Award fever

I'm at BBC London 94.9 until the end of the year and tremendous news for the team this week - we've been shortlisted for BBC local radio station of the year.

Its the biggest of the Frank Gillard awards (the man who founded local radio at the BBC) and I'm particularly pleased because every member of the team can feel proud about the part they've played.

I can't speak highly enough of my colleagues at BBC London 94.9.

The news team turns it on everyday - from comprehensive coverage of the big stories, like this year's mayoral election, to finding cracking tales on those even more challenging quieter days.

BBC London also has nominations for our morning phone in presenter (Vanessa Feltz) and in the Community category (a live youth crime debate Eddie Nestor and Kath Melandri held with teenagers).

And, it's not just news and topicality that's been recognised. We have a fourth nomination for Creativity (Danny Baker and the BBC Concert Orchestra).

What I think drives the quality and that creativity in news and general programmes is a shared drive to do better and better, to get noticed in a crowded city marketplace, to enable more listeners to enjoy listening to the radio we enjoy making.

So, celebrating nominations like these is important. And, as I said, a station of the year award leaves no one unrecognised or unrewarded.

Talking of the need to celebrate, can I make a confession (you supposed to give a bit of yourself on these blogs aren't you)?

A few years ago when BBC London got 2 Sony Gold awards, I led a delegation not lucky enough to attend the ceremony to a local pub. It meant everyone could raise a glass. However, once we won our second, I hailed a convoy of black cabs and headed promptly for the ceremony which we sort of, er, gatecrashed! (Apologises, Sony organisers but we were caught in the moment, wanted to congratulate our team mates and, crucially, paid for all our drinks.)

Anyway, please cross your fingers for my colleagues this time round. The ceremony's in Leeds on October 16 and, rest assured, I will be officially attending!

Congratulations everyone.

Plugging into topicality (or King Kev has left the football ground!)

Greetings from the north east where I've spent the last week surrounded by boxes after my family and I moved house!

Football is like a religion up here and so you couldn't really get bigger news than Kevin Keegan's recent exit from Newcastle Football Club. No matter what team you support, it's huge. Even if you don't support a team, he's a legendary character known nationally and it's pure soap opera.

It's a story that's obviously major for any media but it's absolutely crucial that radio seizes on a big local story like this. Without a doubt here in the NE it's been the number one topic of conversation between friends. So, if a station is to be not only relatable but build or strengthen its one to one relationship with its listener, it must be talking about it too.

With this in mind, I was keen to hear how local radio in the region had a handle on Keegan. I heard coverage on Century and Smooth Radios and it was good stuff. The commercial stations were live at the football ground, St. James Park with extended bulletins (sorry Metro Radio - but with a houseful of boxes to unpack I couldn't do as thorough sweep of listening as I'd usually do!!)

Comprehensive coverage on BBC Radio Newcastle. But what made my ears really prick up was the afternoon entertainment programme. It had the latest Keegan jokes and a feature revealing the top 5 things the ex-manager could do next. It was a bit of tongue in cheek fun but importantly it plugged the station into the sort of conversations being had around the region. More than that it provided gags the listener might be able to share with his or her friends. In other words - stand by for a technical term that you'll either love or hate - it provided the listener with...social ammunition. (This term came from the U.S. I think but we used it at Capital and then GCap Media.) I'll write about social ammo another time but when radio can help the listener seem cleverer or funnier it's fulfilling a powerful function.

So, plug into topicality and remember, its not just for the news bulletins!

Until next time,



Justin.