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07.10.03

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Frank Gillard Awards - أغر؟´«أ½'s smaller stations prove small is beautiful

This year's Frank Gillard Awards ceremony demonstrates that size doesn't always matter in the radio industry, with many of the major awards being taken home by the أغر؟´«أ½'s smaller stations.

The awards, which celebrate the very best of أغر؟´«أ½ Local Radio, were presented by the Director-General of the أغر؟´«أ½, Greg Dyke, at a special ceremony hosted by the أغر؟´«أ½ Asian Network star presenter, Sonia Deol, and held at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford last night (6 October 2003).

It was أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Derby's night at the awards ceremony. The station, which did not achieve a single nomination at last year's awards, took three gold awards this year in the Coverage of a News Story, Breakfast Programme and Sports Coverage categories (see below for a full list of winners).

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Suffolk took the prestigious Station of the Year award and scored gold with its Interactive category entry: Rachel Sloane in the Afternoon.

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Shropshire, another small station, beat 31 other entries to win gold in the Voices category. New for this year, the category featured the best of the أغر؟´«أ½ Local Radio wide Voices project which encouraged groups and communities seldom heard on the local media to voice their interests and concerns.

Speaking at the dinner after the awards ceremony, Greg Dyke congratulated the winners and said: "Throughout its 35 year history, أغر؟´«أ½ Local Radio has been an innovator but at last the penny is dropping about Local Radio being a central pillar of the أغر؟´«أ½."

He went on to pinpoint areas in which أغر؟´«أ½ Local Radio has excelled: "In the last few years, أغر؟´«أ½ Local Radio has really cemented its reputation as a catalyst for social action broadcasting - both your locally generated projects and your big central campaigns."

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Leeds, which dominated the Awards last year, added to its haul of Gillards by taking gold in the Outside Broadcast category for its live broadcast of the Queen's visit to Harewood House.

The Outstanding Contribution to Local Radio Award was won by the Radioman Training Team which was responsible for training all staff during أغر؟´«أ½ Local Radio's transition from analogue to digital radio equipment. Supporting 40 stations they trained 2,500 staff in 6,500 training sessions.

There was a special commendation for Peter Grant, one of the small team from the أغر؟´«أ½'s General News Service (GNS) which reported the war in Iraq for all the local stations.

There were 14 different categories in this year's competition, and the judges included past and present local radio broadcasters along with leading journalists, managers and regulators from both public service and commercial radio.

The 2003 Awards attracted a record number of entries from a record number of entrants - 313 entries from 44 أغر؟´«أ½ Local Radio stations and services.

The annual Frank Gillard Awards were launched in 2000 in memory of the war correspondent and founder of أغر؟´«أ½ Local Radio.

Their aim is to recognise achievements and encourage excellence in the programming at أغر؟´«أ½ Local Radio stations across England.

The following are the Frank Gillard Awards 2003 winners in gold, silver and bronze order:

The Breakfast Programme

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Derby - Andy Whittaker's Breakfast Show

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Kent - Good Morning Kent

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Gloucestershire - The Breakfast Show – Storms

Programme Presenters

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Newcastle - Ian Robinson and Paul Wappat

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Sheffield - Toby Foster

أغر؟´«أ½ London 94.9 - Danny Baker

Coverage of a News Story

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Derby - Royal Pageant Story

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Newcastle - Capital of Culture Bid

أغر؟´«أ½ Three Counties Radio - The Luton Town Takeover

Interactive Programme

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Suffolk - Rachel Sloane in the Afternoon

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Gloucestershire - The Dozy Parker

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Leeds - It's Your Call

Reporter

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Nottingham - Jeremy Ball

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Leeds - Spencer Stokes

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Merseyside - Shari Vahl

Sports Coverage

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Derby - Derby's First World Boxing Champion

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Solent - When the Saints Marched to Cardiff

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Oxford - 2003 British Speedway Grand Prix

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Sheffield - Sunday Sport (Ice Hockey)

(Derby won gold, Solent and Oxford joint silver, and Sheffield, bronze)

Social Action Campaign

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Sheffield - أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Sheffield Hospice Appeal

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Suffolk - The Hollies

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Bristol with Special Features Unit - Hitting أغر؟´«أ½

Radio Feature

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Cleveland - The Daisy Chain Dream

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Cornwall - Launceston Car Park

أغر؟´«أ½ Three Counties Radio - أغر؟´«أ½less in Bedford

Outside Broadcast

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Leeds - The Queen's Visit to Harewood House

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Derby - Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Lincolnshire - Dambusters Day

Voices

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Shropshire - Woodside

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Lancashire - Voices in Burnley

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Kent - Romany Voices

Diversity

أغر؟´«أ½ GMR

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Derby

أغر؟´«أ½ Southern Counties Radio

Radio Promotion

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Devon - The أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Devon Chestnut Appeal

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Cleveland - Middlesbrough FC Commentary Campaign

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Kent - Radio Kent Charity Appeal

Station of the Year

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Suffolk

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Leeds

أغر؟´«أ½ Radio Newcastle

Outstanding Contribution to أغر؟´«أ½ Local Radio

The Radioman Training Team

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