What’s wrong with SA commercial radio?
Is Adelaide radio in the doldrums?
The answer is ‘yes’ if the long list of finalists for the 26th annual Australian Commercial Radio Awards is any guide.
Radio’s finest gather in Melbourne tomorrow night for the industry’s big night and there will be only one current Adelaide radio talent among the 237 finalists in 30 categories for on-air awards.
Leon Byner flies the flag with his ninth nomination for Best Current Affairs Presenter, one of five nominees in a hot field that includes 2GB’s Ray Hadley and 3AWs Neil Mitchell.
The only other South Australian nomination is the now defunct team of Michael Beveridge, Hayley Pearson and Ryan Burgess from the now re-formatted old SAFM (check InDaily from 7pm tonight for news on what SAFM will become).
You might like
Their nomination comes in the Best Community Event category for “Kick Start for Kids”.
Their program broadcast for the last time this week.
Other than Byner, not one of our newsreaders, presenters, commentary teams, producers or directors gets a mention.
The back-office team at Mix102.3 gets a nomination in the sales category for a “Pop Up Wedding”.
Stay informed, daily
Qld, WA and even Tassie have a healthy number of on-air nominations.
It’s a long way from the days when Adelaide radio was home to the nationally acclaimed Bazz & Pilko show, the first FM station (SSAFM) and some cracking comedy courtesy of then-FIVEaa’s Jon Blake.
The ACRA Hall of Fame is also testament to the South Australian contribution to the industry; among the 25 Hall of Fame inductees over the years, Tony Pilkington, Bob Francis and DMG founder and CEO Paul Thompson have been recognised.
The ACRA Awards cover 260 commercial radio stations Australia-wide.
The gala presentation has never left the east coast, rotating between Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
*Our eye was taken by one of the nominees for Best Musical Special; up against some of the giant “Top Songs of All Time”, “Top Songs of 2014” and “INXS Music Special” efforts is this classic from the team at Sydney’s 2DayFM – “The Hits Schapelle Missed – 2005 to 2013”.
