Category : ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Date : 13.04.2004
Printable version
The annual
Frank Gillard Awards have been launched today with ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News 24
anchor Jon Sopel hosting this year's ceremony.
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The acclaimed awards celebrate excellence and achievement
in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Local Radio, and this year's event takes place on 14 October
at Birmingham's International Convention Centre (ICC).
There are 14 categories in this year's Frank Gillard Awards, with a
new addition for Religious Programming.
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Ashley Peatfield, Editor, Religion and Ethics, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
English Regions, says: "This new award shows the importance of
religion and faith to the local radio audience and our commitment to
providing high quality religious broadcasting."
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Entries in this category will need to bring religious
issues, ideas and events to life for the listener.
Jon Sopel is delighted to be fronting the awards: "I'm looking
forward to spending an evening celebrating ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Local Radio.
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"I began my ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ career at Radio Solent, so I appreciate
the wealth of services that radio stations all across England are providing
for their local communities."
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Andy Griffee, Controller, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ English Regions, and
the man behind the Awards adds: "ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Local Radio has been connecting
with local communities since the first station was launched 36 years
ago.
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"The contribution to their local area and to the
understanding of our audiences cannot be championed enough.
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"The Gillard Awards honour this, together with
highlighting programming excellence."
39 judges have been recruited from the ranks of active broadcasters
and producers in local and national radio, along with major figures
from the media and advisory bodies.
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They include: Matthew Bannister, Five Live; Sophie
Raworth, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News; Helen Boaden, Controller, Radio 4; Tazeen Ahmad,
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE News; Mary Rhodes, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Sport; Roger Mosey, Head of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Television
News; and John Bradford, Director of the Radio Academy.
All ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Local Radio stations in England are invited to enter the awards,
which are highly regarded within the radio industry.
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The deadline for entries is Thursday 1 July 2004.
The awards are named in honour of the founder of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Local Radio in
England, Frank Gillard, who died in 1998.
The 14 categories are: Breakfast Programme, Programme Presenter, Coverage
of a News Story, Interactive Programme, Reporter, Sports Coverage, Social
Action Campaign, Radio Feature, Outside Broadcast, Diversity, Radio
Promotion, Religious Programming, Station of the Year, and Outstanding
Contribution to ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Local Radio.
Last year, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio Derby picked up four Gold awards, and Radio Suffolk
won the prestigious Station of the Year award.
