4 weeks of ACRA’s Finalists Fever 2013 #8

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 count down the days to the big event on October 12 by profiling the finalists across all categories. You can get involved by emailing us here.

In #8 we feature a legendary sports presenter, a best direct salesperson finalist, and a music presenter who since he was a kid all he wanted to do was "do kind of like what Martin/Molloy do"

RAY WARREN

BEST SPORTS PRESENTER (M)
Triple M, Sydney NSW, Southern Cross Austereo

Give us a quick snapshot of your radio background.

I started in 1966 mainly employed to do footy for 2LF at Young, as well sold advertising for them. I wrote and read news, played disc jockey – the whole gambit. In 1969 I was offered a job as understudy race caller to Ken Howard, my idol, with 2GB. John Tapp and I were his understudies. I was second in line for the throne so when they asked did I want to do footy I said yes. That led to TV footy. The rest is history…

Here's audio of his ACRA’s entry
https://radiotoday.com.au/music/ACRARayWarren.mp3
or hear it here

What’s the best part of your job ?

The best part of my job is that I would do it for nothing if I had to. I dreamed of what I do and love it just as much as ever.

What are your key achievements over the past 12 months ?

I can’t achieve anymore that I know of…. God has been great to me…. 47 years and I’m still able to do my job what else can I say…

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

I would simply thank all those who have given me the chance to realise my childhood fantasy, which was one day to be a sports caller. From the station where I started, through to 2GB, 2KY and for the last 17 years Triple M. Naturally I couldn’t have done any of that without the never ending love and support from my family. And my workmates.
 

ANTONELL DOYLE

BEST DIRECT SALESPERSON (M)
Nova 93.7, Perth WA, dmg radio australia

Give us a quick snapshot of your radio background

I’ve worked in Radio Sales and Management at DMG for seventeen years. Six years regionally in Kalgoorlie and eleven at Nova 93.7.

What’s the best part of your job ?

I love working with clients and creating solutions through radio to meet their marketing objectives. I’ve met so many wonderful clients through my 17 years of radio. I love working with my team at Nova hence why I’ve been here for 11 years!

What are your key achievements over the past 12 months ?

In 2012 I won the National DMG Radio Australia Sales Champion award across the entire network.

Meeting my monthly budget as required as well as managing the Direct team who I love to pieces!

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

I’m part of an awesome team of 10 people and largely in the entire Nova Sales team. Every single person in the sales team has helped me achieve my goals so this isn’t just for me – it’s an award for the Nova Sales team as a whole.

I would have loved to be at the ACRA’s, but of course in my usual form I’m always doing a million things at once and the ACRA's is the same day as my due date for my third child. So to all the nominees and winners – congratulations, it’s a great achievement for you all.

AMIN AZOOR

BEST MUSIC PRESENTER (C)
Mixx FM, Horsham VIC, ACE Radio Broadcasters
 

Give us a quick snapshot of your radio background

I did a Communications Degree and then did the Melbourne Radio School's Intro To Radio Course. Sent my demo all around the country and in October 2010, the Regional Group GM of RadioWest & HOT FM WA Ashley Myatt offered me a position as a brekky announcer over in Esperance WA over a coffee at Crown Casino.

From Esperance, I moved to Bunbury in January 2012 and joined Tactics as well as announcing on HOT FM WA, and driving the promo car and pestering the people of the South West for "Wake Up with Cliff & Dougie" on RadioWest.

In November 2012, Mark Taylor Group PD at ACE offered me a job back home in Victoria as a copywriter, which lead to Morning announcer and since July, on network brekky with my co-host and PD Emma Elsom.

Please outline your ACRA’s entry

Just by looking at me you can kind of tell I'm not really from the area. I'm a Melbourne lad and the first thing I was told was to embrace your market and be a part of it the best way you can. So in my entry I found the best grabs I could of me doing my best to show the audience that they're just as much a part of my shifts as the freshest Jason DeRulo track is.

What are your key achievements over the past 12 months?

My folks were pretty keen for me to do something stereotypical like try to be an accountant or doctor or lawyer but since I was a kid all I wanted to do was "do kind of like what Martin/Molloy do". That was the line I fed my parents and reaching my dream of being in a brekky duo with a fair chunk of audience was pretty damn satisfying… and way more fun than studying to be an engineer.

What’s the best part of your job?

The people I work with. Everywhere I've worked, Esperance, Bunbury or Horsham, it's the people around me that are the reason all the Saturday morning OBs at a certain popular Australian-based retailer of electrical, furniture, and bedding goods, is worth it!

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

I've got to thank everyone at RadioWest & HOT FM in Western Australia. If they didn't give me my first job I'd still be unloading pallets in a supermarket for another ten years.

Equal amount of kudos to ACE Radio for liking what they heard and letting me tick off a bucket list item and move me back home to Victoria. But one person who I pretty much owe this nomination to is Mickey Maher. Mickey spent months upon months last year taking time out of his massively busy schedule to listen to every aircheck I sent him and gave me stacks of feedback to make me a good workday jock.

Probably should also mention Chris Holland who insisted that I "stop being a jerk and send some breaks to Mickey", so cheers for that mate. 
 

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

If you're a finalist in Metropolitan, Non-Metropolitan, Provincial or Country drop us a line and we'll shine the spotlight on you. Email Halesy here.