“The increased pace of change is something that we are all grappelling with,” said CBAA President Philip Randal opening today’s conference in Melbourne.

“How we naviagte the opportunities change brings will determine how our sector progresses.

“We can give voice to our communities.”
 
5.2 million people now listen to community radio around Australia, according to the latest McNair survey figures.

 
Later in the morning Holly Ransom spoke more about change, outlining changing audience consumption patterns and attitudes to media.
 

By 2025, 75% of the Australian workforce will be millennials. What will that change in the structure of our community? “The young demographic will lead trends, she said.
 
“They have seen 12000 ad messages per day, they do not trust advertising. They trust honest blogs, and peer to peer referencing sites to inform their decisions to buy…
 
“57% won’t engage with a brand or product if there is a negative review. Social has taken word of mouth and put it in steroids. So businesses are positioning their advertising differently.”
 
Ransom says this is good news for community radio, because it is genuine and grass roots, so it can position itself well in the new media landscape.
 

View Twitter highlights from the conference below.