Swarup nurtured Stark Communications Pvt. Ltd., from its inception in 1994 in Trivandrum, South India, to an agency recognized for its distinctive creative, work ethic, people-centric growth and outstanding client retention record. He played a key role in building the Kerala Tourism brand for two decades, actively partnering the brand’s journey from a non-entity to India’s No.1 tourism destination. Swarup’s tourism campaigns have consistently set benchmarks in the realm of destination marketing in India and won him many national and international awards.

Andrew Biggs is a five-time New York Festival winning audio producer. He has worked in radio for almost 20 years in New Zealand, Australia, the Middle East and currently owns and operates eyesound, working for New Zealand's largest radio and media organization NZME for Coast, ZM, Hits, Mix and more.

Olya Booyar is Head of Radio for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, an association of broadcasting and associated industry bodies reaching more than half the world’s population.

Based at the ABU’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Olya is responsible for setting the strategic direction for Radio as well as helping to drive an expansion of services to the ABU’s more than 270 member organisations across the region and around the world. She takes a hands-on approach to public service broadcasting and media development in the digital era, organising and presenting numerous development initiatives for ABU members.

Born in Ukraine and educated in Canada, Olya began her career as an on-air broadcaster-journalist with the multicultural, multilingual Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) in Australia. She rose rapidly through the organisation’s journalism, programming and management ranks to become SBS’s first Corporate and Community Relations Executive, before leaving to become Deputy Director of the nation’s Classification Board. She has also been a General Manager in charge of content, consumer and citizen matters for the Australian media regulator the Communications & Media Authority (ACMA).

She is a past-President of the global International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) and is on the Board of the World Summit on Media for Children Foundation, the International Radio and Television Union (URTI) and Australia’s National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN).

Benoit Bories is a sound artist. He has produced audio documentaries and sound art pieces for different public broadcast companies. His sound art activity comes originally from the radio documentary. It has gradually transformed over time towards more hybrid productions combining forms borrowing from sound art, acousmatic composition and field recording while retaining this desire to document societal issues. He was, during his experiments, brought to establish a formalism of sound writing which is specific to him. His learning and practice of sound writing are based on in-depth training in physics, a taste for musical experimentation and a desire to confront social issues in the field of these issues. He insists on maintaining an artisanal relationship to sound work.

Since 2016, he has been presenting his pieces in the form of "documentary concerts" and developing sound pieces for live performance, or installations. He has collaborated with several festivals and cultural venues for his performances and regularly participates in artistic residencies abroad. Benoit Bories has won several international awards and mentions for his sound work (Premios Ondas Prize, Prix Bohemia, Phonurgia Nova Awards, New York Radio Awards, Grand Prix Nova Romania, Prix Europa, IDA Awards).

Co-Founder of CliffCentral.com, Rina is a psychiatric social worker by profession with a MA (Social Science) degree. She started her career in radio in Johannesburg in 1981 when the first independent station, Radio 702, was launched in South Africa. She initially joined as a social worker to pioneer the Community Services and soon went on to start the research and human resource departments while consulting across all departments, becoming the Station Manager and company Director from 1986 to 1994.

Rina started her own management consulting business in 1994 which continued until 1999 when she was asked to return as Managing Director of 702 and Cape Talk (a newly established talk station for Cape Town), with the radio market now having grown considerably since 702’s pioneering days in the 80’s. It was during this time 702 won the American National Association of Broadcaster’s “International Broadcasting Excellence Award”. Rina was also a founder member of the National Association of Broadcasters in South Africa.

When 702 launched it was a Top 40 music station on AM, and as FM became increasingly competitive, the strategic decision was taken to introduce the  talk format, becoming the first 24 hour interactive talk radio station in South Africa. As Station Manager, Rina was responsible for managing this transition and in particular, oversaw all programming. 702 played a pivotal role as South Africa struggled its way to democracy – it was the only public forum where people could air their views, debate, express, and learn about each others parties and cultures.

Rina is a founding partner and Director of One on One Productions (Pty) Ltd (2005) which aimed to assist radio stations and clients with concepts for programming and marketing purposes. This evolved to the launch of CliffCentral.com in 2014 in conjunction with well-known radio and TV personality, Gareth Cliff.  CliffCentral.com was launched with the purpose of creating a global online content hub, being a hybrid of live online radio and podcasting. Now the biggest podcaster in Africa, Cliffcentral.com works collaboratively with brands to bring fresh insights and creative angles to powerful storytelling.

Since 1995 Diego has utilized his hybrid skills as a scriptwriter, sound designer, musician, radio producer, video editor, post producer, director and tv producer. His impressive career trajectory has seen Diego working within the best first-line radio stations in Buenos Aires as an independent audiovisual producer, creating an unmistakable style through sounds and graphics among all media productions.

As Owner and Director of DMC STUDIO in Buenos Aires, Diego specializes in radio arts, sound stories, commercials, field recording, sound design and mixing. An industry pro known for award-winning work, he creates audiovisual productions for radio, TV, social networks and movies. 

Diego also serves as a Radio Producer for Urbana Play FM.

With 8 Gold New York Festivals Radio Awards, 1 Silver, and 6 Bronze, he has also twice earned the presitigious NYF Grand Award, the ultimate honor bestowed at the NYF Radio Awards Gala.

Dave Carter is a creative producer, accomplished writer and interviewer who’s spent more than 30 years’ leading the conception and production of award-winning podcast, radio, and television content. With a wealth of experience both in front of and behind the mic, Dave has been instrumental in shaping high-end content for the likes of LiSTNR, MCM Entertainment, Granada, SEN, and more.

In his current role as General Manager and Executive Producer at the Australian-based contentproduction company Media Heads, Dave oversees the company’s day-to-day operations while also spearheading its overall creative strategy and output. Dave has spent decades directing and working with talent from all walks of life. His commitment to excellence and quality has helped bring out the best in people which has been a large part of Media Heads' success. With a focus on delivering purpose-driven narratives and human stories, Dave is heavily involved with all of the company’s creative output, including the award-winning podcast titles ‘Closing The Net’ , ‘OPERATION ALLIANCE: 2002 Bali Bombings’, and ‘ALWAYS LIVE’ .

Mike joined News UK in 2017 to head Virgin Radio UK. He launched The Chris Evans Breakfast Show in 2019 alongside two new brand extensions – Virgin Radio Anthems and Virgin Radio Chilled. In January 2021 Mike signed and launched The Graham Norton Radio Show and that June launched the award winning Virgin Radio Pride UK, a station to broadcast through Pride season and the summer months to bring together the LGBTQ+ community. Mike is also a member of the News UK Diversity board which was set up to drive diversity throughout News UK.

Mike has worked in major markets across the world in his previous roles as Operations Director for Newcap Radio in Vancouver; Network Content Director for the UK’s Bauer City Network; Deputy Group PD for Nova Entertainment in Australia and Galaxy Group Programme Director for Global Radio in the UK.

An award-winning programmer, Mike’s accolades range from Sony awards in the UK,  ACRA’s in Australia and an award from the United Nations for a series on World AIDS Day. In 2017 Mike was made an honorary lifetime member of the UK’s Student Radio Association.

Jennie Cataldo is an award-winning radio and podcast producer. She is the creator of Accompany Studios, a radio and podcast production company based in San Francisco, California. Accompany Studios uses music, creative audio editing and sound design to produce audio stories that sing.

Jennie has produced a variety of audio content, including commercial and public radio programs, documentaries, short form series, specials and podcasts. The range of subjects in which she has produced programs includes history, music, culture, health, science, and technology. Her productions have aired on national and international networks. She has worked with celebrity host talent such as Dan Aykroyd, Susan Sarandon, and Reid Hoffman. Jennie has conducted hundreds of interviews with critically acclaimed recording artists, authors, critics, historians, entrepreneurs and academic experts. She works with clients such as the University of California at Berkeley, the United States Library of Congress, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
 

Jennie’s work has been recognized yearly at the International Radio Festival since 2015, where she has also served as a Grand Jury member and presenter. Jennie also serves on the New York Festivals Radio Awards Advisory Board.

Jennie’s interests include music history, cultural criticism and analysis, literature, narrative nonfiction, and record collecting. She studied Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts at San Francisco State University, where she graduated with honors and received a BA in 2012.

John Catlett is a life-long radio broadcaster, having been introduced to the medium as an undergraduate volunteer at WPRB-FM at Princeton University in 1960. He completed his studies with an MBA in marketing at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. After early experience at King Broadcasting Company in the Pacific Northwest and Time-Life Broadcast in New York City, he was tapped to manage CBS-owned WBBM-FM in Chicago just as the potential of FM radio was beginning to see its earliest realization. In 1972, he was transferred by CBS to take over WCBS-FM in New York City, where he installed the first major-market all-oldies format in July of 1972. Without any significant promotion support, the station suddenly became the first FM station to break into the top ten rated stations in the market, with a #5 ranking overall, and only six stations nationwide--AM or FM--had larger cumulative audiences. The oldies format survives to this day at WCBS-FM, with strong ratings.

Chris began his career in audio production as an intern and consultant for Sirius Satellite Radio (now SiriusXM Radio). While simultaneously earning his degree from Seton Hall University, he helped create Oscar and Grammy award winner Jamie Foxx’s comedy and music channel “The Foxxhole”.

Upon successful completion and tremendous success with “The Foxxhole”, Chris joined SiriusXM full time and helped create “Carlin’s Corner”, a 24/7 George Carlin comedy channel and “Que Funny”, SiriusXM’s only bilingual Latino comedy channel. He also oversaw programming and operations for the “Urban View” and “Blue Collar Radio” (now “Jeff & Larry’s Comedy Roundup”) channels. In addition to SiriusXM’s permanent stations, Chris also worked on pop-up channels such as “Richard Pryor Radio”, “Star Wars Radio”, “Comic Con Radio”, and “E3 Radio”.

As Director of Urban Talk and Comedy for SiriusXM, Chris worked on several audio documentaries. These documentaries provided his transition to the role of Vice President of Programming for Cadence13 (formerly DGital Media). While at Cadence13, he oversaw all documentary projects and produced top podcasts such as “Cover Up”, “Origins”, “What Really Happened”, and “Majority 54”.

Having worked with names like Jamie Foxx, Touré, James Andrew Miller, Joy Reid, Zak Levitt, Andrew Jenks, Joe Madison, ESSENCE, PEOPLE, Crooked Media, Sports Illustrated, WME, and the United Negro College Fund, Chris specializes in media partnerships and content development.

Chris is an award-winning documentary host, producer, and writer of the podcast series, Say Their Name, and his passion for conversations surrounding mental health have led him to create the series, Entrepreneur Struggle, where Chris talks about the various mental and emotional challenges that particularly impact business owners and executives.

With a passion for connecting audiences with innovative and inspiring content, Chris founded DCP Entertainment; a place to bring together audio and visual storytelling.

Sam is an Associate Professor at Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom. He is the Course Leader for the MA in Media Production and teaches a range of undergraduate and postgraduate audio production classes for the College of English and Media. Before joining academia, he worked in the New Zealand and United Kingdom commercial radio industries. Sam is a Trustee of the Charles Parker Archive Trust and is a member of the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research, where he investigates development radio, documentary production and popular music studies. Sam has written chapters and articles about popular music and radio production for various publications, and his book, Music Documentaries for Radio, was published by Routledge in 2021. He continues to work as a radio freelancer, producing music documentaries for networks in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

As the CEO of Open to Debate, Clea Conner is on a mission to restore critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to America’s public square. Through weekly debates distributed on public radio, in podcasts and digital videos, Open to Debate systematically brings opposing viewpoints together for a respectful and open-minded exchange of ideas. Clea has produced more than 200 award-winning public policy programs spanning technology, culture, economics, law, and global affairs, convening the world’s most influential voices on the most provocative questions of our time. Named one of Crain’s New York “40 Under 40,” Clea developed “Up For Debate” and “That’s Debatable” as television programs on Bloomberg, PBS, and Newsy, and produced the first debate between artificial intelligence and a human debater in partnership with IBM’s historic Project Debater. She holds more than two dozen awards for excellence in public affairs programming in radio, television, and podcasting.

Conner holds a B.A. from The New School with Dean’s Honors and studied political science at American University.

https://opentodebate.org/

Jax Coombes is a Radio Producer with over ten years’ experience working at BBC Radio 6 Music making award-winning documentaries including a Palme D’Or in 2015 for John Grant’s Songs From A Dark Place, a documentary exploring the music, magic, and rise of Icelandic music.

Radio Mitre is the Nº 1 radio station of Argentina. It has great quality in its sound and promotions. There is one guy who is responsible for writing these promotions and monitor its editing and coordinate its airing. He is in charge of maintaining the highest quality standards in music and institutional jingles; he is the director of special reports; he is the Artistic Producer of the whole broadcast... He is Juan Pablo Córdoba. He studied Social Communication (UBA - University of Buenos Aires) and Multimedia Production (EMBA), and he is a vital part of Radio Mitre since 2004.

Nicholas Davis has worked in radio, television and print for the past three decades covering everything from current affairs to the arts. He has won many awards for his journalism, including a 2006 Gabriel Award. For the past 24 years Nicholas has worked at CBC as a reporter and producer -- most notably as Senior Producer for Metro Morning, the number one morning show in Toronto. He’s currently the Executive Director, Engagement & Inclusion.  He was previously  Manager of Program Development for CBC, where he was responsible for the ongoing development of local programming in radio, television and online.

Zayd Ayers Dohrn is a playwright and screenwriter, and the creator, writer, and host of the narrative podcast Mother Country Radicals. Awards include The Tribeca Film Festival’s prize for “Best Audio Storytelling,” the Gold Medal for "Best Narrative/Documentary Podcast" from the New York Festivals, "Best True Crime and Documentary Podcast" at the Shorty Awards, and the Signal Listener’s Choice Awards for "Best Writing and Best Documentary.” Zayd’s plays have premiered off-Broadway, across the country, and internationally and are published by Concord and Dramatists Play Service. Honors include the Horton Foote New American Play Prize, the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, the Kennedy Center’s Jean Kennedy Smith Award, the Sky Cooper American Playwriting Prize, Theatre Master’s Visionary Playwright Award, and Lincoln Center’s Lecomte du Nouy Prize. Zayd is a Professor of Radio/TV/Film at Northwestern University and Director of the MFA in Writing for the Screen + Stage. www.zayddohrn.com

Elaine Dunseath is an award winning radio producer at BBC Northern Ireland. A journalist for 15 years at the organisation, she has a background which includes researching and producing television current affairs investigations and television news.  She has a particular interest in highlighting the plight of society’s most vulnerable and helping those who often don’t have a platform to be heard. In June 2019, she and reporter Declan Harvey won bronze at the New York Festivals Radio Awards Social Issues category for ‘Did A Serial Killer Murder My Sister?’ which explored how alcoholism can often mean domestic abuse victims go unnoticed. Her most recent documentary is ‘Silent No More: Fermanagh’s Abused Children’ which showed how one person speaking out has forced a rural community to confront how widespread child sexual abuse was allowed to go on for years. 

Jo Erickson is currently the Editor /producer for the CPR podcast unit, Audio Innovations Studio and the host/reporter of Systemic, an award-winning podcast that uses audio diaries and interviews to document the lives of people working to create change.
 Jo joined CPR in 2020 after working as a news and podcast producer and occasional reporter at Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media Group. Before joining MPR, Jo worked for the BBC as a documentary producer. She produced hard hitting documentaries looking at inner city gangs and knife crimes, violent animal rights activists, and followed rioters during the London riots. She produced BBC documentaries “My Best Friends Murder” and “My Murder.”

Padraic is now Head of Operations of Clare FM and Group Programme Director of Clare FM & Tipp FM. 

Over the past few years Padraic has directed & edited several documentaries including, “Vincent Hanley Cominatcha” the life story of one of Ireland’s greatest presenters, Vincent Hanley.

“Bullets & Ballads in the Banner County”.  2018 he produced “Top of the World” the story of a local Clare man becoming the first Clare man to climb Mount Everest.  It received a bronze award at the New York International Festival Radio Program Awards for The World’s Best Radio Programs in the Human-Interest category.

In 2019 Padraic and his colleague Gavin Grace produced “The Rescue” the story of Jim Warny a local Clare man that travelled to Thailand to aid in the rescue of the Wild Boar Soccer Team.  The documentary received a Gold award at the New York International Festival Radio Program and a silver award in the IMRO awards.

Over the years Padraic has produced several imagining packages for Clare and Tipp FM. 

Strong production and programming content remains Padraic’s passion in life.

Rebecca Fortuin is an award-winning Senior Audio Editor for HarperCollins Publishers UK looking after the imprints Farshore, HQ, Mills & Boon, and Pavilion. She manages around 200 audiobook recordings ever year, specialising in finding upcoming voice talent through her partnership with East 15 Acting School in London, and adapting visual books for the audio format

A Grand Jury member since 2009 and recipient of the New York Radio Festivals United Nations Silver Medal (UNHCR) 2008 - The Stolen Generation, SBS Radio - Alchemy. 
Executive Producer and Leader in radio, podcasts, TV and digital media production, having played a lead role in establishing the SBS PopAsia brand from a start-up radio show on SBS Australia into a 24/7 Digital Radio Station, TV Show and digital content hub. Over 25 years Maddy has built significant relationships with audience, industry and community stakeholders, focusing on diversity, music and culture. As an Asian Pop subject matter expert (artists, companies + media) Maddy has negotiated interviews and access to artists as talent for radio shows, podcasts and performance. 

International Broadcast Consultant VALERIE GELLER is president of Geller Media International. She works with top broadcasters in radio, TV, internet throughout the world, and has consulted on several award winning documentary films. As a content and story consultant, trainer and seminar leader, Using proven methods she developed over years of working in 35 countries with over 500 radio and television stations, Geller coaches and trains on air personalities, programmers, producers and broadcast news journalists to become more Powerful Communicators Geller has worked with some of the top personalities in the world. to get, keep and grow their audiences using the proven POWERFUL COMMUNICATOR techniques - Geller, a former program director (WABC, New York) and News Director (K101, San Francisco) has been training broadcasters since 1991. Her clients in Europe have included LBC, The BBC, Australia's ABC Sweden's MTG,among others.

Catherine Girardeau has been an audio creator and producer for radio, museums and podcasts for her entire career. Most recently, she's been working as Executive Producer at Pushkin Industries, where she co-created and produced four seasons of the hit podcast "Against the Rules", written and hosted by bestselling author/journalist Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Big Short, Going Infinite). Other Pushkin projects include the audiobook "So Many Steves: Afternoons with Steve Martin"; "Legacy of Speed," a sports and social justice history series hosted by Malcolm Gladwell; "Incubation", a medical history and science show hosted by Jacob Goldstein; and "Story of the Week", a weekly interview show hosted by journalist Joel Stein. Her independent work includes "Above the Fog", a podcast about walking and spirituality made as podcaster in residence at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral, "Viewpoints: Body Language", a multimedia project with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and radio features for PRI, NPR stations and the public radio program Marketplace. She’s also been a producer for McKinsey, Marketplace, the Stanford Storytelling Project, and Antenna Audio. In her free time she swims in cold water, circumambulates mountains and plays the violin.

Slobodan Govorcin, holds B.A. in dramaturgy. He is Editor in Drama and fiction Department with the Public media institution RTV Vojvodina in Serbia. He has been a jury member of international radio drama festivals for several times now. He also served as a selector for national amateur theatre festivals and for the festival of monodrama for children. As the author of radio dramas he won awards at the Prix ex Aequo in Slovakia and at the Festival of Best Radio Shows in New York. He was preselected at Prix Europa in Berlin, Prix Nova in Bucharest, HearNow in Kansas and UK radio drama festival in Herne Bay.

Pooja is a legitimate veteran of the Radio industry with 19 years of prolific experience of selling creativity in the airwaves, Radio events, Digital events, Television IPs or an amalgamation of all.

Getting buyers/sponsors for the world of “Theatre of Mind”, has been the most satisfying part of her job and gives her as much kick as creating a masterpiece. 

Creating Hyper local campaigns, National IPs, Vernacular IPs, Tactical campaigns, CSR campaigns that get the most Sponsors/buyers have become her passion over the years

With over 24 years’ experience in the advertising, radio, movie content and newspaper industries Viplove has been at the forefront of  creating and curating multiplatform content, client led brand solutions, radio programming and music management.

A post graduate in English Literature, Viplove has been writing for newspaper and publications on films and film music since an early age, paving his way to advertising industry where he started heading a team of copywriters in no time.

Started his radio career in 2001, he has launched 29 radio stations across India, hired and trained many talents who went on to winning many international accolades.

With an intention to create a positive and meaningful impact on the radio industry of India, he is in the process of launching a podcast for radio professionals who are not finding radio as a challenging medium any more.

Lauren Hansen is an award-winning audio producer and journalist who loves rich, narrative storytelling that explores our present conditions through an historic, immersive, and empathetic lens. She has developed and produced a variety of podcasts - from the political and news-driven, to the celebrity-led, to thoughtful pop culture explorations, and highly produced limited series. She is currently a supervising producer at iHeartPodcasts and lives in Brooklyn, NY.

A media producer, sound engineer and music enthusiast, Emily’s love for mixing audio tapestries helps to bring the Bioneers Radio series to life. Based in the Bay Area, Emily is also a documentary filmmaker and editor who has worked on productions for Al Jazeera America and PBS.

Cathie has worked for various Radio and Television companies internationally including those in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

This award winning broadcaster has been extensively involved on both sides of the microphone

Scripting, performing and producing a wide range of programmes for television, radio, and live performance, has given Cathie the opportunity to work with professional musicians and actors in various countries, and with young people both in entertainment and education. More recently she has specialized in researching and producing historical entertainments.

Cathie has had a long association with NEW York Festivals almost since its beginning days.

Her website is www.cathieharrop.com

Saiam Hasan is a seasoned media professional with a 12-year journey, weaving magic in the realms of Creative Writing, Production, Voice Artistry, and independent Music. Saiam's career has taken him from the heart of frontline radio stations to the vibrant world of independent artistry in India and the United Arab Emirates, where his unique style seamlessly blends words and sounds.

Two of his original musical creations, "Aye Sajni" and "Nodey – Krishna," serve as distinct signatures of Saiam's artistic prowess. With nearly 12 years in the audio industry, Saiam has significantly raised the bar in terms of creative and sound standards. His virtuosity in the field has been recognized with prestigious awards, including 6 New York Radio Awards and national honors such as ACEF and Golden Mikes, adorning his career with a tapestry of well-deserved accolades.

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Dylan Haskins is a multi-award winning audio commissioner and executive producer at BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 5 Live responsible for podcasts including I’m Not A Monster, Have You Heard George’s Podcast?, Where Is George Gibney?, Bad People and Wheel of Misfortune. 

I’m Not A Monster and Where is George Gibney? won a total of six Golds, a Silver and the Grand Jury prize at the 2021 New York Festivals Radio Awards, contributing to the BBC also being awarded 2021 Broadcaster of the Year.  

In US and Canada, Dylan’s podcast commissions have also won a Peabody Award, an inaugural Podcast Academy ‘Ambies’ Award, the Banff World Media Festival ‘Rockies’ Award for Podcast of the Year, a RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Award and multiple Webby Awards including Best Documentary and Best Sound Design. In Europe, they’ve won the Rose d’Or for Audio, multiple UK Radio Academy ARIAS Golds, Silver and Bronze, the Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Podcast of the Year, NME Podcast of the Year, British Podcast Awards 'Moment of the Year' Gold and multiple Silvers, Overall Prize at the Justice Media Awards in Ireland and been Specially Commended at the Prix Europa.

Paul Hollins

Paul Hollins is a versatile broadcaster, insightful writer, and innovative business owner whose influence in the media industry is both broad and impactful. His broadcasting career has seen him become a familiar voice on some of the UK's most prominent radio stations, including Capital FM, Heart, and Smooth Radio. His engaging style and natural rapport with listeners have made him a distinguished figure in the radio landscape.

At the helm of Blue Revolution and Radio Express, Paul has propelled these businesses to international acclaim, providing services to a distinguished roster of the world's most notable radio stations and brands. His leadership has expanded the reach of Blue Revolution into the burgeoning world of digital media, with the production of popular podcasts that cater to diverse audiences and showcase his company's adaptability and creative prowess.

As an author, Paul has offered his rich knowledge of the industry through books like "Hang The DJ?" and "Essential Media Law." His expertise extends to journalism, contributing articles for RetroPop Magazine and previously for Music Power Magazine, which speaks to his multifaceted talent and ability to engage with readers on various platforms.

Paul's skills as a communicator are not limited to broadcasting and writing. He has conducted interviews with A-list celebrities, including Elton John and the Spice Girls, revealing his talent for drawing out intriguing and personal narratives. His dynamic presence is equally evident in live hosting and captivating on-stage performances. Additionally, his voice has brought life to campaigns for major brands such as Cadbury and Currys/PC World and has narrated a best-selling documentary series, highlighting his versatility as a voice artist.

Paul Hollins's career is a testament to his creative flair and professional dedication, making him a notable and influential figure in the world of media.

Matt has worked in the radio industry for more than three decades, and in 2018 founded Trisonic, a specialist audio creative and media agency based in London.   Trisonic creates and promotes the use of audio in all its forms.

Matt was a pioneer in the field of radio commercial production, has extensive experience in creating editorial audio content and radio programme management.   He is a highly skilled radio copywriter, audio producer and director in his own right, and also co-founded Spiteful Puppet Entertainment, whose audio dramas have scooped numerous accolades from the BBC and New York Festivals.

I’m an Executive Producer at TBI Media, overseeing our entertainment strands. I’m currently looking after Claudia Winkleman and Fearne Cotton on Sounds of the 90s for Radio 2. I’m also looking after Tailenders, our award-winning cricketing podcast with Greg James and Jimmy Anderson for 5live and BBC Sounds. I’ve previously produced KISS Breakfast with Jordan and Perri, working in the commercial sector across several Bauer brands. I produced Greg James, Scott Mills, Maya Jama, Jordan North, Alice Levine and more at BBC Radio 1. I’ve also worked as a reporter in BBC Sport, produced BBC Introducing and worked across several BBC local stations. I’ve been a trustee for the Radio Academy, supporting members of the audio sector with the 30 under 30 award and judging the Aria’s. I was likewise part of the 30U30 class of 2017 and have won four ARIA awards. I’m absolutely delighted to now be a trustee for AudioUK and a judge for the 2024 New York Festivals Radio Grand Jury.

Will Jackson has worked in the UK audio sector for thirty years, including BBC and commercial radio. He's Communications Manager for WorldDAB, the global industry forum for DAB digital radio. He also serves as a Trustee for the Radio Academy, the UK radio and audio industry charity, dedicated to the promotion of excellence in UK radio and audio. Prior to this, Will was Managing Director of AudioUK, the trade body for audio and radio production companies. While there, he was a Director of the UK Government's Audio Content Fund, and worked to create the industry's Audio and Radio Emergency Fund in response to the pandemic. 

For over 20 years Geoff has been at the helm of some of the biggest shows in the UK & Australia. Recognised with multiple awards for creativity he has also held roles in TV and Events Communications. A creative producer, strategist and talent manager with almost two decades experience across radio, TV & social media.

Previously at TBI Media, he was the Executive Producer of Claudia Winkleman for BBC Radio 2 and oversaw a slate which includes programmes for BBC radio and TV, commercial radio, brand podcasts and Audible Originals. 

Aaron Kearney (OAM) is a multi-award-winning broadcaster, photojournalist, sports commentator, five-time New York Festival award winner, AIPS Sports Award Silver Medallist and Prodi Journalist of the Year.

He’s won a Walkley Award for emergency broadcasting and forged a career across newspapers, television, radio and social with Fairfax, Channel Seven Australia, the ABC and others.

He’s currently the Director of AKS Media International, ABC’s Pacific Disaster Preparedness Broadcast Unit Lead and host of “Pacific Prepared”.

Aaron is in demand across the globe for his experience in broadcasting, commentary, storytelling and innovation, working for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, the BBC World Service and universities and corporations on five continents.

An inaugural Summer Fellow at Reuters Institute for Journalism at the University of Oxford, he holds a Masters Degree and Graduate Certificate from Griffith University, specialising in broadcast for development. He designed and produced the world’s first Pacific indigenous language live broadcast of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, co-produced Papua New Guinea’s historic coverage of the 2015 Pacific Games and has mentored female journalists from six countries at several international events, including the Commonwealth Games.

In 2020, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to broadcasting.

Further information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-kearney-oam-28772767/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Kearney

James Keen is Managing Director for Tindle Radio’s Channel Island stations – Island FM in Guernsey, Channel 103 in Jersey and newly-launched Soleil Radio which broadcasts to all of the Channel Islands. Channel 103 and Island FM deliver the highest and second highest weekly reach percentages in the British Isles respectively.

As Managing Director, James Keen leads both the commercial and content sides of the businesses. Prior to joining Tindle, James was Managing Editor for Global’s Heart stations in the east of England before which he worked for GCap Media, UKRD Group and Turner Broadcasting Systems.

Ivan is the Head of Content at Radio Express in the US and Blue Revolution in the UK.
He is the executive producer of the Official World Chart, the UK Chart (UK's Official Airplay Chart), The Kim Wilde 80s Show and the international version of the Joe Elliott Show, distributed worldwide by Radio Express. 

STEVE LEVINE BIOGRAPHY 2019
Starting as a tape-op at CBS studios in 1975, Steve progressed to in-house engineer
and worked with many new wave, punk & pop acts including The Clash, The Jags,
The Vibrators, XTC & Sailor.
Beach Boy, Bruce Johnson was to play an important part in Steve's early career,
culminating with Steve producing an album for the Beach Boys several years later.
Steve produced all of Culture Club’s classic hits and the bands’ three multi-platinum
albums.
Artist collaborations include Honeyz, China Crisis, Gary Moore, Ziggy Marley,
Louise, The Creatures, The Angelic Upstarts, Lemmy & Motorhead, David Grant,
Jimmy The Hoover, Westworld, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Mis-teeq, 911.
Steve has collected a number of prestigious industry awards including a Brit Award,
Musicweek Award and a Grammy for his work with Deniece Williams.
He has appeared on many radio and TV programes, is a regular guest presenter of
the newspaper review on BBC weekend Breakfast and on BBC’s 6 Music with his
own show.
His radio production company produces original high quality radio content, in
particular, The Record Producers, a series for BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music.
Steve has won a SONY Radio Award and most recently 2 Gold Awards at the New
York Radio Festival.
He has also presented The Record Producers Live with special guests.
Busy producing new acts, recently XamVolo , Space, and a remix project for the
legendary Millie Jackson entitled “Exposed” for ACE records.
He is currently in the studio working with games producer MILKY TEA on the
soundtrack to a new exciting game HYPERBRAWL currently exclusive to the new
Apple Arcade platform .........more news soon ......and more tracks for
Electronic project Pretty Robotic.
Steve is a Director of PRS for music, a member of the MU, PPL,
and a LIPA Companion and recently elected to the new Liverpool Region Music
Council

Viola Lo has immersed herself in the realms of radio and television for two decades, navigating vibrant cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and currently, the bustling metropolis of Seoul, South Korea. She presently contributes her expertise to TBS efm, Korea's premier foreign language channel, engaging in the diverse and global voice resonating from this vibrant city. 

Viola is esteemed for her proficiency in crafting entertaining programs and delving into the depths of documentary storytelling. With a multilingual background, she steadfastly believes in the power of storytelling as a universal language that captivates hearts and minds worldwide.

I was one of the original employees at Radio Clyde in Glasgow joining the station in November 1973. Through the 80s and 90s, I was Production Controller for Radio Clyde when the station won "Sony Station of the Year" 3 times and was nominated twice. I was also the producer on two Sony Award-winning shows for Best Rock and Pop Programme - Hue and Cry (1989) and The Big Day C1 (1991). I have 10 New York Radio World Medals as producer or co-producer. Among the other career highlights was the innovatory series of 17 annual open-air Kelvingrove Free Music Festivals which provided to launch pad for many local bands performing original music. I have always had an interest in aviation and have produced three critically acclaimed aviation documentaries. Doing the Continental – An hour-long examination of Continental’s first brush with Chapter 11 made in 1985/86 and featuring Continental pilots and crew, the FAA, and an exclusive interview with Phil Bakes. Britannia 300 Alph

I am a producer and series producer who has worked with BBC News, BBC Radio and BBC World Service. I have written and produced both long-form and magazine shows for both TV and radio as well as outputting the BBC’s flagship domestic, morning news show the Today programme. I am also a three-times winner of a New York Festivals award, each time for a long-form documentary, produced for the BBC World Service and for BBC Radio. 

Angie Man is Senior Programme Officer,  RTHK. 

She joined RTHK in 2008 as a multimedia editor, managing webpage content and social media. Additionally, Angie works closely with presenters producing radio shows, podcasts and managing special projects for Radio 3 RTHK. She is also responsible for producing radio shows to broadcast on TV.

Angie was also a journalist and web editor for local Chinese newspapers.

Liliana Manna is a journalist who graduated in 1972 from the School of Journalism of the city of Buenos Aires and 1974 from the Institute of Radio Education. She was the first woman in Argentina radio to be named a writer-broadcaster in the News Service of Radio Belgrano and served as producer on various radio and television programs. In 7 opportunities, Manna was awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze trophies at the New York Festivals. The last occasion was in 2014 where she won the Gold for Best Documentary for “30 Years of Democracy: Everybody’s Story.” Also in 2014 she won the Ondas Award, awarded by the Cadena Ser Spain, for best documentary radio program in the world “Human Trafficking: Merchants of Innocence” which on December 3rd was delivered in a special audience with Pope Francisco. Other international awards have included: (with journalist Nelson Castro) the "King of Spain" International Award. First distinction achieved by Argentine journalist radio special prize

Siobhán McHugh is a multi-awardwinning podcast producer, critic, consultant and academic. Her book, The Power of Podcasting: Telling Stories Through Sound (CUP 2022), analyses podcasting as a new medium and reveals how to make compelling narrative podcasts. Siobhán was consulting producer on investigative journalism podcasts Phoebe’s Fall , Wrong Skin, The Last Voyage of The Pong Su and The Greatest Menace (2022), a queer history/true crime series dubbed ‘Australia’s S-Town’. All won gold awards at New York Festivals; The Greatest Menace also won a Walkley Award, Australian equivalent of a Peabody.  Siobhán founded RadioDoc Review to showcase expert criticism of notable audio stories and the Hub for Innovation in Podcasting to bring together podcast researchers, creators, fans and industry. Dr McHugh is Honorary Associate Professor at University of Wollongong (Journalism) and University of Sydney (Media/Communications), Australia.

Daithí McMahon is a radio academic and critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning radio playwright, director, audio producer and sound artist. He has written and produced through Henchman Productions across numerous radio genres and formats and is best known for his audio dramas on Irish historical figures and contemporary Irish culture and society. He has won national acclaim in Ireland through the IMRO Awards and international recognition through six New York Festivals International Radio Program Awards and nomination to the prestigious Prix Europa Festival in 2015 & 2016 and the Grand Prix Nova in 2016. Daithí is a Senior Lecturer in Media at the University of Derby where he teaches scriptwriting and radio and podcast production. A specialist on the Irish Radio Industry, his research interests include the convergence of radio with digital media, the political economy of media industries and the consumption habits of contemporary audiences. He continues his art practice in audio drama and podcasting while experimenting with ambisonic audio and is currently leading an Irish diaspora oral history project. He was conferred his PhD by the University of Derby for his thesis which examined the impact of Facebook on the Irish Radio Industry 2011-2016.
 

Nemone has been at the forefront of UK national broadcasting for 25 years, with 23 at the BBC. Renowned for her daytime presence on BBC 6 Music, her long-running specialist show, Nemone’s Electric Ladyland, showcased her passion for electronic music. With a background in psychology from Manchester University and her master's degree obtained in 2018, she now also practices as a qualified psychotherapist, combining her interviewing skills with mental health advocacy. Nemone introduced mindfulness exercises to wider audiences on BBC 6 Music and hosts the award-winning series Journeys in Sound, delving into musicians' personal experiences with music. She joins the ‘Shrink The Box’ podcast as resident psychotherapist in January 2024.

Dedicated to raising awareness of mental wellbeing, especially within the music industry, Nemone organized the first Help Musicians mental health summit at Abbey Road studios on World Mental Health Day in October 2023 and at The Roundhouse in October 2024. Her unique blend of psychotherapy and music has led to collaborations with various festivals, conferences, and cultural institutions, including Scottish Ensemble, Mixcloud, The Box Museum, Plymouth, Glasgow’s Resonate Music Conference, and the International Music Summit in Ibiza, alongside events at London's Science Museum and with artist Max Cooper.

Eduardo "Lalo" Morino is an Argentine based voice actor, broadcast journalist, scriptwriter and a professor. He's been working in the global Media Industry for the past 28 years.

Since 2000, he's been part of Radio Mitre, the leading radio station of Argentina, as a service journalist, voice talent, and radio host. Currently, Eduardo's hosting "Overnight, weekend edition" (narrative, music & news) and has been part of teams widely recognized by the industry and audiences all over the world (King of Spain Award, New York Festivals, Martin Fierro, among others).

He is the institutional voice of La100FM and Golf Channel Latin America, and he works as Voice Actor and Voice Talent in various fiction, commercial and documentary productions (DirecTV, MTV, Tenaris University-Techint Group, and others).

He is a full professor at ISER (Instituto Superior de Enseñanza Radiofónica) and an independent media & comunication consultant.

Eduardo strongly believes that Radio can empower ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Leslie Mullen is the writer, producer and host of the NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory podcast “On a Mission.” A science photojournalist for over 20 years, she also is a documentary filmmaker and was previously the producer for Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “StarTalk” podcast.

Götz Naleppa, Drama Director & Sound Artist of Naleppa Audio Productions, Germany. He is one of the most well-known and experienced directors of radio plays in Germany. He is a member of the Radio Advisory Board.

In the 90’s he constructed the radio play departments of Germany Radio (Cologne / Berlin) as a radio play director, and from 1997 to 2008 Mr. Naleppa acted as director and dramaturg for Germany Kultur (responsible editor for sound art). Since January 2009 he has concentrated his talents on projects serving as a freelance director (radio drama, media arts), translator, and composer in digital sound art.

The NYF Gold trophy for “ZENScapes – City, Land, River” for Sound Art is Gotz Naleppa’s fourth

Mayda “May” Ortega is Colorado Public Radio’s first-ever midday news host, as well as host and a producer of the station’s award-winning podcast, ¿Quien Are We?. 

Outside of the office, May has served as a mentor for the Public Media Journalists Association; a fellow with the Association of Health Care Journalists; and the founder and president of the New Mexico chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Started my radio career in 2002 as a DJ with a renowned radio station in Delhi, moved on to become the Program director with Radio City91.1FM, Mumbai in 2009. Have been part of the Radio city family ever since. I now work in the capacity of Vice President & Programming director-west for Radio City. I head 11 markets including mumbai and Regional head- Audacity, creative solutions.

In all close to 17 years of experience in my favourite forever- Radio!

Karen Pearson is a DJ, audio pioneer and door-opener for new talent. She was named a Radio Academy Fellow in 2023 – their highest accolade.

Her achievements include seven years producing Gilles Peterson’s weekly radio show, setting up his Worldwide Awards and responding to Jamie Cullum’s insistence that he’d only join the BBC if she produced the programme. Her determination to ensure BBC Radio 2 had a weekly hip hop show eventually paid off with Romesh Ranganathan’s ARIA Gold-winning For The Love of Hip Hop.

Her award-winning company Folded Wing (est. 2006) was the first podcast company creating branded content in the UK. Like Karen, the company is based in Essex. Over the years she’s created top-flight audio for international platforms as well as podcasts and audiobooks for Fabric, Nike, Reebok, Bowers & Wilkins, HarperCollins and more. An early adopter of new mediums, TimeOut called her ‘the Queen of the podcast’ in the mid-2000s. 

The world of Karen P is a place where new talent is welcome and where fresh voices are amplified – where music and culture come first. 

Jason Phipps is Head of Content & Development at the London based independent podcast studio Chalk + Blade creators of titles such as 'Takin On Putin' and 'Spygate F1'. Previously he was a commissioning editor for BBC Sounds podcasts where his Peabody award winning Sounds team developed and commissioned podcast-first titles for BBC Sounds audio app including 'I'm Not A Monster', 'The Cipher', 'Where Is George Gibney?' and 'Have You Heard George's Podcast?'. His work is across genres from blue-chip journalistic serialised podcasts to blockbuster dramas. Previously he was Head of Podcasts at The Guardian newspaper, and is an award winning podcast/radio producer and believer in the unique power of audio in the digital age.

Richard Power is a multi-award-winning audio producer with ten years of experience in the industry. A Senior Producer at 7digital Creative, he has produced and exec produced series and documentaries for Audible, BBC World Service, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio 4. He has produced music programming for BBC Radio 2 with presenters Tony Blackburn, Jo Whiley, Trevor Nelson and Paul Gambaccini. Video credits include The Gaming Show for BBC iPlayer and shorts for Warner Music Group and BBC Ideas.

Along with two silver New York Festival awards, Richard has won a James Beard award and was nominated for a Rose D’Or for his Audible series It Burns. In 2020 he was awarded 30 under 30 with the Radio Academy and Bronze for Best New Producer at the APAs.

He hosts a monthly radio show on Voices Radio and in 2024 he will host the podcast The Devoted.

HELEN QUIGLEY (Production Director, B7 Media) has more than nearly twenty years’ experience in producing audio for broadcast. 

As an audio drama producer for B7 Media, her credits include Theatre of the Damned - inspired by a true story about the birth of the Grand Guignol in 1920s Paris; The Space Race; Greenborne - a post-Covid radio soap opera; the Audible psychological thriller series The Effect; and for BBC Radio 4 the courtroom drama Barred and a modern dramatisation of the ancient Indian poem Mahabharata Now. Helen has also produced numerous audiobooks, including Marriage Bureau, Scimitar into Stanley and comic artist Dave Gibbon’s autobiography, Confabulation.

Other producer credits include national network radio promos for the BBC’s flagship TV programming, including Blue Planet II, Industry, Line of Duty, The Apprentice and Wild Isles and mastering for Fresh Air Production’s The Big Steal and Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place app.

Previously she was a Continuity Announcer and Producer for Comedy Central UK and in 2006 was also responsible for producing of the UK’s first branded comedy podcasts; Robin Ince’s Show and Tell and Utter Shambles.

In 2023, B7 Media launched Audioteria, a new purchase platform for the distribution of independently made audio drama.

 Indira Rangarajan, National Content Director, Mirchi, is a multiplatform content specialist with over 20 years’ experience in advertising, media & entertainment. She has been associated with Mirchi for over 15 years and has been instrumental in ushering in a new era of audio-video content and celebrity shows. She now handles digital content with Mirchi developing mobile friendly content formats which include podcasts, web-radio and video originals. This former creative director for leading advertising agencies like Ogilvy and Mather is extremely vociferous about women’s issues and strives to promote mental health awareness.

Australian writer and independent radio feature maker following a long creative career at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a highly-regarded producer and presenter across a range of innovative, specialist programs, including The Listening Room and Into the Music. She has collaborated with composers, performers, writers, sound artists and musicians to create unique radio works for these shows and mentored emerging radio creators and artists in residence.

Recipient of international and national awards, including New York Radio Festivals Silver and Bronze awards, the Australian Human Rights & Equal Opportunities Commission Radio Award and the United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Prize for Radio.

Emily Reeves is an award-winning audio producer and podcaster based in Brooklyn, NY. As a former performer and theatre artist, Emily spent years studying the art of captivating an audience’s attention and uses this experience to create sound-rich and engaging audio pieces about big ideas. Emily is the host and producer of Violence Week, an upcoming documentary series about gun violence and policing in schools. Other work can be heard on The Queens Memory Project, The Vital Voices Podcast, and Aisha, the Tribeca Festival’s 2023 Independent Audio Fiction Award Winner. Emily is a graduate of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, where she produced a documentary about a Moby Dick-inspired blues opera about heroin addiction; this piece won an award for Best Student Documentary at the 2023 New York Festivals Radio Awards.

Tim Rohan is an independent journalist who writes for audio and print. He started his career working as a sportswriter for The New York Times and Sports Illustrated, where he wrote features and investigations. For several years now, he’s been making narrative podcasts, serving as the reporter, writer, and host. He made “Fall of a Titan,” a nine-part series investigating the death of NFL quarterback Steve McNair, and then “False Idol,” a seven-part series re-examining the rise and fall of Oscar Pistorius, the South African Paralympian who murdered his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. “False Idol” won Gold in the Sports Podcast category and Silver in the Narrative/Documentary Podcast and Serialized Podcast categories at the 2022 New York Festivals Radio Awards.

Dom has 35 years of experience in media production spanning Television, Film, Radio and Digital Media. In the commercial sector, he started in local radio writing and producing commercials. In 1997 he joined the BBC  and  became an Executive Producer working across channels and networks such as BBC One, BBC Radio 1 BBC Three, BBC Four and more.

 Much of his work has been creating visual and audio campaigns for programmes such as The Apprentice, Sherlock, Doctor Who, Holby City, Line of Duty and many more. He have won multiple awards and accreditation for his work, most recently taking GOLD at Promax UK for Line of Duty and a Creative Circle Wood Pencil for BBC iPlayer.

Nicky Ryan is Senior Media Producer with Irish news website The Journal. He is a two-time award winner at New York Festivals. His work as producer on Stardust, a documentary podcast exploring how 48 young people died at a Valentine's disco in 1981, earned him gold in 2020. In 2023, silver was awarded to Redacted Lives, a documentary series that delved in the history of Ireland's often-brutal mother and baby homes, allowing people who passed through the system to tell the real story of what happened within.

His work with The Journal spans the mediums of audio, video, and print, covering all areas from fact checking to politics to social justice. He recently reported on the ground from the Dublin Riots in November.

He is a graduate of the BA in Journalism in DCU, and has previously worked with Irish broadcasters RTÉ and Newstalk. He lives and works in Dublin and calls a mix of Wexford and Waterford home.

Nicolás Harry Salvarrey is an Argentinian radio journalist, producer and works as a co-host in Perros de la Calle, Urbana Play 104.3. He also writes about beer, food and lifestyle as a freelancer.

An astute media professional with an insightful & cross cultural work experience of more than 18 years, comprising of Radio, Television, Digital Marketing & Events. Expertise in revenue optimization through branded content and creative client solutions.

Previously, Vice President, Radio City (Dainik Jagran)

Eimear Shannon is a producer and content creator with TodayFM, Ireland’s largest national commercial radio station. She is currently working on the flagship mid-morning radio show Dave Moore on TodayFM,  the largest show on the station. 

Since beginning her career on TodayFM, she has produced numerous shows across multiple genres from current affairs to magazine and lifestyle to music and entertainment shows. 

She is also on the panel of judges for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize, selecting the best Irish album of the year. 

She is a graduate of the BA in Journalism in DCU. A proud Dubliner, she lives and works in the city but is never too far away from popping into her parents to visit her beloved dog and cat.

Abhishek Sharrma is one of India’s most applauded Audio Programmers. His work saluting the Indian forces, shows on polio awareness, menstrual hygiene, organ donation and more are awarded at the New York festivals, India Radio Forum, Golden Mikes, ACEF and Radio Duniya awards. His recent work is for the Art of Living Radio that was set up, launched worldwide during the pandemic by the Global ambassador of peace Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. An expert with branded content, Abhishek currently head Bhopuwala and provides top class audio solutions to Radio Stations/Podcasters/other businesses worldwide.

Helen is an awarding winning producer/director and has been a judge with the New York Radio Festival since 2013. She runs Athena Media, in Ireland, a digital and broadcast storytelling agency, and Athena Media has previously won the Grand Award, six Gold, 2 Silver and a Bronze for its work at the New York Radio Festival. Athena Media has also been a multiple awardee at both the Celtic Media Festival Awards and the Irish Radio Awards. Helen is a graduate of UCD, DCU and was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University at the International Affairs Centre. She has worked as a news reporter with the Irish Times, a current affairs producer with RTE and she was editor news and current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland before taking up the post as Head of RTE Radio. RTE is Ireland's public broadcasting service. She ran RTE Radio for five years, launching RTE Lyric fm and leading the digital transformation before taking the sabbatical at Harvard University and post that she set up Athena Media. Athena Media creates award winning podcasts and runs Podcasting Ireland. Some of its recent work includes a new transmedia project called Mother's Blood, Sister Songs www.mothersbloodsistersongs.com exploring the intricate relationship between Ireland and Iceland, through story and song. Helen sits on the board of Arts Council Ireland and is a member of the Royal Irish Academy's Social Sciences Committee. 

Des Shaw is Co-founder and Director of Ten Alps Radio, a multi-format independent radio production company based in London, England. Des has over 35 years experience programming radio stations and producing multi-format projects for clients including the BBC, Austereo, Sky, BP, Orange, O2, Capital Radio, Xfm, Channel 4, Absolute Radio, SiriusXM and Universal Music. Ten Alps Radio has won numerous international broadcast awards for projects featuring a diverse range of presenters including Johnny Depp, Bono, Antonio Banderas, Susan Sarandon, Jerry Hall, Cameron Crowe, Tony Visconti, Deborah Harry, John Sebastian and Anthony Daniels. Ten Alps is now re-branded as Zinc Media.

Mikyung Shin is the executive producer at Busan English Broadcasting Foundation(BeFm), the one and only English Radio Broadcasting in Busan, South Korea.

She has been a dedicated member of the broadcasting field since 1996, at first as a host for various shows across television and the radio in TBC, UBC and TBN in South Korea

She began her tenure at BeFM as a producer, in charge of programs spanning various genres, from news to entertainment.

Mikyung has also created many radio documentaries on multiple issues. She has received the Gold Award at the 2018 New York Festival International Radio Program Award.

Lou is Vice President, Music Programming at SiriusXM Radio. He has been on the air and in management of radio stations across America, as well as hosting syndicated shows. At SiriusXM, he builds and oversees channels in various genres and hosts a weekly talk show about pop music.

Fyona Smith is the Managing Editor at Today FM for Bauer Media Audio Ireland, leading talent development and content strategy for Today FM’s Music and Entertainment portfolio.

An industry leader in the Irish and Australian audio markets, Fyona has held national roles in driving Audio Innovation, content creation and industry practices, with a focus on premium live content and podcasts.

Before joining Bauer Media, Fyona was the Head of Radio & Podcasting at AFTRS, developing industry training at a national and international level. 

Earlier in her career Fyona was the National Network Music Director at Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) Triple M Regional, where she was responsible for the music strategy for 34+ stations and delivering specialised shows.

Fyona is an award-winning radio programmer and has been a New York Festival Grand Jury Member for five years.

Ken Sweeney is an independent radio documentary maker working with RTE Radio in Ireland. His first doc, an RTE Radio Doc One One, 'Michael Jackson's Irish Driver' won an Irish PPI Radio Award and was a finalist in the New York Festivals in 2014. Since then his music docs on artists including influential Scottish band The Blue Nile have aired on RTE Radio, BBC Radio 6 Music, and CBC. His latest RTE music doc 'REM Out Of Athens' won Silver at the 2018 New York Festivals. An ex-musician, he is a regular contributor to Irish radio as Irish Showbiz Writer 2016 and 2018 at the Irish Newspaper awards ENDS.

Alison Toomey is a Producer/Director/Co-founder at Real Films TV & Radio Production Company in Ireland. Real Films TV/Radio Production Company & Radio work has been awarded six IFTA nominations (Irish Film & Television Awards) and has won three IFTA s. Alison's radio work has won a Gold Medal at the New York Festivals 'World’s Best Radio Programs' in the 'Best International Educational Documentary' category and achieved two finalist certificates. Real Films specialize in producing high-end documentaries in Film, Television and Radio. Alison Toomey has been a Grand Jury member at the New York Festivals 'World’s Best Radio Programs' International Radio awards festival for the last five years. You can listen to Alison's work on https://soundcloud.com/alison-toomey-ireland “Being a Grand Jury Member for the World’s Best Radio Awards is now part of my working calendar. I absolutely love it! I get to listen to radio producers work from all over the world. I always learn so much

Mark Travis has over 20 years of experience in the music industry as a writer, producer, broadcaster, lecturer, and audio engineer. Since 2011, he had been the Associate Director of Media, Production for the New York Philharmonic and is now Director of Media Production.   He has produced the orchestra's broadcasts since 2003. Mark has also served as a writer and producer for Chicago’s WFMT Radio Network where he wrote and produced over 800 nationally syndicated programs--notably the Bucksbaum Family Lyric Opera of Chicago broadcasts. As a freelance producer, he has produced English-language broadcasts for the Berlin Philharmonic, The Suisse Romande Orchestra, the Bavarian State Opera, the Bavarian Radio Symphony, and the Milwaukee Symphony. Mr. Travis also has an extensive discography as a music-producer that ranges from recordings by the New York Philharmonic to recordings by William Warfield, Jenny Lin, Jeffrey Siegel, Susan Merdinger, Maria-Luisa Rayan-Forero and the Chicago Chorale for Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos

Juan Villalba is director of Radio U of the National University of Cuyo, one of the largest public universities in Argentina. He has more than twenty-five years of experience in the media and radio is his main love. He understands that radio is a stage where literature, theater and music are mixed. In his professional career, he has received numerous awards. He was a four-time finalist at the New York Radio Festival. In 2018 he won the Silver Award with his documentary "Grandma". In addition, he won two Martín Fierro Awards, the most important award for the media in his country.

Elisabeth Weilenmann has been writing and directing radio plays and radio documentaries for German-speaking countries for almost 20 years. She loves to weave different voices, sounds and music pieces. She won numerous awards, including the Prix Europa (director) and the Juliane Bartel Media Prize 2023 in the documentary audio category.

Megan Williams is a Canadian Rome-based foreign correspondent, writer, and radio documentary producer who can be heard regularly on CBC, Deutsche Welle, PRI-BBC's The World and other outlets around the world. Megan has reported from throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe. International recognition for her work includes numerous N Y Festivals awards including two Golds; a James Beard Award for best radio broadcast, a Gabriel Award and second place in Prix Italia for Works on Music. For the past several years, Megan has headed the jury and co-produced the Italian Golden Globe film awards. She is the author of the story collection Saving Rome.

Andrew Wright started his career in the radio and television industry working in some of the world's most dangerous locations as a news sound recordist. He spent 10 years as a broadcaster and latterly programme producer where he developed his production and media management expertise working with programmers, advertisers, official regulators, and talented broadcasters. His company. Wright Communicators, now helps broadcasters develop content, and businesses communicate their brand, marketing and training messages. Andrew’s diverse and valuable experience has also led him to become a leading trainer in creative, personal communication, technical and management disciplines as well as soft skills development. Areas of specialty, past, and present. TV and Radio Broadcaster Broadcasting resources Manager Commercial Copy Writer Professional trainer. (Advert and promotional writing, Digital production, talent development, Core skill development, Business skills.) Company Man

I describe myself as a Creative Artist and Content producer because  my work is divided between Radio, Fine Art and Music and Web Content creation.

I have  produced and presented  two hours of radio on the Arts  for over 20 years on my show Arts Canvass on Bay FM 99.9 in Byron Bay in Australia. I have also written and  produced  a number of radio documentaries including ‘Memories of Sarajevo which won me the Bronze medal  from New York Festivals World’s Best Radio .

I founded the website  The Narratives Library which contains hundreds of authors,  reading from their own work for just 5 minutes which was awarded the Hermes Gold Award for Web Design.

I am also a  professional Fine Artist and  songwriter and composer and my music  has been used in hundreds of T.V shows and documentary films.

I originally trained as an  independent filmmaker and still make   short films for competitions and performances.

I consider it a privilege and a joy to be on the judging panel as the range of wonderful  work produced by presenters from all over the world is such an inspiration.

Sonia Yee is the director of podcast production company Double Ten Media and founder and Editor-in-Chief of podcast news platform Close to the Mic, which launched in 2023 designed to profile audio professionals and content across Asia Pacific.

Based in Wellington, New Zealand she has a background in public radio (RNZ) where she worked for more than a decade and has specialist expertise producing and presenting high-crafted radio documentaries and podcasts across every genre imaginable from history, science and technology, to lifestyle, fashion, business, and more.

Since the beginning of her career, her work has been recognised locally and internationally - she is the winner of 4 x New York Festivals Radio Awards, including Gold (2019) Narrative Documentary for Beyond Kate - an 8-part series investigating 125 years of womens’ suffrage in New Zealand, and Silver for Best Business Podcast, Across the Board (2023) made for the Institute of Directors, which looks at why good governance matters now, more than ever. 

With a passion for innovative and creative storytelling, combined with a focus on audio craft, Sonia brings visual elements to her work, creating sound-rich, textural backdrops that take the listener somewhere else - elevating the stories and voices of everyday people.

Carole Zimmer is the host of the podcast “Now What?” about big life decisions, transitions and how you navigate all those curves in the road. She worked at Bloomberg Multimedia as a digital video and television producer as well as a radio reporter for 15 years and is the recipient of numerous awards including the Edward R. Murrow award for her radio documentary “Stalking a Silent Killer.” Before joining Bloomberg, Ms. Zimmer worked at NPR and the CBS and NBC radio networks. She has been a contributor to the New York Times, Washington Post, Harper’s and other publications.

With an early introduction to music and storytelling by his older brother and sister, Tim Zunckel was intrigued by rhythm and the spoken word at a young age. The introduction of community radio in South Africa was the final catalyst to the start of his media career.

Tim has a solid founding in campus radio and has worked across commercial, community, retail and public radio. Tim has had varied roles in media management and operations as well as creative development and execution. With his background he now works as a coach, trainer, creative, manager and mentor in the media space. Tim is passionate about developing young talent and working with established professionals who want to take their careers to the next level.

Tim works with the dynamic team at Internews and is the Regional Media Business Advisor for Sub-Saharan Africa.