ACRAs Finalists Fever – #16
Let’s Roll Out the Red Carpet….The ACRAs Finalists Fever – counting down the days to the big event on Saturday night!
Now we feature Maria Foundas, Kimberley Bowden and Kim Kerton
BEST ON-AIR TEAM COUNTRY & PROVINCIAL
The Morning Rush; Jon Vertigan & Maria Foundas, 3YB, Warrnambool VIC,ACE Radio Broadcasters C
So Maria… tell us where you got your start..
I graduated from Swinburne Uni’s radio course back in 1993, to be employed at 5RM Berri as a copywriter/announcer for nearly 3 years. Leaving there for work in television creative and promotions, I didn’t make my return to radio until 12 years later, despite teasing myself with many a radio cross promotion. My official return to radio came in 2007 at 5MU/Power FM, starting out in production then to weekend breakfast and weekday filler on both AM & FM for 6 years. I have been working with Jon Vertigan on the networked AM breakfast show The Morning Rush out of Warrnambool since June 2013.
Best part of the gig…. besides working with Jon…
Knowing that you’re making a difference in people’s lives is very rewarding – be it as little as giving them something to smile about at the start of their day … and hanging out with my co-host Jon Vertigan and Kewy our producer, who I look forward to having a laugh with every morning.
Here at Radio Today, you get to do your speech… let rip..
Firstly, I would like to thank my banana of a co-host Jon Vertigan and Kewy our producer, who I look forward to having a laugh with every morning .. It certainly makes work fun hanging out with these boys. Thanks also to Mark Taylor for taking the advice of a mutual friend of ours in Karen ‘George’ Prater in giving me the opportunity to work with ACE radio – They’re a fabulous ‘family’to work for and I’m grateful that I’ve been welcomed into theirs … and of course a huge thank you to my collegues in Warrnambool, especially Lauren ‘Loggy’ Temuskos for keeping me sane on a delay basis, in her insane way … and finally my family who have been patient with me throughout all my crazy endeavours
BEST NEWCOMER OFF-AIR
Kimberley Bowden;3HA, Hamilton VIC, Midwest Radio Network C
You’re up for Best New Comer… welcole,, so had did you get your break..
I did my year 10 work experience at my local radio station in Wagga Wagga, while there I got told I didn’t have a voice for radio so I thought radio wasn’t for me.
10 years later I decided I wanted to have a go at something I was passionate about so I enrolled myself at the Radio Training Institute Melbourne.
I loved every minute of the Intro to radio course and went on to do work experience with the amazing team at 2AY Albury, from this I gained employment with Ace Radio in Hamilton Victoria. After spending 6 months learning so much in Western Victoria, I headed back home to Wagga. I then secured myself a job at Move FM Lithgow as a Copywriter and Announcer and I am currently completing an AFTRS course ‘The Creative craft of radio copywriting’.
About your entry..
My entry is for Best Newcomer off air.
This is an ad I wrote and produced for a local garden nursery called Lady Bug Nursery while at ACE Radio, Hamilton.
I had a lot of fun writing this and visiting the client to fully understand her business, She was amazing to work with and that always makes the job a lot easier.
I felt I wanted to give the ad a secret garden feel to create the same kind of image this local nursery had.
You get the ACRA… your speech
My First thanks would be to the guy who told me I wouldn’t make it. Look at me now!
Also to the team at 2AY in particular Mark Taylor and Brandon Hughes. These guys are gems and gave me all the support and training to get me heading in the right direction.
A massive thanks to my parents for their support and financial funding…chasing dreams isn’t cheap. And thanks to Kyle Sandilands, reading your book put a fire in my belly and made me believe that if I was passionate enough about working in radio I could work my butt off to achieve that, and I did!! Thank You
BEST AGENCY SALESPERSON
Kim Kerton; Nova 100, Melbourne VIC, Nova Entertainment
Tell us about you… go
I started off at Community Radio in Sales & Marketing Implementation at Fresh 92.7 in Adelaide, then into Integration at Nova9 1.9 working on Survey promotions like ‘F Off to Fuji Rock with Fitzy’. I moved over to ARN as an Agency Account Manager after a short hiatus, then back to Nova at Nova100 in Melbourne – all up around 9 years!
What’s the best part of your job in Sales..
Creating campaigns for incredible brands that live across the many touch points and collaborating with the best people in the business. The energy at NOVA Entertainment is the other best part, it’s infectious and inspires you to push hard, challenge yourself and own it.
What are your key achievements over the past 12 months
– Delivering 1.6 mil in new business, including two campaigns that have now been benchmarked for their level of integration, collaboration and resulting success
– Becoming a finalist for B&T 30 Under30
– Recently being promoted to Group Sales Manager
– And being a finalist for an ACRA!!
1.6 Mil wow…. hmmm… the commision is clicking over in our heads… we digress … your speech.
My individual success comes from being able to collaborate with some of the best media minds in the world, we’re truly a team and the results wouldn’t be possible without them.