Now that's what I call a Conference!

"The energy and passion from community broadcasters from across the country was palpable at the recent CBAA conference in Melbourne." AFTRS Senior Lecturer, Tony Rasmussen, gives us an overview of his Conference experience.

It was an absolute honour to be there as an exhibitor, to be amongst such a creative group of people, and to sit in on so many of the excellent sessions. The guest speaker and panellist line-up was first class and there was literally something on offer for everyone -  from guarding our press freedoms in Australia, to how to improve the diversity of music on our stations; from information on the exciting new CBAA News project, to how your station can have a more vibrant social media presence. All the sessions at the conference were focussed on the same theme: what are we doing now, and how can we improve the service we provide to the Australian community?      

At our AFTRS table in the exhibitor’s area we had some great conversations with delegates about the craft of radio and podcasting, and what we have on offer to help you get better at what you do at your station. We’ve got a range of full-time, part-time, and targeted short courses that can assist volunteers, content makers and leaders to improve their skills.

Joining me at the AFTRS table was former Graduate Diploma Radio student Dylan Saville who graduated last year. Dylan has a background in community radio in Tasmania and since graduating has relocated to Melbourne where he’s been working at Grandstand Sport (preparing a weekly AFL podcast during the footy season), and at ABC Radio Melbourne. Dylan knows about the vitality of community radio first-hand and he too was impressed with the energy and focus of the conference.    

It was also our honour to be at the celebrations on Saturday evening where the sector’s best and brightest for the year were recognised, and to be able to present the award for Best New Radio Program to the team from Edge 99.3FM for Now That’s What I Call Science! was another highlight.

Congratulations to all the winners on the night – and congratulations to the CBAA for a fantastic two days.

Pictured above: Tony Rasmussen with the Best New Radio Program winners from The Edge 99.3FM

Hero image: Dylan and Tony at the AFTRS exhibitor table at CBAA Conference 2019

AFTRS is a valued sponsor of the CBAA