Community radio plays an important role in British broadcasting, giving local communities a voice, developing new talent and creating opportunities for people who might otherwise struggle to find a way into the industry. That’s why Be Broadcast is continuing its support for the Community Radio Awards and bringing broadcasters together for a special industry discussion in Birmingham.
On Saturday 24 October, Be Broadcast will join community radio stations, presenters, producers and volunteers from across the UK for the UK Community Radio Network Conference and Community Radio Awards at Gas Street Central in Birmingham.
As part of our involvement, we’re organising a discussion bringing together people with experience across BBC, commercial and community radio to look at the future of local broadcasting, changing audiences and what stations can learn from the wider industry.
We’ve also recently signed a new three-year sponsorship agreement, continuing our commitment to supporting the people and stations making a difference in communities across the country.
Why community radio matters to us
At Be Broadcast, we spend our working lives helping organisations tell their stories through television and radio, working with broadcasters across national, regional and local media.
That gives us a pretty good understanding of how the industry operates, the pressures newsrooms face and how much broadcasting continues to change.
It also means we see how important it is to support the people coming through the industry, particularly those getting their first experience behind a microphone, producing programmes, reporting on local stories or learning how to run a radio station.
Community radio has long provided those opportunities, often giving people the confidence, skills and practical experience that can lead to careers across the wider media industry.
Many stations are also doing something increasingly valuable by serving audiences and communities whose experiences don’t always receive much attention from larger broadcasters.
We believe the wider industry has a responsibility to support that work, particularly when so many community stations operate with limited resources and rely on the commitment of volunteers.
Our sponsorship is one way we can contribute, while helping recognise the people who put an enormous amount of time and effort into keeping their stations on air.
Bringing the radio industry together
Bringing the radio industry together
Alongside the awards, we’re organising a panel discussion at the UK Community Radio Network Conference, bringing together people with experience across BBC, commercial and community radio.
We’re particularly pleased to be welcoming Jay Panyane (DJ Panyaza), Producer at BBC Radio 1Xtra, whose career has taken him from community and local radio into national broadcasting.
Jay began presenting at BBC Radio Shropshire after winning its New Voices competition in 2019, before going on to present at Birmingham’s 107.5 Switch Radio and work across BBC Asian Network and BBC Radio 1Xtra.
He’ll be joined by Paul Shuttleworth, BBC Radio Shropshire presenter and producer, who brings decades of broadcasting experience across commercial, BBC local and community radio. His career has included Beacon Radio, a decade presenting breakfast at Telford FM and more than 16 years with BBC Radio Shropshire, alongside involvement in developing broadcasting talent through Switch Radio.
Also joining the discussion is Kay Wright, Senior Head of Content Production for the West and East Midlands at the BBC, who has held senior editorial and leadership roles across BBC local radio, television and digital journalism. Her experience includes leading BBC Radio Leicester and BBC CWR, giving her considerable insight into the challenges facing local broadcasting and the opportunities for reaching audiences across the Midlands.
Together, they’ll be discussing how local radio is changing, what audiences expect from broadcasters and how national stories can be made genuinely relevant to local communities.
We’ll also be looking at the opportunities for emerging talent, how community stations can strengthen their journalism and programming, and what the wider broadcasting industry can learn from the work happening at grassroots level.
We’ll be announcing more speakers shortly, with further voices from across the industry joining the conversation.
Last year in Bradford, we were joined by Stephanie Hirst for a session sharing her experiences of broadcasting. This year, we’re looking forward to continuing those conversations in Birmingham, with an opportunity for delegates to put their own questions to people working across the radio industry.
Celebrating the people behind community radio
The Community Radio Awards recognise the programmes, presenters, stations and volunteers making a difference across the UK.
For many people working in community broadcasting, the awards provide an opportunity to have their work recognised alongside others who understand the commitment involved in producing local radio.
They also help highlight the breadth of talent within the sector, from experienced broadcasters giving their time to local stations through to people taking their first steps into presenting, journalism and production.
At Be Broadcast, we’ve always believed that a healthy broadcasting industry depends on opportunities being available to people from different backgrounds, communities and parts of the country.
Community radio plays an important role in making that possible, which is why we’ve committed to supporting the awards over the next three years.
What comes next for local radio?
Radio continues to change, with listeners increasingly moving between live broadcasting, on-demand programmes, podcasts and digital platforms.
For community stations, there are questions about how to attract new audiences, develop sustainable operations and make the most of the opportunities emerging across different platforms.
There are also wider questions about the future of local journalism, the role of radio in bringing communities together and how the industry can continue developing the next generation of broadcasters.
These are some of the conversations we’re looking forward to having in Birmingham, alongside celebrating the people already doing brilliant work across the sector.
We also want to hear from the people attending. Our panel will include an opportunity for delegates to ask questions, share their experiences and raise the issues they think the wider broadcasting industry should be paying attention to.
Join us in Birmingham
Saturday 24 October 2026
UK Community Radio Network Conference and Community Radio Awards
Gas Street Central, Birmingham
13:30 – 14:15
We’ll be revealing more of our panel line-up in the coming days.
We’re looking forward to meeting stations, volunteers, presenters and producers from across the country, sharing experiences and celebrating the contribution community radio makes to British broadcasting.
