The full National Radio Conference agenda has been released, with Sharon Osborne the headline act on October 12th.
Click here to view the full conference program.
They’ve had some pretty big name stars at the annual Radiofest over the years. None of them were duds, so much as “controversial.”
Perhaps they were bracing for criticism in a statement that read: “Well-known and controversial businesswoman, music manager, television host and author, Sharon Osbourne, will be the special guest at this year’s Australian Radio Conference and Awards, to be held in Sydney next month.”
In reality, she could turn out to be one of the more interesting and relevant speakers we’ve had in a while.
The better ones were Sir Michael Parkinson, Sir Bob Geldof, Clive James, Harry Shearer, Barry Humphries and Sir John Cleese. Last year Kelsey Grammer, who played a radio host on television’s Frasier and has a nice voice had little to say about our medium. Others like Buzz Aldrin and Imran Kahn had even less to connect them to radio while Gordon F. Liddy a US talk host with millions of listeners was certainly controversial.
Well known for the reality television show, The Osbournes, which won an Emmy for Best Reality TV Show, Sharon has most recently been a judge on the X Factor UK and America’s Got Talent, as well as a guest on Celebrity Apprentice in the USA and currently is co-host of The Talk.
Sharon will speak on stage at the Radio Conference about identifying and promoting talent, how she sees the future of media and entertainment, and her own diverse life and career. She will also co-host the Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs).
Married to heavy metal guru, Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon is a grandmother, has three children, Aimee, Kelly and Jack, who was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), not long after the birth of his first child.
Sharon has written books including an autobiography, “Sharon Osbourne Extreme: My Autobiography”. After beating colon cancer, she established the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation in association with Cedars Sinai Medical Centre, which provides free screenings, support and healthcare to those who can’t afford it and are afflicted with the disease.
Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner said the industry was looking forward to having Sharon Osbourne as special guest and welcoming her to Australia.
“Sharon’s extensive experience with entertainment and developing and promoting talent should be highly informative and entertaining. We are greatly looking forward to her participation in our events,” Ms Warner said.
Other recently announced conference speakers also include Malcolm Turnbull and Steve Nuttall.