Sign-up starts for RadioAsia 2013 in Hanoi

The ABU has opened registration for the Asia-Pacific’s premier international radio conference, to be held in Vietnam.

RadioAsia 2013 in Hanoi from 29-31 July will address current pressing issues facing the resurgent radio broadcasting industry in the region and in Vietnam.

The ABU’s Senior Executive for Radio, Ms Vijay Sadhu, says the annual conference brings together leading radio practitioners, communications specialists, policy-makers and academics from across the Asia-Pacific and beyond. Eminent specialists use it as a platform to share their perspectives in the two-and-a-half day conference and a half-day of workshops.

‘RadioAsia is the only international radio programming event of its kind in the region,” she says. “With the theme Radio and Social Media: Where to Next, the participants will have the opportunity to rub shoulders with who’s who of the radio industry.”

Ms Sadhu says social media have “virtually gone viral”.

“Every event that carries a message is reflected on social media networks, providing immediacy in engaging huge crowds of networked participants. The social media networks have become efficient platforms for conveying content, something that was totally in the domain of the broadcasters till now.”

She says young people need the opportunity to tell their own stories and to learn from the stories of others.

“Radio professionals fear that the young are moving away from traditional radio to new media,” she says. “The issue is not whether radio broadcasters should stay away from the media revolution; the crucial issue is how best to make the use of this tremendous opportunity to reach our audiences.”

Registration for RadioAsia 2013 can be made online at: http://www.radioasia.org/register