Radiodays Europe 2015 – Day One

 

I’m in Milan, Italy for Radiodays Europe and these are pictures and observations. I’m also filing daily reports for Talkers.com. The event trade show and networking began Sunday. It capped off with a presentation by BBC Radio Director Helen Boaden. Monday will be highlighted by a session featuring syndicated morning guy Elvis Duran.

 

 

Radio

One of the first things one realizes when visiting beautiful, European countries, where they don’t speak English, like Milan certain words give your peace and relief because they’re the same; radio is one of those words. There are over 60 countries represented here and most if not all call radio, “radio.” How’s that for sense of global community?

Radio City

As a warm gesture to Radiodays Europe and to help unite Milan’s radio community all the radio stations are working together and broadcasting from La Fabbrica del Vapore. It was the brainchild of Radio2 RAI morning host Filippi Solibello who was also the lead campaigner to attact RDE to Milan. He will be on the Radio Stuff Podcast this week. Here are some photos of the Radio City.

Just like everywhere else radio remotes vary in size and quality.

Radio Battle

Solibello also has created the first European Radio Championship: Radio Battle. He would host  one hour show from Milan and two radio hosts from other countries would compete in a live simulcast from their studios and the battle was about music and the way the DJs presented it. Listeners would vote on twitter. He calls it the “gamification of music radio.” He’s hoping to bring it to the U.S. and Canada soon.

Radio is a Performance

This station was entertaining crowds with a DJ spinning records while a saxophonist and drummer accompanied live on stage. Watch this.

 

Elvis is ALIVE! Kasem not so much

I spotted this display on the trade room floor from Premier Radio and Futuri. Notice the sign with Ryan Seacrest, Elvis Duran and Casey Kasem. I’m not sure I would include Kasem in my top three talent who symbolize the future of radio. I’m just sayin’…

Innovation

BBC Director Helen Boaden addressed the conference last night. I write about it in Talkers.com today. One point she made that resonated with me that I want to share here is this.

“We must never forget that at the heart of our success, if we’ve got a future, has got to be great content. And great things is two things I think in radio. It’s firstly the everyday. Radio offers great comfort and habit and sometimes we take those things for granted, but in a fast changing and confusing world there is a very profound human need for reliability, regularity and yes — comfort and humor. But, the everyday is no longer enough if you’re going to get attention so it is really important for you to create for your audiences whatever technology they use wonderful events that they remember.”

Swag?

At all of these conferences you end up with a bag full of fancy advertisements and I certainly I have that. But I also received this. Not sure it’s my color.

Ciao for Now

Day two highlights to come. Follow along on twitter #RDE15.

Subscribe to the Larry Gifford Media “Radio Stuff” email and each Tuesday you’ll receive an email with all sorts of stuff about radio. Sign up here.