Finalists for the 2007 ABC Local Radio Awards have been announced, with ABC Local stations in Sydney, Melbourne and brisbane in the running for station of the year.
Established in 2001, the Awards recognise and celebrate the talented and dedicated ABC Local Radio staff who deliver entertaining radio to local communities around Australia.
Open to all broadcasters and producers from nine metropolitan and 51 regional ABC Local Radio stations across the country, the categories recognise individual and station excellence and include metropolitan and regional broadcaster and station of the year, sports and rural broadcasting and website production, as well as coverage of significant local community events and outside broadcasts.
Director of ABC Radio & Regional Content, Sue Howard, who is on the Awards judging panel, says she was impressed with both the experienced nominees as well as the performance of finalists who were nominated this year for the first time.
“There are a number of new names and faces in contention for the Awards this year, and that is a reflection of the calibre of new talent emerging across the Local Radio network. My congratulations go to all finalists and I wish them every success.”
The winners of the 2007 ABC Local Radio Awards will be announced in Newcastle on Thursday 3 May at a ceremony hosted by 702 ABC Sydney Evenings and ABCTV New Inventors presenter James O’Loghlin.
The Awards are complemented by a two-day Forum for finalists and Local Radio delegates to discuss a wide range of topics including the future of the ABC over the next five years, building strong local communities and maintaining creativity and energy in the work environment.
2007 ABC LOCAL RADIO AWARDS –
FINALISTS
Station of the Year (Metropolitan)
612 ABC Brisbane QLD
774 ABC Melbourne VIC
702 ABC Sydney NSW
Station of the Year (Regional)
ABC Goulburn Murray VIC
ABC Riverina NSW
ABC Capricornia QLD
Broadcaster of the Year
Trevor Chappell – Networked Local Radio NAT
Kelly Higgins-Devine – 612 ABC Brisbane QLD
Richard Stubbs – 774 ABC Melbourne VIC
Rural Reporter of the Year
Keva Gocher – ABC South East NSW
Kate Sieper – NT Country Hour NT
Alice Plate – ABC Southern Queensland QLD
Sports Broadcaster of the Year
Gerard Whateley for AFL 2006 VIC
Glenn Mitchell for general coverage WA
Peter Walsh for general coverage SA
Online Feature of the Year
Jane Munro for ‘Byron Bay Writers’ Festival’ NSW
Nicholas Kittel for ‘Cyclone Larry’ QLD
Website of the Year
Luise Hoffman for abc.net.au/brisbane QLD
Jack Kerr for abc.net.au/southeastsa SA
Martin Corben for abc.net.au/sydney NSW
Local Program of the Year (Metropolitan & Networked)
Evenings with James O’Loghlin – 702 ABC Sydney NSW
Mornings with Matthew Abraham and David Bevan – 891 ABC Adelaide SA
Afternoons with Annie Gastin – 105.7 ABC Darwin NT
Local Program of the Year (Regional)
Statewide Drive with Kathy Bedford – ABC Victoria VIC
Drive with Roisin McCann – ABC Northern Tasmania TAS
Mornings with Joseph Thomsen – ABC Goulburn Murray VIC
Mornings with Vicki Kerrigan – ABC North Coast NSW
Outstanding Coverage of A Local Story or Emergency (by an Individual, Program or Station)
Jon Faine, 774 ABC Melbourne Mornings, for ‘Peeved Over PPPs – The Report we were not allowed to see”VIC
ABC Far North for ‘Cyclone Larry’ QLD
936 ABC Hobart & ABC Northern Tasmania for ‘Beaconsfield Mine Disaster and Rescue’ TAS
ABC South West for ‘Dwellingup Fires’ WA
The Paul Bodington Award for an Outstanding Radio Feature/Package by an Individual
Kellie Dolan for ‘Calving’ – ABC Goldfields-Esperance WA
Justine Kelly for ‘Minyirr Park’ – 720 ABC Perth WA
Emma Haskin for ‘Feeding Milly, Spartina and Cleo’ – 783 ABC Alice Springs NT
Highly Commended
Anna Daniels for ‘Crashing Back to Earth’ – 105.7 ABC Darwin
Phil Ashley-Brown for ‘Bushfire Series – How Houses Burn’ NSW
Outside Broadcast of the Year (Metropolitan)
774 ABC Melbourne Evenings – Brass Band Finale VIC
702 ABC Sydney Drive – Royal Easter Show 2006 NSW
105.7 ABC Darwin Drive – The Sights, Sounds and Smells of the Katherine Flood NT
Outside Broadcast of the Year (Regional)
ABC North Coast – Byron Bay Writers’ Festival online OB NSW
Paul Turton & Tim Holt, ABC South East – Two Men in a Winnie NSW
The Country Hour – Surviving the Drought NAT
Community Event of the Year
ABC Goulburn Murray – Forum on the Future of Lake Mokoan VIC
ABC Riverina – The Hardest Day’s Work on the Year’s Shortest Day NSW
891 ABC Adelaide – I Swear by 891 SA
666 ABC Canberra – Community Choir ACT
Promotions Producer of the Year
Michael Spooner – 702 ABC Sydney & ABC Local Radio NSW
Andrew Taylor – 774 ABC Melbourne & ABC Local Radio
Ian Church – 720 ABC Perth & ABC Local Radio WA
Producer of the Year
Renee Krosch – ABC Victoria Statewide Drive VIC
Caroline Davison – Grandstand NAT
Michael Pavlich – NLR Overnights NAT
Kellie Riordan – 612 ABC Brisbane Mornings QLD
Best New Talent on Local Radio
Warren Brown – Networked Local Radio NAT
Geoff Hutchison – 720 ABC Perth WA
Madonna King – 612 ABC Brisbane QLD
Marketing Campaign of the Year
Carolyn Ludovici – ‘666 Day’, 666 ABC Canberra ACT
Angela Scrymgour – ‘Spring to Life’, 1233 ABC Newcastle
Natalene Muscat – ‘The G-Spot’, 774 ABC Melbourne VIC
Kathy Gates – 91.7FM ABC Northern Tasmania Launch Event TAS ,