4 weeks of ACRA’s Finalists Fever 2013 #17

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, here are the last few finalists we'll feature before the awards begin. Below, we feature a best music special finalist, 2 ads that are up for an ACRA, and we start by chatting with Nova 96.9's Promotions Director Shaun Heron.

SHAUN HERON

BEST PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR (M)
Nova 96.9, Sydney NSW, dmg radio australia

Give us a quick snapshot of your radio background

I started out at 3REG FM, a community station in East Gippsland that strangely also had a funny man wearing headphones as the logo. During High School I did as much work experience as they would let me at 3TR and 3GG. Simon Diaz became my mentor at GG and I followed him to TTFM in Melbourne when he was hired to do ‘Late Night Live’ by Mike Perso. I volunteered as phone operator and hassled Mike to let me on mid-dawns. I eventually landed a full time gig in promotions and on weekends I was on-air and filled in when Captain Turntable was sick. I wasn’t very good on-air so I focussed on Promotions. From there I worked my way up between TTFM, Gold 104.3 and then Mix 101.1.

After almost four years with ARN I headed over to KIIS FM in Los Angeles where I worked on Clear Channel’s major events (Wango Tango, Jingle Ball, Funktastic Bombastic) and as marketing coordinator.

I went back to ARN in 2007 as Brand Project Manager and then Network Campaigns Manager before joining dmg as Integration & Marketing Director in 2011.

Please outline your ACRA’s entry

One of radio’s most powerful attributes is that it can make individuals ‘feel’ something. My team not only have brilliant ideas but we craft and execute them in a way that we intend will make our audience feel something. I wanted this to show in my entry. I’m a sucker for a great brand experience, so I like to bring the ‘Nova’ brand to life in everything that Nova does – from the way we answer our phone to holding an event for 400 people – it’s got to look, feel, smell, taste and sound like Nova.

Here's the audio from Shaun's entry :-
https://radiotoday.com.au/music/ACRAShaunHeron.mp3
or hear it here

What’s the best part of your job ?

Not knowing what might eventuate at the start of any day but knowing I work with amazing individuals who can respond to anything that may happen in a way that produces excellent content.

What are your key achievements over the past 12 months?

– Achieving market Number 1 cume in Survey 2, 2013
– Becoming the #1 Under 40 station in Sydney
– Branding the Sydney Monorail Nova 96.9
– Not getting fired

You can’t make a speech on the night but you can here. So let’s pretend you won…. what would you say ?

A huge thank you to Simon Diaz and Belinda King who saw something in a cheeky work experience kid, without both of you I would never have had the amazing radio experiences and career scenarios that only radio can provide.

Thank you too, to Carlie Millican, Rachael Slater, Jane Connors, Lauren Montgomery, Jessica Westgate, Brendan Taylor and Leanne Glamuzina who make me look good every day and thank you to Fitzy & Wippa and their team for being the true talent that they are. I count my blessings that I get to work with those boys and the team around them.

#livelifenova

GRANT ROBERTS

BEST STATION PRODUCED COMMERCIAL – SINGLE (M) – Confessions
BEST STATION PRODUCED COMMERCIAL – SINGLE (M) – Photographs
Nova 106.9, Brisbane QLD, dmg radio australia

Give us a quick snapshot of your radio background

I started in radio as a Creative Writer in 2005 in Townsville at HOTFM and 4TO, moving quickly onto the Sunshine Coast’s HOT91 in 2006, and then onto Triple M and B105 Brisbane in 2007, and Nova 106.9 Brisbane in 2011.

Some say I’m in witness protection and that’s why I moved so often, but I maintain it’s purely for career advancement.

Please outline your ACRA’s entry

I have 2 finalist entries this year in the ACRA’s. A campaign for Digital SI entitled ‘Confessions’ and a campaign for Queensland Theatre Group entitled ‘Photographs’.

Confessions
https://radiotoday.com.au/music/ACRAGrantRoberts1.mp3
or hear it here

Photographs
https://radiotoday.com.au/music/ACRAGrantRoberts2.mp3
or hear it here

What’s the best part of your job?

Taking the mickey out of everything and getting paid for it. It’s a sweet gig really. (oh and we get to play ping pong, I’m pretty good at it).

What are your key achievements over the past 12 months?

I have had 3 finalists in the Siren Awards. And now 2 finalists for the ACRA's. It has been a good year.

You can’t make a speech on the night but you can here. So let’s pretend you won…. what would you say?

I’d thank Nova for the brilliant working environment – an environment that encourages creativity above all and pushes us to our limits to achieve excellence. Something totally simple like that, so yeah nothing too deep.

I’d also thank Red Bull. They’ve been my major sponsor this year.

HAYDEN ELSE

BEST MUSIC SPECIAL (P)
Coast Uncovered
Star 104.5, Central Coast NSW, dmg radio australia

Give us a quick snapshot of your radio background

I started radio at Now FM in Moree in 1999 and have been lucky enough to work at a few stations over the years. Most of my time in radio has been with DMG.

What’s the best part of your job ?

The people, we have an awesome team here on the Central Coast.

What are your key achievements over the past 12 months ?

Just recently we repositioned to a broad adult format with an emphasis on real music from the 80s and 90s.

You can’t make a speech on the night but you can here. So let’s pretend you won…. what would you say.

It's great that we can support and showcase the amazing local bands and artists on the Central Coast.

See all the ACRA's fever so far (and 2012's) here.

Good luck for tonight !!!