This year’s Australian CommericalRadio Awards in October is back. Now in their 26th year, they will be held for the first time at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Melbourne on October 18.
Organised by the Sydney-based Commercial Radio Australia, on behalf of the commercial radio industry, the national awards include 34 categories. These cover all areas of radio broadcasting including news, talk, sport, music and entertainment. The ACRAs are judged by fellow radio executives and those in associated industries. Winners are announced in each category across three areas: metropolitan, provincial and country commercial radio stations.
Entries open today and close Friday May 23.
Commercial Radio Australia CEO Joan Warner said: “2014 is set to be an exciting ACRAs year with many changes in on-air team combinations and timeslots. We’re hoping we’ll have more entries than ever before.” She added, “The ACRAs is a highlight of the radio industry’s annual calendar and always provides a great opportunity to celebrate the enormous talent within commercial radio around Australia.”
News of the awards comes after Kyle Sandiland and Jackie O Henderson caused a major upset in last week’s radio ratings. The duo won ACRA’s Best On Air Team (FM) four times, including last year. Last week, the duo who left Southern Cross Austereo’s 2DAY FM for KIIS in Sydney, tied with WSFM’s Amanda Keller and Brendan “Jonesy” Jones for top music FM team. Kyle and Jackie O took 250,000 of their listeners to KIIS, and have 9.3% of the Sydney listening market. They decimated 2DAY’s replacement breakfast team, which dropped to a 3.8% share. The fear is advertisers will also follow Kyle & Jackie O over to KIIS. Radio sites estimate it would cost 2DAY $12 million of its projected $20 million earnings, and 2DAY is holding meetings with sponsors.
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