How can local and regional public radio stations be even closer to the audiences whom they serve? That question was at the top of the agenda of the Euroradio Local and Regional Radio Seminar held in Bucharest on 30-31 March, attended by representatives of EBU radio organizations and members of the Permanent Services.

Organized by the EBU and Radio Romania (ROR), the event took place at the Romanian Radio Press Centre. Ovidiu Miculescu, CEO of ROR, welcomed participants. Graham Dixon, EBU Head of Radio, delivered the keynote address on "What is radio today?", emphasizing the importance of radio as a medium connected to a sense of community, location and time. 

The topics broached at the Seminar included peer reviews and the Facebook revolution. Laurent Marceau (EBU) and Florin Brusten (ROR) moderated discussions on some of the current challenges facing the regional media market in light of new technological developments and the change in media consumption behaviour.

The question of "minority languages" was particularly key to the discussions during the two-day Seminar. The unique way in which local and regional radio broadcasters cater for communities and areas with a very strong identity is at the heart of the public service remit and remains one of these broadcasters' main assets. This was highlighted through presentations and case studies from BBC Alba (Scotland), RTR (Switzerland), Radio-Canada, RAI Süd Tirol (Italy) and Romanian Radio.