Touted as the conference’s take on Speakers’ Corner, Innovation Square is an open space in the centre of the conference for anyone to book a ten minute slot and speak about whatever they wish. It is the radio-industry equivalent of an open mic night!
Innovation Square kicked off today with a talk from Judy Kelly and Michael Strauss, who volunteer for Joy 94.9 in Melbourne. They took to the podium to discuss the challenges and rewards of community outside broadcasts (OBs) down under.
As the nation’s only LGBTI community station, OBs are an excellent way to connect with their audiences on a more physical level. For Joy 94.9, they go wherever their audience is… Pride, Carnival and Sydney Mardi Gras have all been regular haunts!
It’s also possible to find commercial opportunities via OBs too. Michael says “I’ve done OBs from car dealerships, with the news being read inside a car, all the way up to broadcasts to 300,000 people”.
Judy and Michael highlight how difficult it can be for low budget community stations to achieve this level of OB activity. Costs are often high and stations can need a lot of equipment. But quality OBs can be done on a budget and Joy 94.9 borrow a lot of their equipment – calling in favours, as well the hard work of the station’s volunteers.
Radiodays Europe is calling in favours of delegates from around the world! This was the inaugural talk at the new Innovation Square – a great start!
