ABC Radio National (RN) has picked up two Gold and one Bronze World Medals at the 2005 New York Festivals, which recognise ‘best work’ in radio programming.

With high quality entries from a worldwide field of radio stations, RN’s four part co-production with BBC, ‘Parched Lands’, has won Gold in the ‘Environment’ category.

The series looks at four contrasting examples of the world’s dry lands and their people: Rajasthan in India; California’s Owens Valley; Australia’s Red Centre and China’s Inner Mongolia. Audio on demand and transcripts are available from the Parched Lands’ website: abc.net.au/rn/features/parched

Radio National’s ‘Street Stories’ has scored the Gold in the ‘Profiles/ Community Portraits’ category for ‘Tears before Bedtime’.

Produced by Kevin Klehr, this program takes listeners into the closed world of sex slaves and submissives, masters and mistresses.

‘Mamaloshen: Mother Tongue, Yiddish’ has won a Bronze World Medal in the ‘Religion’ category. Produced and presented by Rachael Kohn, it explores the unique role of Yiddish in the expression of Jewish identity. There will be a replay of this program on Sunday 10 July at 7am on RN’s ‘Encounter’.

Each year, the New York Festivals’ International Radio Programming and Promotion Awards receive around 500 entries from up to 18 countries.

Entries are judged by panels of radio experts from stations and companies throughout the world for their production values, organisation, presentation of information, creativity and use of the medium.

The New York Festivals have been likened to the Oscars of the radio industry. This year’s haul takes Radio National’s total to seven Gold World Medals in the past three years.