Three senior figures from radio and podcasting have been made Fellows of the Audio Academy at its 2026 Festival.

Dr Tony Phillips, Dino Sofos and Perminder Khatkar received the Fellowships during the event at the Royal College of Physicians in London.

The Fellowship is the highest honour awarded by the Audio Academy and recognises contribution to audio alongside a commitment to sharing knowledge and experience with others in the sector.

Tony is a former Commissioning Editor for BBC World Service and Arts Commissioner for BBC Radio 4. He founded production company Sea, Salt and Mango and was previously VP of content for WNYC in the US.

Presenting his Fellowship, former BBC Radio 4 Controller and World Service Director Gwyneth Williams OBE said: “Talented, hardworking and unfailingly kind, this inspiring award winner simply seems to know everyone who ever did anything anywhere.”

Dino is the founder of production company Persephonica and the Crossed Wires Festival in Sheffield. His BBC work included Brexitcast, Americast and Newscast.

BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg presented the Fellowship and said Dino had wanted politics coverage “to sound more like people actually talking, rather than a performance”.

Perminder is co founder of True Thought Productions and a former trustee of the Audio Academy. She has also previously served as Co Chair of the Festival.

BBC presenter Bobby Friction said her contribution extended beyond the programmes she has made, adding that she had “helped hundreds of aspiring broadcasters gain access to our industry.”

The Festival returned to the Royal College of Physicians with Audiences as its theme, featuring sessions across four stages and speakers including Mishal Husain, Elizabeth Day, Greg James, Simon Myciunka, Steve Jones and Rhodri Talfan Davies.

A serving Ukrainian soldier has become a daily contributor to the breakfast show on Devon’s Sid Valley Radio.

Yulia Chornohuz has joined Stuart “Huggy” Hughes’ weekday programme, recording station idents in English and Ukrainian as well as contributing a daily feature called Yulia’s Kissing Song.

The station says the arrangement may be a radio first, with Yulia currently serving in the Ukrainian Army while taking a regular role on a UK breakfast radio programme.

Stuart said: “We met on social media a year ago and have been messaging every day since. I wanted to do something a little different on my breakfast show and Yulia was up for the challenge. It’s now evolving into something completely different on radio.”

Yulia has also recorded the show’s “Kisses, Kisses, Kisses” feature and hopes to pursue a career in broadcasting, including taking on a presenter role, when her military service ends.

The breakfast show also includes regular characters Twister, Angry from Bickwell, G Rockall and Captain Nosey of Port Royal, alongside music, local news, weather and community information.

Sid Valley Radio broadcasts on DAB across Sidmouth, the Sid Valley, Honiton, Cranbrook and Exeter, as well as online at website.

RØDE has launched a new low profile studio arm designed for microphones and equipment used in broadcasting, recording and video podcasting.

The LPA1 can support equipment weighing up to 2kg, making it the highest capacity studio arm currently offered by RØDE.

Its design positions the arm below the camera’s line of sight, allowing presenters and broadcasters to keep a microphone close while reducing the amount of equipment visible in video.

The arm has a horizontal reach of 750mm, with vertical adjustment of 90 degrees upwards and 60 degrees downwards. It also offers 360 degree articulation and an integrated ball mount for positioning microphones above or below desk level.

Integrated cable management can accommodate XLR and USB cables, while the supplied clamp attaches the LPA1 to desks up to 70mm thick.

The arm supports 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch and 5/8 inch mounting threads, allowing it to be used with microphones, cameras, lights and other studio equipment.

RØDE says compatible microphones include its PodMic, PodMic USB, Procaster, Broadcaster and NT1 ranges.

The LPA1 is available on the Rode website.

Former Stray FM Managing Director Sarah Barry has joined Your Harrogate as Managing Director, returning to a senior role in local radio.

Sarah will oversee the day to day management of Your Harrogate and work with the wider team across the Harrogate district, Skipton and Ilkley.

Current Managing Director Adam Daniel is moving into a new role as CEO, where he will focus on commercial growth and further expansion of the group.

Adam previously worked alongside Sarah at Stray FM and said: “I’m delighted to welcome Sarah to the Your Harrogate team, having previously had the pleasure of working alongside her at Stray FM.”

Sarah began her career in advertising sales at the Yorkshire Post before joining Stray FM in 1994. She later held management roles across commercial radio in Yorkshire before returning to Stray FM as Managing Director.

During her time there, the station expanded into the Yorkshire Dales and developed into a multimedia business, while Sarah also founded the area’s annual Local Hero Awards.

She went on to spend five years as Managing Director of Harrogate Town AFC before joining Your Harrogate.

Sarah said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Your Harrogate.”

Angel Radio has launched on 15 additional DAB+ multiplexes, thanks to two listeners leaving money in their wills to the station.

The expansion began today, 1 October, with new carriage in Cardiff, Cheshire Mid, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Moorlands, Nottingham, Preston and Chorley, Stoke, South Cheshire, South Hertfordshire, South Manchester and Cheshire East, Walsall, Warrington, Widnes and Runcorn, Wigan and St Helens, and Wolverhampton.

Twelve of the new multiplexes are managed by Niocast, with the other additions involving ABC, Moorlands and South Cheshire DAB.

Angel Radio Founder and Station Manager Tony Smith said: “This expansion has been possible thanks to Millie from London and Mavis from Waterlooville kindly remembering us in their wills.

“As a registered charity, we are honoured that our listeners have left these generous legacies to us which allows us to reach more older people.”

Niocast’s David Duffy welcomed Angel Radio to its network of 12 multiplexes included in the expansion.

Digital Development Manager Ash Elford said Angel Radio has had a presence on DAB for 16 years, adding: “the platform is key for us to reach our target audience of older people, as well as lovers of vintage music.”

Angel Radio has broadcast programmes aimed at older people since 1999. Alongside its DAB coverage, the station continues to broadcast on 98.6FM in Portsmouth and 94.8FM in Chichester.

Fix Radio has highlighted how tradespeople can continue working every day while struggling with their mental health behind the scenes.

Former bricklayer and mental health advocate Rob Muldoon discussed the issue of presenteeism on The Bricklaying Show, telling presenter and bricklayer Ash Mahoney how his own problems developed while he continued turning up for work.

“I just got up, went to work, and kept going,” Rob said.

After 26 years in bricklaying, Rob said his difficulties followed years of combining full time construction work with additional jobs during evenings and weekends.

He became constantly tired, lost interest in things he enjoyed and withdrew from other people before eventually experiencing a breakdown while at work.

Rob said concerns about appearing unable to do the job can prevent people from seeking support.

“People don’t want to show that weakness and ask for help and support because they think, ‘If I ask for this, they’ll think I can’t do my job,’” he said.

His recovery began after speaking to his employer and accessing talking therapy through the Lighthouse Charity.

The discussion looked at how changes including persistent exhaustion, withdrawing from colleagues or becoming increasingly overwhelmed could provide signs that somebody is struggling, even when they continue arriving for work.

The programme forms part of Fix Radio’s wider work around mental health in the trades, which has also included its Grand Builders’ Tea Lay campaign encouraging workers to stop for a drink and check in with colleagues.

A session at the Audio Academy Festival will put local radio’s role in developing new broadcasting talent under the spotlight.

Your Specialist Subject: The Fastest-Growing Part of UK Radio will take place on the Impact Stage at the Royal College of Physicians at 12.30pm on Thursday 1 October.

Produced by Dom Chambers of Sound Vision and John Dash, both of the Local Media Network, the session will make the case for local radio and audio, including its role as an entry point for people starting careers in the industry.

It will include Audio Mastermind, with Stephanie Hirst as quizmaster and John taking Independent Audio Sales as his specialist subject. Phil England will answer questions on Real Audience Measurement, while Chris Hirst will take Local DAB.

The session will also highlight the growth of small scale DAB, which has expanded from its first service in December 2021 to more than 100 multiplexes on air.

Dom will focus on the social value of local audio and its role in providing opportunities including a first microphone, deadline and responsibility for something being broadcast.

Sound Vision’s Sound Voices youth programme will feature as an example. It operates in ten locations, with young people’s work broadcast through licensed community radio stations.

Faridat Raifu, who presents and leads the Sound Voices Wandsworth programme known locally as The Riversiders, will contribute to the session. Audio from Sound Voices Bridgwater will also be played, with a 14 year old contributor from the programme joining a group on stage.

Dom said: “For me, the talent route through local radio is so important. As a former trustee of the Academy, I know the great work it does in helping talent get in and then develop in the industry.

“If the starting point for that is the Foot in the Door programme, what Sound Voices does is find the pathway to the door.”

Tom Harwood has been appointed US Political Editor at GB News and will relocate to Washington DC ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The radio journalist will also become a new host of The Late Show Live, presenting the programme from Monday to Thursday, while Ben Leo continues to host on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The move follows the end of Bev Turner’s year-long secondment in the United States, with Bev now returning to London after anchoring The Late Show Live from Monday to Thursday.

Tom said: “It is a huge honour to be promoted to US Political Editor at such a pivotal time for this country, the United States, and the world.”

He added that he was looking forward to moving to Washington DC in time for the midterm elections and expanding the channel’s weekday coverage from the US capital.

GB News opened its Washington DC bureau in June 2025, with a studio close to the White House. Its nightly live programme from Washington launched the following September, adding 14 hours of live coverage each week.

During Bev’s secondment, she interviewed President Donald Trump twice for the broadcaster.

Ben Briscoe, Head of Programming and Talent at GB News, said: “Tom has established himself as an outstanding political journalist and presenter, and this new role is a fitting recognition of his talent, hard work and understanding of the forces shaping politics on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Before joining GB News in 2021, Tom Harwood was regularly heard as a political commentator on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 2, LBC and talkRADIO.

Kaye Adams and Shereen Nanjiani are returning to radio together to guest host Sunday Brunch on STV Radio.

The longtime friends will co-present the one-off programme from 9am until 12noon on Sunday 4 October, choosing songs and sharing the stories behind their selections.

The programme marks Shereen’s return to STV 20 years after leaving her role as an STV News presenter, while Kaye first joined the broadcaster as a news reporter in 1988.

Kaye said: “STV has such a special place in my heart and I’m delighted to be back for a trip down memory lane with my old pal, Shereen ‘The Screen Queen‘ Nanjiani.”

The pair have worked together previously and both went on to present national radio programmes.

Shereen said: “I’m delighted to get this chance to co-host with Kaye as STV is where our lifelong friendship began and I have so many happy memories of our time there.

“It’s been decades since Kaye and I presented a show together so I hope we’re still friends at the end of it…”

The programme will include a playlist selected by the pair alongside conversations about their lives and work.

David Treasurer, Programme Director at STV Radio, said: “Kaye and Shereen are Scottish broadcasting legends who have both played a huge part in STV’s history, so it feels like a real full circle moment to welcome them as guest hosts of Sunday Brunch on STV Radio.”

Eddy Temple-Morris has left Virgin Radio after the station ended his programme on Virgin Radio Legends.

News Broadcasting says the decision comes as part of cost savings while it continues investing in the future of Virgin Radio UK.

Dennie Morris, Director of Audio at News Broadcasting, said: “Due to our ongoing investment in the future of Virgin Radio UK we have had to make some difficult decisions to make cost savings in some areas.

“Regrettably, that means that Eddy Temple-Morris’s record-breaking live show on Virgin Legends has come to an end. We wish Eddy every success as he continues to bring his unique sound to his dedicated followers.”