702 tops inaugural MTN Radio Awards

Winning streak

It extended to best day time show, best night time show, and best business and news shows, as well as individual presenters at the station winning in their respective categories including David O' Sullivan as best day time talk presenter; Kieno Kammies as best night time presenter; Bruce Whitfield as best business presenter and Ray White as best news reader.

The station also won the category best promotional event for its Discovery Walk The Talk initiative. O' Sullivan's producer Mzoxolo Jojwana took the best talk producer category.

In this, its first year, the MTN Radio awards sought to recognise on-air excellence in the growing South African radio sector. There were more than 200 entries across 20 categories from most major commercial stations. Online entries were judged by an expert panel of judges, who also gave Silver and Highly Commended awards.

Regarding 702's clean sweep, judges said the Johannesburg-based talk station had demonstrated clear broadcasting excellence across all key radio disciplines. They also said the station was an integral part of thousands of listeners' lives and provided an ongoing platform for both relevant dialogue and crucial information. Apart from that, the station also had a big heart and worked tirelessly for the benefit of its audience.

Hall of Fame

The MTN Radio Awards also inducted a number of veteran broadcasters and radio giants into its Hall of Fame. The names came from station nominations and the judges themselves. The inductees ranged from cricket commentator Charles Fortune and the late Yfm DJ Khabzela to talk show pioneer John Berks and current affairs presenter John Perlman.

In conjunction with the Wits Radio Academy, student Mpholosane Modiba was also presented with a study bursary funded from ticket sales to the event and a percentage of advertising revenue from the awards brochure.

The surprise win of the awards programme was the MTN Listeners' Choice Radio Station of the year, which was voted by audience SMS: KwaZulu-Natal based community station Zululand FM 97.0 garnered the most votes.

This was a clear indication, according to the judges, of a station interacting with its audience for a common purpose. Unless listeners valued the special contribution that the station was making to their lives, they would not have punched the digits on their cellphones, said the judges.

Other notable winners

Other notable winners included: best music show going to Highveld Stereo and Kfm's Homebrew; best breakfast show presenter - Jacaranda FM's Darren Scott; best sports presenter - Metro FM's Robert Marawa and best day time music presenter - 5FM's DJ Fresh.

Profiles on all the award winners have been published in a special MTN Radio Awards supplement "On Air" and will feature on the awards website www.mtnradioawards.co.za in coming days.

Download the full list of MTN Radio Award winners.

View the Hall of Fame inductees.

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