The deadline for New York Festival’s International Radio Programs and Promos Awards is approaching and most of the radio players around the world are sending across their best programmes, to participate in the 2014 contest. Along with the radio fraternity, the team of NYF is also getting ready for the gala.
NYF International Radio Programs and Promos Awards executive director Rose Anderson speaks with Radioandmusic.com about this edition and challenges in last year’s edition.
Excerpts:
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What is different this edition?
Here at NYF, we want to continue to be responsive to global creative trends and make sure that the outliers and risk-takers are being recognised. We stay in touch with our advisory board and grand jury members and thought leaders to keep fresh ideas in the forefront of NYF’s dashboard.
Each year, we update some categories and create new ones – it is an organic ecosystem. For us, every year tells a different story. Looking ahead to the 2014 competition, we have categories for Best Nonfiction Series, Travel and Tourism, and Best Student Journalist.
How is the GrandJury selected for awards?
There is a measurement of trust in every awards competition. So, we recruit the GrandJury members from all over the world. We think that points of view from many countries present a 360 perspective. They are award-winning producers, director, writers and editors, who are working on projects now.
What are the various elements present during the awards function?
Preparation for the Radio Awards gala starts once finalists are announced in early May. Our team selects audio excerpts, creates full-screen graphics, and writes scripted introductions as part of the way we celebrate The World’s Best Radio Programs. I have been lucky enough to work on some award-winning, high-profile productions over the years: five Olympics, The Three Tenors and The Miss America Pageant. When there is a lot on the line, you learn that there is no substitute for discipline, preparation, teamwork and focus.
Who is part of the GrandJury?
We list our judges and their companies on our website for transparency. For 2014, over 150 prospective judges are being invited this week from Radio Mango, Radio Mantra, Reliance Broadcast, and international brands like BBC, ABC Australia, RTHK, RTE, CBC, ABS-CBN, Radio New Zealand, TBI Media, Radio Free Asia, Sirius XM, ESPN, Westwood One, and NY Philharmonic.
How much time is invested in this award function?
The competition timeline runs like this – we start accepting entries in January. Submissions are uploaded through March/April. Before our online jury scores entries, I screen each entry. That level of care is a direct result of my experience in production with its strict rules of on-air quality control – and that attention to detail is an aspect of service that our entrants appreciate. The preliminary round of judging takes place in April and finalists are announced in May. The Medal Round commences then. We celebrate the trophy winners at our gala on 23 June in New York City.
What are the challenges faced last year?
In light of the world-wide economic situation, we made the decision not to raise entry fees. Since our entries last year came from over 30 countries, we thought it was an important consideration and shows that we are aware of the challenges faced by the radio industry.
What are the various developments in Radio industry all over the world?
These are very interesting times for content creators – many say that we are in another Golden Age. Without a doubt, platform expansion – online, terrestrial, satellite – has encouraged new types of programming and the search for new listeners. There is widespread innovation as technology spurs developments in sophisticated sound design.
