RedTech Summit shifts broadcast strategies
Daryl Ilbury | RedTech International | June 2022 | VIEW ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The inaugural RedTech Summit took place in Paris, June 2–3, against the backdrop of fundamental change in the audio broadcast industry.
The close-knit meeting of business and technical leaders agreed the time had come to put aside competitive differences and forge collaborations and partnerships that would secure the industry’s future. Furthermore, such partnerships should extend beyond the familiar and comfortable. Steaming platforms are shifting their offering – they’re gunning for live radio’s intimate, connective appeal.
The Summit, held simultaneously to the Paris Radio Show, cemented what the leaders suspected: they were not alone in their take.
CEOs and CTOs from Germany, India, Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Uganda, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Sweden, Turkey, Dubai, Namibia, Austria, Switzerland and the United States found commonality not only in challenges but in purpose.
For this reason, they openly exchanged ideas on what they were doing in their respective markets, what had worked, what hadn’t, and some of the lessons they had learned.
They agreed it was now time to rethink radio’s positioning and standard models of practice. Radio was not in decline; it was in transition.
Abe Thomas, CEO Reliance Broadcast Network (BIG FM), shares his insights at the RedTech Summit in Paris, June 2, 2022.
Linear radio and digital content production and distribution are not in competition; they’re complementary. Creatives and tech should collaborate to define the direction of broadcast technology design, not compete for influence.
And building a successful and sustainable broadcast culture within a station or group comes from the bottom up; it’s not forged in boardrooms.
RedTech is a global platform for the radio and audio industry to inform, connect and exchange, so we will provide some of the insights from the Summit here and in upcoming editions of the magazine.
European Radio and Digital Audio Show Eyes Future
The 16th European Radio and Digital Audio Show drew to a close on Saturday Jan. 25.
According to organizers, the three-day event attracted 8,100 visitors, an 8% increase over the 2019 gathering. It also played host to 183 exhibitors.
Sporting the theme “Solid Radio. Liquid Audio,” some 500 speakers animated the conferences, workshops and masterclasses. Session topics ranged from virtualization to advertising and from media education to diversity in radio.
LOOKING AHEAD
While many of the sessions that made up the three conference tracks were in French, a few were in English. One such panel was “The Future of Audio Under GAFA Hegemony.”
Moderated by consultant Gary Kline, the session looked at the future of radio and how broadcasters should adapt to changing consumption patterns and expectations with the arrival of tech giants such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.
The panel also featured Alexandre Saboundjian, CEO, Targetspot; Philippe Generali, CEO of RCS; and James Cridland, radio consultant and founder of Podnews.
In addition, the 2020 event showcased Germany and Austria’s work in the industry. More than 15 German and Austrian exhibitors were present, including Audi and its e-tron automobile, featuring its latest infotainment system.
NEW ENTRY
A new entry to this year’s lineup was the POD.Village, a space dedicated entirely to podcast professionals and podcasters.
There was also an In-car XP stand on embedded digital radio and audio experiments in the automotive industry, while the DAB+ pavilion offered updates on digital terrestrial radio around the world.
As in previous years, organizers held a ceremony to honor notable talent and products. Tieline took home an award for its Via codec in the “Product of the Year” category and IP-Studio won the “Service of the Year” award for its virtualization studio.
The 2021 edition will take place Jan. 21–23 at Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris, where Italy will be the country of honor.
https://www.radioworld.com/show-news/european-digital-radio-and-audio-show-eyes-the-future
