PRESS RELEASE :-BBC launches Africa Radio Awards with an appeal for entries

PRESS RELEASE :-BBC launches Africa Radio Awards with an appeal for entries
By topi lyambila
Aug 30, 2006, 00:03


Radio listeners across Africa are being urged to tell the BBC about their favourite radio station for the first ever BBC Africa Radio Awards. Radio fans and broadcasters alike are being encouraged to talk to the BBC about possible entries for the awards which launch on Monday 4 September, and culminate in a final in Nairobi, Kenya on 21 May 2007.

The BBC Africa Radio Awards recognise and celebrate seven areas of achievement - highlighting the stations and individual broadcasters who have earned their audiences’ respect and gained popularity for quality programmes. The categories are:

Radio Station of the Year
New Radio Station of the Year (launched since September 2004)
News Journalist of the Year
Sports Journalist of the Year
Local On-Air Campaign of the Year
Interactive/Talk Show of the Year
Young Broadcaster of the Year (entrants must be 20 years of age or under on 31 December 2006)

The BBC Africa Radio Awards will be judged in two phases. The first phase is regional heats for East, West and Southern Africa. The winners will be selected by independent panels of judges, chosen for their knowledge of the region and its media. The winning regional entries will be put forward for the pan-African awards.

Anyone interested in recommending an entry should contact the BBC by 15 November 2006. The closing date for entries is 31 December 2006. There are a number of ways to contact the BBC:

Email: africaradioawards@bbc.co.uk
Website: www.bbcworldservice.com/africaradioawards (launches 4 September 2006)
Text: +44 7786 20 20 25
Post: Room 500 NE, Bush House, Strand, London, WC2B 4PH

Jerry Timmins, Head of Africa and Middle East Region, BBC World Service, said: “Radio is such an important medium in Africa, informing millions about what is going on around them. The radio scene is evolving very rapidly, and as a radio broadcaster ourselves, we are keen to highlight this evolution, encourage the hard work of African journalists and producers and recognise some of the great programming being made.

"The BBC is primarily known for the quality of its journalism. In Africa this is delivered to a measured audience of nearly 60 million listeners. And they talk to us a great deal. You can hear our audiences in our daily output, commenting and informing our news and discussion programmes.

"We now want to encourage them to tell us about the stations who work alongside us so we can boost the African talent which we come across so frequently in our work and celebrate it on air. We want them to tell us about the stations and staff who have really impressed them, so together we can shine a light on the best of African Radio."

The judging panel:

West Africa
Prof Dora Akunyili, Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control of Nigeria, chairs the panel for West Africa. The BBC is represented in this panel by Bola Masuro, Senior Producer and Presenter, African News and Current Affairs, BBC World Service.

East Africa
Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, Special Envoy of the Organisation of African Unity and former Prime Minister of Tanzania, chairs the panel for East Africa. The BBC is represented in this panel by the Ugandan-born popular BBC World Service presenter, Paul Bakibinga.

Southern Africa
Tsitsi Dangarembga, a writer from Zimbabwe, chairs the panel for Southern Africa. The BBC is represented in this panel by Zambian-born Maureen Nkandu-Mundea, who presents flagship BBC World Service programme, Focus on Africa.

In addition, the BBC's interactive programme, Network Africa is running a competition for listener judges. One listener from each region - East, West and Southern Africa - will be invited to take part in the regional judging process. The competition invites listeners to submit a 200-word essay on the subject “How Radio Changed My World” by 31 October 2006.

Ends

For more information contact:

Lala Najafova, International Publicist, BBC World Service
+44(0)207 557 2944; lala.najafova@bbc.co.uk

Christine George, Assistant Publicist, BBC World Service
+44(0)207 557 1142; christine.george@bbc.co.uk

Notes to Editors

BBC World Service is an international radio and online broadcaster delivering programmes and services in 33 languages. It uses multiple platforms to reach 163 million listeners globally, including SW, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. It has around 2,000 partner radio stations which take BBC content, and numerous partnerships supplying content to mobile phones. Its international online sites, which include audio and visual content and offer users opportunities to interact directly with world events, receive over 500 million page impressions, attracting around 33 million unique users a month.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/


© Copyright www.kenyalondonnews.com