The 2025 Community Media Association annual conference event is being held at BBC Quay House in Media City on 4th October 2025. One of the themes is looking back at the 20 years of licenced Community Radio stations in the UK, and the “Access Radio” pilot stations that came before them in 2002 through to the end of 2005.

I’ll be doing a bit of live blogging – as I’ve done over recent years, but this time not on Twitter/X – I don’t think I can make people getting geeky about Community Radio into suitable rage bait for that platform…..

You’ll find me on Bluesky where my handle is philedmonds.uk and it appears that the hashtag for the day is #CMAFest25 – so I’d appreciate if you could come join me there.

However before we start the day my phone prompted me with my own bit of ‘looking back’ to 4th October 2011:

Collage of images of BBC Quay House

So 14 years ago today, 4th October 2011, was just before BBC Radio Manchester moved operations from New Broadcasting House on Oxford Road in the city centre out to Quay House in Media City Salford. Then editor of BBC Radio Manchester John Ryan arranged a tour of the building for the Radio Academy North West branch. More pictures from 2011in this Flickr Album.

I’ve already pencilled in my diary an event for 4th October 2039 at the same venue……