4 weeks of ACRA’s Finalists Fever 2013 #15
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There are thousands of hard-working, dedicated and amazingly creative people throughout the radio industry – and every year a small fraction of those people make the short list as a finalist in the ACRA’s.
4 weeks of ACRA's Finalists Fever – where we've been counting down the days to the big event by profiling the finalists across all categories.
Tonight is the big night, so today we'll feature a bunch more finalists. Below, we feature a comedy segment from Brisbane, a finalist for best promotions director, and we start by getting to know more about a best newcomer from Geelong (and we get to hear her entry).
BECS LEE
BEST NEWCOMER ON-AIR (P)
K-Rock, Geelong VIC, Grant Broadcasters
Give us a quick snapshot of your radio background
A few years ago I was dating a very charming stand-up comedian – he was a comic genius but he destroyed people in his personal life. At my lowest ebb, I rang a radio station to complain about his "type"… the Don Drapers of the world who just make women messy. I became a regular caller, and it sparked something. I scored my first gig as an announcer/copywriter at Coast FM in the Bool (thanks Ace Radio), then moved to KRock Geelong as a copywriter/on air floater. I was a bit-part player on the drive program before moving on air full time as a breaky & workday announcer.
Here's Becs' audio for her entry :-
https://radiotoday.com.au/music/ACRAbecslee.mp3
or hear it here
What's the best part of your job?
The caller interaction. Which is weird, because I'm pretty sure I'm an introvert! But I'm deeply grateful to those disembodied voices on the end of the line. Sometimes I can't believe they call – says a lot about my self-confidence, doesn't it? But I genuinely enjoy talking to listeners.
What are your key achievements over the past 12 months?
Honestly – my number one achievement is not walking away from radio! There's been so many moments when my love for radio could have soured irreversibly into something close to hate. So many nights when I've trod on the backs of my shoes to wrench them from my feet. The highs and lows of this biz, I mean COME ON. (It's just dawned on me that I may have replaced a comic genius with the career equivalent.)
You can't make a speech on the night but let's pretend you've won… so what would you say?
I would thank my deeply conservative church-going family for their ongoing disapproval, patience and support.
CASSIE GRENTELL
BEST PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR (NM)
Star 104.5, Central Coast NSW, dmg radio australia
Give us a quick snapshot of your radio background
With a TV background I stumbled upon a streets job at Star 104.5 nine years ago and have climbed the radio tower (or corporate ladder) ever since.
Please outline your ACRA’s entry
My entry is a collection of snippets from the year gone…my best promotions and great memories…have a listen….
https://radiotoday.com.au/music/ACRACassieGrentell.mp3
or hear it here
What’s the best part of your job ?
The best part of my job is definitely the arts and crafts…nothing beats looking at a pile of staples, coloured paper and glue sticks and thinking ‘right, how am I going to create a human daffodil costume out of this?!’
Oh, and changing listeners lives with the prizes and experiences we give them.
What are your key achievements over the past 12 months ?
I’m pretty proud to say that in the past 12 months I’ve gone sugar free…which means staying away from all the sugary offerings in the promotions cupboard! Not an easy task! Seriously though, it’s been working on a new brand position, logo and lifestyle position for the station.
You can’t make a speech on the night but you can here. So let’s pretend you won…. what would you say ?
Thanks to my team, my manager, and my workmates. Without them my life would be over…ok, not really, but it would make it pretty hard to do what I do.
60s SEX ED
BEST STATION PRODUCED COMEDY SEGMENT (M)
Ash, Kip & Luttsy
Nova 106.9, Brisbane QLD, dmg radio australia
Give us a quick snapshot of your radio backgrounds
We have all been in radio for a while and been part of a few different incarnations at Nova 106.9.
Please outline your ACRA’s entry
Best comedy segment. As per most of our show this idea just sort of came up. Kip found a 1960’s sex education text book for girls from the UK and we thought it could be bit of fun. We actually filmed a really funny video as well, came up great.
What’s the best part of your job ?
Working with people that like each other is always fun. We have a pretty big team that helps put the show together and everyone plays a role on the air, from Ange our newsreader to our PD Jay.
What are your key achievements over the past 12 months ?
Ratings success is always good but it’s really doing things that we love every day and getting to share that with listeners. Things like our world record Slip’n’Slide, Ash the Musical and the World Belly Flop Championships, and we have even more big stuff in the pipeline for the rest of the year.
You can’t make a speech on the night but you can here. So let’s pretend you won…. what would you say?
We would probably push Luttsy up on stage cause he thinks he’s a great public speaker, or so he tells us!
See all the ACRA's fever so far (and 2012's) here.
Good luck for tonight !!!