Industry voice growing: ARCIA

Half a calendar year gone, a change of prime minister, Australian dollar exchange movements - things are certainly moving rapidly and will continue to do so, especially for ARCIA and the industry. The election for the executive and general committee members is coming up in August, and I have decided not to stand for president again as there are some other activities I want to pursue. After five years, I think it is time to hand over to someone else. I urge you to get involved and make a difference.

It has been an interesting five years and we have been responsible for some substantial accomplishments: the realisation by statutory bodies that the industry is not only alive and well but growing; considerable effect on the changes to the 400 MHz spectrum; and involvement in educational institutions’ curricula specific to radio and the industry.

We’ve also seen a substantial growth in membership and a corresponding growing and strengthening voice of the industry. Accreditation has moved from an idea through to a process that works and adds value to our customers and members; extending involvement in the committee to other states throughout the nation.

We’ve also built on the success of the annual dinner in association with the CommsConnect conference to a series of regional events that continue to grow in size; and we’ve seen the development of the history project, which will serve to showcase the achievements of the industry in the formative years. There’s also been the development of a scholarship program that has rewarded a number of young people studying and working in the industry; a revision to the website to keep it modern and relevant with the introduction of white papers and a member and job section; regular news updates on the website and by email; and a program to seek feedback on a variety of topics.

The rest of this year will see us involved with the Brisbane regional event; an Adelaide event (5 September 2013 at the National Wine Centre of Australia); a Perth get-together; the Melbourne CommsConnect conference, the annual gala dinner and industry excellence awards. Make your nominations for the excellence awards on the website now with as much detail as you can to make the judges’ job as easy as possible. Full details of all these activities can be found at www.arcia.org.au.

I thank all of the committee members and the administrative staff who have been instrumental in getting the association to where it is today. I am certain that the dedication and effort will continue and that I can hand over to an executive who has the support required to continue to achieve growth and functionality.

Christian Kelly
President
Australian Radio Communications Industry Association