RTÉ picked up the prestigious Broadcaster of the Year award at the 2017 New York Festivals International Radio Awards. Selected from finalists spanning 32 countries, this is fourth time RTÉ has won the radio award in recent years.
This year, RTÉ was selected above a number of both public and commercial broadcasters including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), US National Public Radio (NPR), Radio Rivadavia (Argentina), Radio Free Europe (Czech Republic), Radio France and Radio New Zealand.
According to Jim Jennings, managing director of RTÉ Radio: “For RTÉ to be named New York Festivals’ Radio Broadcaster of the Year amidst wide international competition is truly an honour. The win is testament not only to the collective output of our radio stations, but also to the broad appeal and quality of our programming. This is extremely important to us as a public service broadcaster. From the excellent Documentary on One series, the imagination of RTÉJr Radio, the skilled current affairs reporting, the creative hub of Drama on One, to the innovation of podcast series Voices, RTÉ programme makers have been duly recognized with the awarding of a selection of gold, silver and bronze medals.”
Meanwhile, Newstalk 106-108FM’s Futureproof also received top honours at the awards gala which took place in New York this week. The Communicorp-owned station bagged a gold award for its ‘The Space Between Skeleton and Skin’ programme which charted Mark Pollock’s efforts to walk following his paralysis.
The station also picked up a silver award for “No Roses Round My Cottage,” which was produced and narrated by Nuala Macklin and shares the stories of four ordinary Irish women who forged a challenging path through the Northern Ireland Troubles. It also picked up a bronze award for “Matches” a play produced by Henchman Productions which tells the story of Tom, a recovering alcoholic looking for love in a world of dating apps, social media and the ever-present lure of alcohol.
According to Patricia Monahan, managing editor of Newstalk106-108FM: “Winning the gold award at the New York Festivals International Radio Program Awards, along with three other awards for our programmes, is a fantastic achievement for Irish radio and an honour for the team at Newstalk 106-108FM. At Newstalk we strive to bring our listeners the very best stories from across the country and around the world and this award is a testament to our efforts.”
