Radio & Audio News South Africa

3 nominations for Hot 102.7FM at New York Festivals Radio Awards

South African radio station Hot 102.7FM has picked up three nominations for the 2024 New York Festivals Radio Awards – widely regarded as the ‘Oscars of the radio industry’.
Image supplied. The Morning Drive team at Hot 102.7FM. The station has three nominations at the 2024 New York Festivals Radio Awards
Image supplied. The Morning Drive team at Hot 102.7FM. The station has three nominations at the 2024 New York Festivals Radio Awards

Hot 102.7FM has been nominated in the following categories:

  • Morning Drive/Afternoon Programming: Best Music/Personality Show (Hot 1027 Breakfast)

  • Best News Report/Feature: Human Interest Feature - Beginner’s Guide to Online Dating
  • Best News Report/Feature: Human Interest Feature – Padkos & Playdough.

The three news nominations are a feather in the cap for HotT 102.7FM head of news Tara Penny, who played a lead role in producing the two series in question.

The Beginner’s Guide to Online Dating saw the HotT 102.7FM ‘singles’ help the news team look closely at the good, the bad and the ugly of internet dating, in the run-up to Valentine’s Day.

Padkos & Playdough helped parents navigate the holiday season and get the most out of time with their kids.

“Since joining Hot 102.7FM two years ago, Tara has made a huge impact on how we deliver and package our news content, bringing a different dimension to our storytelling,” says Lloyd Madurai, managing director of Hot 102.7FM.

“These nominations are just reward for the many hours she and her team have put in, and the stories are an example of how Hot 102.7FM likes to take a different approach to producing great radio.”

On the right track

“This is a pretty big deal and the reason it means so much is the fact that when we launched the HOT 102.7FM brand, our goal was always to ‘think big’ and measure ourselves against the world’s best and not just our competitors in the local market,” adds Madurai.

The station which only launched as a new Johannesburg-based commercial radio station in July of 2021, received seven nominations in 2023, resulting in the station being honoured as a finalist in four categories, and the only SA platform to be bestowed that honour.

The New York Festivals Radio Awards honours radio content in all lengths and formats and across all platforms, from radio stations, networks, and independent producers from around the globe.

Embracing all aspects of the radio and audio industries, the categories “mirror today's global trends and encourage the next generation of story-tellers by recognising innovators in 14 category groups”.

The entries were judged online by the New York Festivals Radio Awards Grand Jury and the award winners will be announced during the New York Festivals 2024 Storytellers Gala event on 16 April.

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