Thursday 1 April 2010

2010 Awards Promoting Radio Internationally & Locally, For Originality in One Language.

Last night, personalities representing the English speaking world of radio gathered in the heart of London’s west end. This was for the 2010 Awards Promoting Radio Internationally + Locally, For Originality in One Language.



Listeners, DXers and celebrity spotters crowded around the red carpet before an evening of entertainment got underway. There were more categories than ever before with winners from practically every continent.
The winners in the English Radio categories were as follows...
International Awards

Shortwave Station of the year: Radio Romania International. With its excellent sw signal and monthly QSL card series, it’s a far cry from the Ceausescu regime’s propaganda. Programmes include Terra the 21st Century, World of Culture, Inside Romania, Business Club, Pro Memoria, Travellers’ Guide: http://www.rri.ro/  and on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.


Best Podcast: Radio New Zealand International shouts loud with a small voice from a long way off. Fascinating news of the Pacific and of NZ. Small staff delivers a big programme Myra Oh’s Mailbox, Tradewinds, Dateline Pacific and more- download the latest today!: http://www.rnzi.com/index.php  


Best weekend show: Radio Prague for their 30 minutes slot including Mailbox, and Letter From Prague (broadcast on shortwave and online): http://www.radio.cz/en  


Best daily show: Radio Sweden’s daily news and features show. Sheer quality. 30 minutes on shortwave, medium wave and online: http://sverigesradio.se/rs/english/  


Best overnight show: Up All Night BBC Radio 5 Live, (0100- 0500 BST) Rhod Sharpe and /or Dotun Adebayo with reports from around the world, new bands, international developments, off the wall interviews, Dateline Singapore, film phone in, Bollywood, New York news. Gripping and entertaining, 5 nights a week. Knocks spots off of any of the 5 Live network’s other programming: Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=48454377741  


Best music show: The Late Lounge on Jazz FM (DAB, online) with Claire Anderson, Mondays to Thursdays 2200-0100 BST. Chill out, downtempo, simly mindblowing sounds to drift off to sleep to, or more...: http://www.jazzfm.com/photos/late-lounge-gallery/  


Best Light Entertainment: Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. Over 35 years of acerbic wit, homespun philosophy, wisdom and tales from Lake Wobegon’s finest English major. Unmissable. Saturdays or Listen online on Public Radio. Boiled eggs on a slant? Even BBC 7 has a weekly selection of the show: http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/  


Best revival/retro show: The Happy Station Show, PCJ and Keith Perron revival of Radio Netherlands' old Sunday favourite, now broadcast from Taiwan. Weekly sw, FM and online, requests, features, stylish lounge music, DX interviews, specials and mmore: http://www.pcjmedia.com/


 Best Drivetime Show: Europe Today, BBC World Service. A slice of life from European cities through the eyes of the BBC's contributors: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice  


UK Awards
UK Breakfast show award: Steve Allen, LBC (London Broadcasting Company) weekdays 0500-0700 (0500-0600 GMT). An experienced broadcaster who has been with the station for 30 years, He tells it like it is and his witty dismissals of the tabloid favourites and junk food, wags, feral youth and corrupt politicians are legendary. One of only three or four presenters on the station without a chip on their shoulder or a reactionary war-cry: http://www.lbc.co.uk/steve-allen-3528  




UK Travel Show award: The Travel Clinic, Simon Calder LBC, Saturday and Sundays: http://www.lbc.co.uk/simon-calders-travel-blog-3525/archive/92


UK phone-in award: Ken Livingstone, LBC Saturday mornings: Logic and common sense, along with opposing views, from the former London Mayor and man the Thatcher dictatorship tried to silence. Riveting: http://www.lbc.co.uk/ken-livingstone-3744


Oh silly me, look at the date, it must have just been a favourite dream of mine….2010 Awards Promoting Radio Internationally & Locally, For Originality in One Language…






Once upon a time: to smartphones and podcast apps

Once upon a time, many years ago, when I was a child, I used to dream of owning a magic book that would contain every comic strip, poe...