 3 Controller Sam Jackson and the Editor of BBC Radio Wales and Sport, Carolyn Hitt, amongst those making their first appearance at the festival.

Sessions will include a celebration of 50 years of commercial radio and its increasing connection with growing audiences, a look at where hyper-localised and marginalised communities across the UK are finding connection through audio and what lessons with Gen-Alpha pick up from Gen-Z and beyond.

For more information on the event, please visit https://www.radioacademy.org/festival.