Independent radio production companies once again punched above their weight in the Sony Radio Academy Awards, winning five Gold, five Silver and seven Bronze awards.
Despite being allowed to compete for less than 20% of the BBC’s radio programming the indie sector has again won around 30% of Sony Gold Awards. Gold winning indie productions included Best Entertainment Programme ‐ The Danny Baker Show (Campbell Davison Media for BBC Radio 5 Live); Best Use of Multiplatform – Radio 1 Review Show – Somethin’ Else for BBC Radio 1; Best Feature or Documentary ‐ Bruising Silence (Just Radio for BBC Radio 1); Best Station Imaging – BBC Radio 2 (BBC Radio 2 and Wise Buddah); and Best Music Programme – The Dermot O’Leary Show (Ora Et Labora for BBC Radio 2).
Other awards were equally as diverse, including a Silver Award for Best Music Feature or Documentary for Black is a Country (Brook Lapping for BBC Radio 4) and a Best Comedy Bronze Award for Fuzz Productions & Sky Potato Productions for Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast (for British Comedy Guide).
Indie awards, spread across 13 different categories, demonstrated once more the depth and breadth of content that is produced to the highest standard by the sector.
Phil Critchlow, RIG Chair and founder of TBI Media, winner of a Silver Award for Not Just Cricket for BBC Radio 5Live and a Bronze for Titanic Minute by Minute for BBC Radio 2, commented: “Winning a Sony Award is a huge creative accolade in our industry. This is therefore a really important show of creative strength by the indie production sector”.
Independent radio suppliers are now calling for the BBC Trust to take a closer look at results like these, and consider whether Licence fee payers could benefit more fully from this quality of innovation and delivery by opening up more of the BBC’s schedules to outside suppliers.
Currently only up to 20% of ‘eligible hours’ of is commissioned by BBC Radio against competition from external companies, compared with up to 50% in TV.
Notes
1. The Radio Independents Group (RIG) is the trade body representing the UK independent radio production sector. The sector is made up of approximately 150 creative companies, spread around the whole of the UK. RIG members represent around 95% of industry turnover, which we estimate as a whole to be some £40m. These creative companies make radio content for commercial networks as well as BBC networks. They also are engaged in producing a variety of other content for corporate clients, as well as overseas networks and companies. Audiobooks, podcasts, museum audio‐guides, audio games and other multimedia formats. It is estimated the sector employs well over 1,000 people, mostly in skilled production roles.
*** For press enquiries please contact Tim Wilson, RIG media and policy adviser, on 07909 560 374 or tim at twcentral.co.uk
2013 SONY RADIO ACADEMY AWARDS: INDIE WINNERS
Best Music Programme
Gold: The Dermot O’Leary Show – Ora Et Labora for BBC Radio 2
Best Entertainment Programme
Gold: The Danny Baker Show – Campbell Davison Media for BBC Radio 5 live
Best Sports Programme
Silver: Not Just Cricket – TBI Media for BBC Radio 5 live
Best Community Programming
Silver: Crossroads – PRA Productions for BBC Radio 1Xtra
Bronze: Word Up – Prison Radio Association for National Prison Radio
Music Radio Broadcaster of the Year
Bronze: Johnnie Walker – Wise Buddah Creative for BBC Radio 2
Speech Radio Broadcaster of the Year
Bronze: Danny Baker – Campbell Davison Media for BBC Radio 5 live
Best Station Imaging
Gold: BBC Radio 2 – BBC Radio 2 with Wise Buddah Creative
Best Music Feature or Documentary
Silver: Black is a Country – Brook Lapping Productions for BBC Radio 4
Best News Feature or Documentary
Bronze: Adventures of a Blue Badger – Alfi Media Ltd for BBC Radio 5 live
Best Feature or Documentary
Gold: Bruising Silence – Just Radio for BBC Radio 1
Silver: Dying Inside – Unique The Production Company for BBC Radio 4
Bronze: Titanic: Minute by Minute – TBI Media (with BBC Drama) for BBC Radio 2
Best Comedy
Silver: My Teenage Diary – Talkback (part of Freemantle Media UK) for BBC Radio 4
Bronze: Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast – Fuzz Productions Ltd & Sky Potato Productions for British Comedy Guide
Best Drama
Bronze: My Boy – Somethin’ Else for BBC Radio 4
Best Use of Multiplatform
Gold: Radio 1’s Review Show – Somethin’ Else for BBC Radio 1