Quentin Howard

I've spent a career mainly in radio broadcasting as an engineer, a programmer, a presenter and a senior executive in the UK’s largest radio companies, working across every corner of commercial broadcasting. During the last fifty years I've pioneered many new digital audio technologies, launched about 35 radio stations including Classic FM in the UK and stations in Iceland, Poland and Bulgaria.  I ran the British armed forces broadcasting network where the challenge was to get radio and TV to any soldiers, sailors or airmen and their families wherever they were posted, from the Falkland Islands to ships sailing the oceans, and anywhere in between.  I have also worked in television, podcasting and movie production and been at the forefront of many broadcasting developments, particularly digital audio and DAB. 

As President of the World DAB Forum, I oversaw the adoption of DAB digital radio for 35 countries and the creation of the new DAB+ standard to make digital radio a reality for millions of listeners. I currently manage the technology for Boom Radio in the UK where all the broadcasters work from home – we don’t have any studios or offices!  I'm a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, a Fellow of The Audio Academy, a Trustee of the National Library of Wales and a Trustee the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance where, incidentally, I was once a student. I've received Sony Radio Awards for programming and contributions to radio technology. 

All of which is to say: I've spent a lifetime thinking about how people can get better access to all types of audio, understanding what makes technology easy to use and also what gets in the way.   

Since joining the Board in 2019, I've watched Visably navigate that shift, balancing the needs of people who've relied on the simplicity of a radio for decades with the exciting possibilities that new technology opens up for younger, more digitally confident users.  There’s more than one way to listen to audio and above all it must be easy, instinctive and reliable. Fiding a balance between old and new technology is important.  That’s where I hope my experience will help to protect what is valued and push forward the right kinds of technology. 

Outside of work, I walk with my dog Shadow listening to radio and podcasts, and spend whatever time remains restoring a 70-year-old Velocette motorbike. Progress is steady. Shadow is patient.