Welcome to Departure Festival & Conference and Radiodays North America - two platforms united by a shared belief in the power of music, media, and storytelling to shape culture. This week, we bring together artists, executives, broadcasters, creators, and innovators from across the global music and audio landscape - not just to reflect on where […]
Keynote with Vicky Eatrides, Chair, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission In a moment of rapid transformation across music, media, and digital platforms, the role of regulation has never been more consequential or more complex. In this keynote, Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), takes the stage at Departure in collaboration […]
At last fall’s CRTC hearing on Canadian Content – The Path Forward, broadcasters and music industry groups called for urgent updates to the regulatory framework. Issues included Cancon definitions and quotas, regulation of online streamers, declining local radio news, revenue pressures, funding for Canadian and Indigenous content, and ownership limits. This panel revisits these issues […]
As headlines from Washington increasingly intersect with decisions in Canada's music boardrooms and recording studios, understanding that connection has never mattered more for our industry. In this fireside chat, Mitch Glazier, Chairman and CEO of RIAA, joins Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada, to unpack how U.S. trade priorities, digital rules and debates are reshaping […]
BBC Radio 6 Music is one of the UK’s most distinctive music brands - a home for listeners who value discovery, depth and genuine musical passion. Built on trust, taste and cultural credibility, it proves that curator-led music radio can still thrive at scale. In this session, Samantha Moy, Head of BBC Radio 6 Music, […]
Amber Grimes has built her career at the intersection of music, strategy, and culture. From leading Artist & Label Partnerships at Spotify to serving as EVP & GM of LVRN (Love Renaissance) - the Atlanta based label behind artists including 6LACK, Summer Walker, DVSN, Sadboi and more, Amber now oversees one of the most influential […]
In this age of all-caps opinions passing for political discourse, we’ll hear from the frontlines… hosts who are successfully making programs that privilege facts and build audiences, whether it’s on radio or in a podcast. You’ll hear how to choose the right topics and guests, how to structure a debate versus a conversation, making things […]
Radio and podcasting aren't competitors - they're the ultimate combination. In this session, Tom Webster will share new research on how radio delivers unmatched reach and frequency while podcasting delivers something radio can't: deep attention and parasocial trust. Together, they form an audio advertising strategy that no other medium can match. You'll learn why the […]
Advertising dollars are the clearest signal of where media power is shifting. In this keynote and executive conversation, WPP Media CEO Kevin Johnson unpacks how global brands are allocating billions across traditional broadcast, streaming platforms, podcasting, and emerging digital ecosystems in 2026. What’s working? What’s measurable? What’s overvalued? And where is audio — from terrestrial […]
In a culture where artists can build audiences without traditional radio, what is the new value exchange? Bobby Carter and special guests to be announced soon!
Dr. Derrick Gray, Chief Research & Operations Officer at Numeris, will discuss how these foundational approaches presented by the National Media Onderzoek compare with—and inform—the next stage of audio measurement development in Canada. Acknowledging the value of robust PPM models as proven building blocks, Derrick will outline how Numeris is leveraging decades of experience to […]
Digital advertising is "click, click, bought." National radio campaigns are "call, wait, negotiate." While digital platforms offer frictionless, self-serve access, executing a radio buy can still take days or weeks. In this fast-paced 15‑minute session, we’ll explore how radio can level the playing field. We'll focus heavily on the “why”: why the industry must collaborate […]
