THE Scots radio manager and former presenter, Richard Park, has been honoured with effectively a lifetime achievement award at the UK’s most prestigious radio awards ceremony.
The group executive director and director of broadcasting at Global Radio was this evening presented with a Gold Award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards, during which fellow Scot, Eddie Mair, was named winner of the Speech Radio Broadcaster of the Year prize.
Read the citation regarding Park: “This year’s recipient of the Gold Award has been part of our industry for nearly five decades. He has, in that time, made an unequalled contribution to the shape and sound of music radio both in the UK and further afield.
“In his earliest radio days, he was to be heard on offshore Radio Scotland before pioneering commercial radio and pursuing what were to become his two enduring passions of music radio and radio sport.
“In music radio, he proved an immediate success on Radio Clyde, as a doctor who made everyone feel better. In sport, he re-wrote the rule book, to develop an exciting and inclusive style of radio sports coverage, which has endured ever since.
“He then took the call to come south and took Capital Radio, the UK’s biggest commercial radio station, from strength to strength. Now Capital, back under his watchful eye and ear, has returned to robust health and has become a national brand, one of a stable of radio brands, including Classic and Heart. Our recipient oversees all of these as programmer of the UK’S biggest commercial radio company. From the name of the company, Global Radio, you know he won’t just stop there. As high on ambition as he is low on self-doubt, he is a radio man through and through.”
And the judges said of Mair, who presents the PM programme on BBC Radio 4: “This broadcaster has intelligence, spontaneity and a razor sharp wit. He navigates stories with authority and command, adding value at every turn. The entry is a masterclass in how to interview, showing great tenacity and a forensic approach to questioning, but also humanity.”
In the same category, fellow Scot, Nicky Campbell, was shortlisted.
Meanwhile, a silver medal went to Real Radio Scotland, in the Best Competition category. Two Strangers Risk it for a Biscuit was presented by Ewen Cameron and Catriona Harvey. Also involved were Ian Ferguson (head of production) and producers Gary Lamont and Michael MacRae. Programme controller is David Treasurer.
Said the judges: “The competition changed the traditional mechanic, taking risks which created edgy and perhaps uncomfortable on-air activity that was gripping radio.”
Also taking silver was BBC Radio Scotland’s production of John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath – its prize coming in the Best Drama category. It was broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Donna Franceschild was the dramatist, while Kirsty Williams was the producer/director. Studio managers were Dave Steele, Ross Blackmore and Amir Mirza. The actors were Robert Sheehan, Michelle Fairley, Steven McNicoll, Gavin Mitchell, Finn den Hertog, Nicola Jo Cully, Irene MacDougall, Laurie Brown, Nick Underwood, Jimmy Chisholm, James Bryce, Zubin Varla, and Melody Grove.
The judges said of it: “Although familiar from the book and the movie, this excellent production of John Steinbeck’s gritty masterpiece added new insight and clarity in its radio adaptation. The script was perfectly paced, the performances compelling, and it was evident that considerable attention had been paid to even the smallest detail of the production. Everything a Classic Serial should be.”
And the BBC Radio 2 presenter – Scot, Ken Bruce – took bronze in the Music Radio Personality of the Year category, behind gold medal winner, Christian O’Connell (Absolute Radio) and silver medal winner, Lauren Laverne (BBC 6 Music).
Finally, Scots football pundit, Andy Gray, earned a nomination in the Best Sports Programme category.
Listen to edited highlights from the ceremony, here.
The winners’ list reads:
Breakfast Show of the Year (ten million plus)
Gold: Today Programme – BBC News for BBC Radio 4
Silver: The Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show – Absolute Radio
Bronze: Chris Evans – BBC Radio 2
KISS Breakfast with Rickie, Melvin and Charlie – KISS
Breakfast Show of the Year (under ten million)
Gold: Sam & Amy – Gem 106
Silver: Steve and Karen’s Breakfast Show – Metro Radio
Bronze: The Andrew Peach Show – BBC Radio Berkshire
Nominated: BBC Tees Breakfast – BBC Tees
Xfm Manchester Breakfast Show with Tim Cocker – Xfm Manchester
Best Music Programme
Gold: The Dermot O’Leary Show – Ora Et Labora for BBC Radio 2
Silver: Lauren Laverne – BBC 6 Music
Bronze: Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday Service – BBC 6 Music
Nominated: The Ronnie Wood Show – Somethin’ Else for Absolute Radio and Absolute Classic Rock
Zane Lowe – BBC Radio 1
Best Entertainment Programme
Gold: The Danny Baker Show – Campbell Davison Media for BBC Radio 5 live
Silver: Greg James – BBC Radio 1
Bronze: Charlie Sloth – BBC Radio 1Xtra
Nominated: Geoff Lloyd’s Hometime Show – Absolute Radio
Kate Lawler – Kerrang! Radio
Best Speech Programme
Gold: Witness – BBC News for BBC World Service
Silver: The JVS Show – BBC Three Counties Radio
Bronze: The Listening Project – BBC Radio Documentaries with BBC English Regions and BBC Nations for BBC Radio 4
Nominated: Alan Robson’s Nightowls – Metro Radio
Iain Dale – LBC 97.3
Best Sports Programme
Gold: 5 live Olympics with Peter Allen and Colin Murray – BBC Radio 5 live
Silver: Not Just Cricket – TBI Media for BBC Radio 5 live
Bronze: Rugby Nation – Town and Country Broadcasting for Nation Radio, Radio Pembrokeshire, Radio Carmarthenshire, Bridge FM and Nation Hits!
Nominated: Keys & Gray – talkSPORT
Mary and the Minstermen – BBC Radio York
Best News and Current Affairs Programme
Gold: BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat – BBC News for BBC Radio 1
Silver: Newshour – BBC World Service News for Current Affairs for BBC World Service
Bronze: Nick Ferrari at Breakfast – LBC 97.3
Nominated: File on 4 – BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC Radio 4
The Nolan Show – BBC Radio Ulster
Best Coverage of a Live Event
Gold: London 2012 : The Olympic and Paralympic Games – BBC Radio 5 live
Silver: Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend – BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra
Bronze: Hillsborough: Truth and Justice – BBC Radio Merseyside
Nominated: Judgement Sunday – Final Day of Premier League (Matchday Live) – talkSPORT
Paralympic Sportsworld – BBC Sport for BBC World Service
Best Community Programming
Gold: Ciaran’s Cause – Real Radio North West
Silver: Crossroads – PRA Productions for BBC Radio 1Xtra
Bronze: Word Up – Prison Radio Association for National Prison Radio
Nominated: Make a Clean Break – Prison Radio Association for National Prison Radio
Walk for Harry – Free Radio (Birmingham)
Music Radio Personality of the Year
Gold: Christian O’Connell – Absolute Radio
Silver: Lauren Laverne – BBC 6 Music
Bronze: Ken Bruce – BBC Radio 2
Nominated: Charlie Sloth – BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra
John Suchet – Classic FM
Music Radio Broadcaster of the Year
Gold: Cerys on 6 – BBC 6 Music
Silver: Suzy Klein – BBC Radio and BBC Radio 4
Bronze: Johnnie Walker – Wise Buddah Creative for BBC Radio 2
Nominated: Jamie Cullum – Folded Wing for BBC Radio 2
Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie – Smooth Operations for BBC 6 Music
Speech Radio Broadcaster of the Year
Gold: Eddie Mair – BBC Radio 4
Silver: Victoria Derbyshire – BBC Radio 5 live
Bronze: Danny Baker – Campbell Davison Media for BBC Radio 5 live
Nominated: Nicky Campbell – BBC Radio 5 live
Stephen Sackur – BBC News for BBC World Service
Radio Journalism of the Year
Gold: John Humphrys – BBC News for BBC Radio 4
Silver: Jon Donnison – BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service
Bronze: Michelle Livesey – Key 103
Nominated: Becky Milligan – BBC Radio 4
Capital East Midlands News Team – Capital FM East Midlands
Best Use of Branded Content
Gold: The Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show with Wickes – Absolute Radio
Silver: The World’s Largest Pub Quiz with Bells – LBC 1152
Bronze: Sky Bond – Absolute Radio – Absolute Radio
Nominated: Classic FM’s Tasting Notes paired with Laithwaite’s Wine – Classic FM
Kerrang! Radio The Darkest Hour – Kerrang! Radio
Best Promotional/Advertising Campaign
Gold: The Gothic Imagination – BBC Radio 4 and 4 Extra Presentation for BBC Radio 4
Silver: Classic FM’s More Music Breakfast Campaign – Classic FM
Bronze: BBC Radio 6 Music Celebrates Kraftwerk – BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4
Nominated: BBC Radio 6 Music Celebrates Punk Britannia – BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4
The Olympics – BBC Radio Xtrails, 5 live Station Sound, Fresh Air Production, BBC A&M, BBC Nations and Regions for BBC Radio
Best Competition
Gold: Coca-Cola Fan Reporter – talkSPORT
Silver: Two Strangers Risk it for a Biscuit – Real Radio Scotland
Bronze: 500 Words – BBC Radio 2
Nominate: Round Our Way on Xfm Manchester – Xfm Manchester
Talk to the Animals – Geoff Lloyd – Absolute Radio
Best Station Imaging
Gold: BBC Radio 2
Silver: 106 JACK fm (South Coast)
Bronze: Capital FM Network
Nominated: BBC Radio 6 Music
Classic FM
Best Music Feature or Documentary
Gold: The Story of Ed Sheeran – BBC Radio 1
Silver: Black is a Country – Brook Lapping Productions for BBC Radio 4
Bronze: 6 Music Celebrates: 50 Years of the Cassette – BBC 6 Music
Nominated: Titanic: Minute by Minute – TBI Media (with BBC Drama) for BBC Radio 2
The Art of Garfunkel – BBC Radio 2
Best News Feature or Documentary
Gold: The Bombardment of Homs – BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC World Service
Silver: Assignment/Crossing Continents: Uzbekistan – BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service
Bronze: Adventures of a Blue Badger – Alfi Media Ltd for BBC Radio 5 live
Nominated: Lawrence of Arabia – Man and Myth – Just Radio for BBC Radio 4
The Left to Die Boat – BBC World Service
Best Feature or Documentary
Gold: Bruising Silence – Just Radio for BBC Radio 1
Silver: Dying Inside – Unique The Production Company for BBC Radio 4
Bronze: Titanic: Minute by Minute – TBI Media (with BBC Drama) for BBC Radio 2
Bon Voyage – Julia Scott Productions for BBC World Service
Best Comedy
Gold: Isy Suttie: Pearl and Dave – BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4
Silver: My Teenage Diary – Talkback (part of Freemantle Media UK) for BBC Radio 4
Bronze: Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast – Fuzz Productions Ltd and Sky Potato Productions for British Comedy Guide
Nominated: John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme – BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4
Meera Syal’s Asian Comedy Night – BBC Asian Network and Tonic Productions for BBC Asian Network
Best Drama
Gold: The Resistance of Mrs Brown – BBC Radio Drama London for BBC Radio 4
Silver: The Grapes of Wrath – BBC Radio Scotland
Bronze: My Boy – Somethin’ Else for BBC Radio 4
Nominated: Beryl: A Love Story on Two Wheels – Savvy for BBC Radio 4
Easter & Christmas Diaries – BBC Radio 4 and 4 Extra Presentation for BBC Radio 4 Extra
Best Use of Multiplatform
Gold: Radio 1’s Review Show – Somethin’ Else for BBC Radio 1
Silver: The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw – BBC Radio 1
Bronze: InStream from Absolute Radio – Absolute Radio
Nominated: Letter From America – BBC Radio 4/Audio and Music Interactive for BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service
The Listening Project – BBC Radio 4 and BBC Nations and Regions
Station of the Year (under 300,000)
Gold: KL.FM 96.7
Nominated: National Prison Radio
Touch FM
Station of the Year (300,000 to one million)
Gold: BBC Radio Humberside
Nominated: BBC Tees
JACKfm Oxfordshire
Station of the Year (one million plus)
Gold: Metro Radio
BBC Newcastle
Fun Kids
UK Station of the Year
Gold: BBC Radio 5 live
Nominated: BBC Asian Network
Classic FM
UK Radio Brand of the Year
Gold: Classic FM
Nominated: KISS
Smooth Radio UK
The Special Award
Steve Lamacq
The Gold Award
Richard Park
The Sony Golden Headphones Award
Dan & Phil
