Radio’s disaster response, iHeart Radio’s The Fred Show, the state of Top 40 radio, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, and bold looks at radio’s five-year plan and audience measurement issues. Those are among some of the topics to be covered at Radiodays North America, to be held May 6-8 at a new location, Toronto’s Hotel X. Always a strong lineup since its 2023 unveiling, RDNA this year features more for radio programming, and a wide variety of North American and world broadcasters among its initial panel announcements.
Familiar names announced this far include Audacy Los Angeles Senior VP Chris Ebbott and KNX Los Angeles PD Alex Silverman, NPR’s Bobby Carter, legendary artist Bryan Adams, radio futurologist James Cridland and veteran researcher John Parikhal, CHBM (Boom 97.3) Toronto PD Troy McCallum, WKSC (Kiss 103.5) Chicago PD James Howard and morning-show members Fred and Keke Hampton, Westwood One’s Pierre Bouvard, talent coach Angela Perrelli, record- business veteran Abbey Konowitch, and “join the conversation” format pioneer Jay Stone, PD of CKNO (Now 102.3) Edmonton.
This is the third Radiodays North America conference. It was designed as a counterpart to the successful Radiodays Europe, taking place next week (March 9-11) in Athens, and admired for its wide range of topics and speakers, and for its positive attitude toward the business. Radiodays is being presented in conjunction with the Departure Festival + Conference — an expanded version of Canadian Music Week under new owner Loft Entertainment that adds comedy, art, and technology to the festival’s focus.
A full list of Radiodays panels so far is available here. More sessions and panelists are coming. As we’ve featured each year, you’ll see more on RDNA between now and May, but here are just a few of the highlights thus far:
- Radio 2040 – The Cyclone Bomb – Veteran researcher/strategist John Parikhal and radio futurologist/Podnews editor James Cridland’s candid opening look at radio’s game plan for the next 5-15 years.
- The LA Fires: Anatomy of a Natural Disaster – Broadcasters everywhere have been there for listeners in times of crisis, even when they are on the frontlines themselves. Ebbott, Silverman, and Perelli talk about how Audacy’s KNX Los Angeles responded to catastrophe.
- The Fred Show – The WKSC (Kiss 103.5) Chicago-based morning show just added new affiliates in Norfolk, Salt Lake City, and West Palm Beach. Host Fred, teammate Hampton, and WKSC PD Howard sit down with consultant Nik Goodman to discuss the inner workings of the much-admired morning show.
- Tiny Desk Concerts: an NPR Phenomena – It’s the reason younger listeners (and commercial-radio programmers) are finding NPR. Host/producer Bobby Carter shares how the concerts became a powerhouse for music discovery and got 40 million views a month.
- From AM Radio to Digital Content Machine – Hubbard’s KSTP-AM Minneapolis is a struggling sports AM that reinvented itself as digital portal/podcast hub SKOR North. Hubbard’s Jeremy Sinon and Phil Mackey discuss how.
RDNA will also look at the state of Top 40 radio and how CHR can still connect with younger listeners, as well as the radio/record relationship, finding “a fix” for audience measurement (a follow-up to a hard-hitting 2023 panel on 15 years of PPM), and the trademark closer, “30 Ideas in 45 Minutes.” Look for more on those and more panelist announcements in coming weeks.
Full information about RDNA, including hotel information, is available here.
