AFTERNOON DRIVE SHOW
This category is open to radio stations broadcasting typically between 4pm – 7pm (but not limited to these times) on weekdays. The Afternoon Drive Show is critical to the station`s mix on air and plays a significant role to the overall Time Spent Listening (TSL) and cumulative audience figures. The pace of the show is critical with a substantial volume of news and information having to be incorporated into the mix. Getting this show right requires a skillful mix of the ingredients that will keep the listener locked to the station and provide that mix of information and entertainment that shortens the ride home and reduces the stress of rush-hour traffic.
BREAKFAST SHOW
This category is open to radio stations broadcasting from 6am – 9am on weekdays. For this category the judges will be looking for a show that captures the energy and essence of its target market both geographically and demographically. Morning radio can often sound the same in many markets, so the judges will look for style, content and presentation that is original, creative, exciting and enticing. Morning radio is often about team broadcasting, and judges will, therefore, pay special attention to how the team blends together and plays off one another.
BUSINESS AND FINANCE SHOW
This category is open to radio stations that have a dedicated business show of 15 minutes or more in duration. Not only will the judges take into account how the core business demographic is catered for in terms of programming choice, but also how the subject is covered for the broader audience in terms of ease of explanation. They will be looking for “penetrating interviews” and interpretation that get to the heart of the business debate in South Africa, as well as how business is covered in terms of the empowerment and developmental economy debate.
DAYTIME SHOW
This category is open to radio stations broadcasting typically from 9am – 3pm during weekdays. The show will be assessed on how well it understands the unique needs of the time channel and programmes accordingly, and judges will be looking for freshness in presentation, and how uniquely the broadcast hour is used. Consideration will also be given to whether advertisers have got value for money, and whether the show deserves the accolade of being a daily must-have appointment with the listener. High production values are a must.
RADIO DOCUMENTARY
Radio is an excellent medium for telling stories and there are few better ways of telling a story than through a well-crafted documentary. Documentary programmes provide compelling listening and edutainment and remain imprinted on the listeners mind for a long time after listening to the programme. Masters of the documentary craft use the material at hand to evoke exceptionally powerful images in the listener`s mind, with the fabric of the story engaging the listener and keeping the listener tuned into the story to hear the conclusion.
DRAMA PROGRAMME
Radio Drama is a specialized field. This is true exploration of “theatre of the mind”. A skilful drama producer will use all the tools available to bring the drama to life and conjure up vivid images within the imagination of the listener. Utilising voices, sound effects, stereophonic separation and a great deal of craftsmanship, the producer can play on the imagination and the emotions of the listener. Judges are looking for exceptional work in this arena – work that has captured the attention of the listener and kept the listener glued to the radio. This category comprises any full-length radio drama or radio sketch.
MUSIC SHOW
This category is open to any show in any music-only format across any time channel including internet shows. The judges will focus specifically on how the show understands and interprets the format in a manner that is entertaining, engaging and compelling and adds real value to the core listenership. Special attention will be given to show production, which would include links and special features.
NEWS AND ACTUALITY SHOW
This category is open to radio stations that have a bona fide news and actuality programme comprising original news and current affairs of 15 minutes in duration or more, and broadcast at any time of the day or night (this excludes hourly news bulletins). The category would also be open to a broader talk show that covers current affairs. The show will be assessed on the way in which stories and issues are handled in terms of presentation, immediacy, style and objectivity.
NIGHT-TIME SHOW
This category is open to radio stations broadcasting from 5pm – 6am, weekdays and over weekends. Night-time broadcasting typically requires a change of pace and mood, and the show must reflect this. Judges will also look at how the show best addresses the needs of the audience, as well as excellence in presentation and production. Given that night-time radio audiences tend to dwindle as it gets later, judges will be asking one key question: “What compels me to stay with this show?”
SPORTS SHOW
This category is open to radio stations that have a dedicated sports programme or feature of 10 minutes or more in duration. Extended radio sports bulletins would be eligible to enter this category, as well as once-off reports. Passion and knowledge in presentation, and the ability to generate excitement for listeners will be key elements sought by the judges. Team, provincial or national partisanship would not be considered in a negative light. The judges will be looking for a show, or a bulletin, or a feature that goes beyond just the score line and the scorers – in other words, the human element, the drama, the pain and the sweat of the event, and how it`s articulated on radio.
WEEKEND RADIO SHOW
This is open to radio stations that have shows that air over weekends. Weekend radio is often overlooked and yet it plays a vital role in the station`s overall “past 7-day” audience figures. Whilst the pace and the style of presentation can be substantially different over weekends, the judges are looking for shows that make a difference – shows with which the listener will make an appointment to listen, shows that are seen as the highlight of a listener`s weekend entertainment diet.
This category is open to the any presenter who plays the starring role in hosting the Afternoon Drive show typically between 4pm – 7pm (but not limited to these times) on weekdays. The time channel is in substantial demand by advertisers who aim to reach mobile and economically-active individuals and the key to presentation here is to present information and entertainment in such a compelling manner as to reduce stress during rush hour.
BREAKFAST SHOW PRESENTER
The breakfast presenter is the “flagship” presenter of any radio station, as this person not only sets the tone for the rest of the day`s broadcasting, but also sets and guides the style of the entire radio station. The presenter needs to be at the top of his/her game, and understand and be able to address the complex needs of the time-challenged morning audience with style, verve, confidence, ease and originality. The judges will look for someone who rises to this immense task, and will judge both their relationship with the audience, as well as their broadcast stamina.
FIELD NEWS REPORTER
Reporting on a news story; and in particular a developing story from the “field” is a challenging task. The reporter needs to capture the scene and to then report on this in an informative and compelling manner – one which allows the listener to be “transported” to the heart of the story. This category is open to any field news reporter who is responsible for delivering concise, compelling informative reports from a remote location which is normally the source of the news story and which is used in the content of a news bulletin on the station.
NEWS BULLETIN READER
This category is open to any news reader who is responsible for delivering a news bulletin of between 90 seconds and 7 minutes in duration. While authority and believability in reading, as well as the reader’s intrinsic understanding of the bulletin and the issues that it raises will be of significant importance, the judges will also appraise pace, style, nuance and ease on the ear.
SPORTS PRESENTER
This category is for a presenter who hosts a sports-focused show. The presenter should show an in-depth passion for sport and an ability to translate this passion into presentation that informs, entertains and educates the listener.
TRAFFIC PRESENTER
Ask any person what their biggest gripe is, and on the list will be traffic snarl and gridlock. Commuters at all times of the day rely on up-to-date traffic information that is delivered clearly but, more importantly, interpretatively. In other words, am I being told of alternative routes and options. A good on-air traffic reporter will also reflect the mood of the moment. They need to understand our frustration behind the wheel.
SPORTS BULLETIN READER
This category is for a sports bulletin reader who is responsible for delivering news, updates and accurate information related to sports in a professional, timeously manner. The presenter reports on sports updates during specific radio shows (Breakfast Show, Afternoon Drive Show, etc.) and do not host their own Sports show. The presenter should show an in-depth passion for sport and an ability to translate this passion into a presentation that informs, entertains and educates the listener.
CONTENT PRODUCER
This category is open to the unsung heroes of radio – those individuals who conceptualise and sustain a block of programming during the day or night. Producers have to have an intricate knowledge of their audience and make sure the presenter is delivering accordingly. At the same time, the producer needs to have the trust and confidence of the presenter/s in order to get them to deliver their best work. Judges can instinctively hear a well-produced radio show, but they will also look at new ideas, creative sustainability, and will look for seamless continuity from one idea to another. While music and speech formats are very different, good producers, in both genres, are critical to success. The judges will determine if the show is tight and crisp.
BEST INTERNET RADIO SHOW
This category is only open to South African-based internet-only broadcasters. We’re looking for a show that has content that is so compelling that people will make this part of their regular listening habit; a show that is “appointment” listening and one that creates a fan-base of loyal, committed listeners who will make sure that they catch this show online, as it happens.
BEST PODCAST
This category is open to all content creators who offer content in the form of a podcast, whether this has been broadcast on traditional broadcast channels, or on online-only channels. Key criteria for the adjudication of this category will be the content, the production, and the value that this provides to the listener – is this content that the listener will gladly seek out.
MUSIC SHOW
This category is open to any show in any music-only format across any time channel including internet shows. The judges will focus specifically on how the show understands and interprets the format in a manner that is entertaining, engaging and compelling and adds real value to the core listenership. Special attention will be given to show production, which would include links and special features.
COMMUNITY PROJECT
A great radio station is one that understands the community it broadcasts to and the contribution it can make. This category seeks to reward radio stations that do this in a meaningful and sustained manner and whose outreach makes a genuine difference to peoples` lives. The judges would look at both ongoing and one-off events, but those that are undertaken with real heart and not by expediency.
MULTI CHANNEL PROMOTION
This category highlights radio’s ability to integrate new technologies to enhance the relationship between the station and its listeners. The award will recognize stations that develop and creatively execute campaigns that jointly feature the station’s brand and one or more of the following: vodcasts/podcasts; mobile phones; multimedia apps; electronic media; and social media/networking sites. Judges will be looking for campaigns that champion the station brand and the on-air product, whilst engaging the listeners and fostering a more intimate relationship between the station and its audience. You need to demonstrate how you have used multi-channel media platforms to encourage new listeners, increase TSL (Time Spent Listening), create on-air excitement, generate hype and broader exposure for the station and reward loyal listeners.
PROMOTIONS STUNT / EVENT
This category recognises excellence in promotions and related activities that are designed to strengthen a radio station`s own brand, and to entrench it more deeply with its audience. Conventional on-air promotions commissioned by and for regular advertisers are excluded, as the focus here is on the station`s own brand. This does not exclude the possibility that third-party brands may be involved as secondary sponsors. The promotion or event could be anything from a charity drive or sports event to a treasure hunt, etc.
RADIO INNOVATION
This category seeks to recognise and reward innovative, “out of the box” concepts in the form of programming and in any form of technology that serves to improve the radio industry and the radio experience for all stakeholders. This will include external organizations who innovate solutions that add value to the industry and that ultimately enhance radio’s business proposition.
STATION IMAGING
The “sound” of a good radio station is clear, impactful and most of all, distinct. This category looks at well-constructed, jingles, stings and stabs and how they all fit into the overall construct and personality of the station. Judges would listen carefully to the craft of packaging and would be particularly interested to hear special packaging for dedicated on-air events.
BRIGHT STAR
This category will rely on a brief written nomination. The nominee for this category must be 26 or younger – either on air, or behind the scenes – who is making their mark on the industry. The award is aimed at an individual who has an intrinsic understanding and love for the medium, respects its past, but who also has great ideas about its future. The individual would be someone who is a tireless worker and on whom the radio station has come to rely on.
HALL OF FAME NOMINATION
This category will rely on a brief written nomination. The nominated individual would need to have been in the industry for over 30 years, who is either still in the business, or has retired. This individual needs to have made an indelible mark on the industry – either on air, or in management and, ideally, who is revered and talked about by the industry. This person would be a strong inspiration and mentor.
STATION MANAGER’S CHOICE
This category recognises those individuals who have previously not had the opportunity to be acknowledged for their support to the team, and their contributions to radio. This individual works behind-the-scenes, they go beyond the call of duty, and are the unsung heroes of a radio station. They could be a PA, a member of the finance department, a sales executive, or someone who brings unique energy and positivity to the work environment, in support of the on-air talent and station management.