Elstein To Outline Vision For Radio At Birmingham Festival

David Elstein, formerly a Five and Sky TV executive, is preparing to outline his vision of the UK’s radio industry to some of the biggest names in the industry at next week’s Radio Academy Festival in Birmingham.

NewsLine will report live from the event, as the broadcasting heavyweight airs his views on the future of commercial radio in the Guardian Media Group radio lecture.

Elstein, current chairman of the Commercial Radio Companies Assosication, recently hit headlines with a recommendation that the BBC’s licence fee be abolished in favour of broadcasters instead being allowed to bid for funding to make public service programmes (see Tory Report Calls For Reduction Of BBC Licence Fee).

A similar recommendation is is expected on the Corporation’s radio divisions, with Elstein likely to single out Radio 1 and Radio 2 as unfair competitors to commercial broadcasters. The broadcast chief is also likely to call for the Corporation’s TV and radio operations to be more clearly separated in the interests of pluralism.

Also due to speak at the event are several high profile journalists and editors, as well as Jenny Abramsky, director of BBC Radio and Music and several senior Ofcom representatives.

Among the many topics due to be debated during the three-day event are the technologies and tactics of next generation radio, the importance of older listeners, the future of media consumption and the importance of celebrity to radio.

Radio Academy: 020 7255 2010 www.radioacademy.org

Stories from last year’s Radio Festival include: Ofcom Chairman Welcomes Puttnam’s Plurality Test Dyke Warns Against Regulatory Free For All Capital Radio Chief Moves To Quash Clear Channel Takeover

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