Media Release

Wednesday, 23 November 2005

Radio Adelaide was named as the Radio Station of the Year for 2005 and also collected two other prestigious accolades at the national Community Broadcasting Association of Australia awards presentation, held last Friday night in Fremantle, Western Australia.

The award recognises service and innovation by a community radio station in meeting the needs of the community.

"Winning this award is hugely significant," says Radio Adelaide Station Manager Ms Deborah Welch. "The community radio sector comprises more than 350 stations nationally, so collectively we provide more services than either the commercial or national radio sectors.

"In this political climate, community media and freedom of speech are more important than ever, and as a recent national listener survey indicated*, we're doing well at meeting the needs of people who feel dissatisfied by what the mainstream and commercial media is serving them."

Radio Adelaide's 2005 activities included:

• broadcasting diverse, quality talk & music programs;
  
• working with various community groups, including refugees, that otherwise have little or no media access;
  
• undertaking outside broadcasts and recordings at local events, performances and festivals, including the Festival of Ideas;
  
• providing extensive coverage of major events including the Adelaide Fringe, Festival of Arts, Feast and Womadelaide;
  
• developing audiences for emerging and local/Australian artists by broadcasting their music and work in ongoing programming;
  
• providing quality training, as a nationally accredited Registered Training Organisation.
  

Radio NAIDOC was presented by a team of Indigenous broadcasters from around SA and Australia, and was broadcast throughout Adelaide, and to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in remote areas and other major cities via the National Indigenous Radio Service.

A third commendation for Radio Adelaide at the CBAA Awards came in being named Finalist in the category Excellence in Music Programming for Womadelaide 2005 Live.

This special coverage of Womadelaide, live from Botanic Park, was broadcast nationally across the Community Radio Satellite Network, and the National Indigenous Radio Service.

These national awards capped off a bumper weekend award sweep, during which Radio Adelaide's Lauren Kandelaars won the Best News Radio Report/Feature category of the SA Youth Media Award in Adelaide on Friday night. Another young Radio Adelaide journalist, Adam Rosetto was a finalist in the same award category.

Lauren's winning series `Living with the Black Dog', a personal account of depression, was praised by judges for dealing `openly and honestly about what it is like...living with the Black Dog" and had previously won a Dr Margaret Tobin Award for Excellence in Mental Health.

More information about Radio Adelaide, including program details, can be found online.

Radio Adelaide is part of the University of Adelaide.