Among the three stations around the globe to take a Grand Trophy in the 2011 New York Festivals International Radio Awards is non-commercial KUT-FM Austin, TX. The other top winners were Pirate Group Inc., Canada; and RTÉ Radio, Ireland.
KUT was awarded a Grand Trophy in the Culture & The Arts category for “Piece of My Heart – The Story of Janis Joplin.” This poignant, seldom told story of Janis Joplin chronicles her middle class upbringing in Port Arthur, Texas and tells the story of a young girl caught in the crosscurrents of cultural change.
“An undertaking like ‘Piece of My Heart’ required hundreds of hours of old-fashioned digging, the kind of journalism that’s usually reserved for so-called ‘hard news.’ The fact that our managers are willing to devote considerable resources to this kind of reporting speaks volumes about KUT’s commitment to long-form storytelling and its unique ability to enrich the lives of listeners. As radio producers — as storytellers — we’re grateful to the New York Festivals for its recognition of these efforts,” said David Brown, Executive Producer, KUT.
Pirate Group Inc. earned a Grand Trophy for “Age of Persuasion Goes to the Movies” for the CBC, winning in the Business/Consumer Issues category. The entry explores great movie marketing, discussing the way Hollywood sold its films.
RTÉ Radio, Ireland was honored with a Grand Trophy for “Documentary on One – Don’t Go Far,” taking home the Grand in the Profiles/Community Portraits category. This entry tells the odyssey of two young Dublin boys whose wanderlust finds them stowing away onto a flight at London’s Heathrow bound for New York’s JFK International Airport.
RTÉ Radio also earned the Broadcaster of the Year Award. Richard Downes, RTÉ Radio Washington Correspondent accepted the award. In addition to the Grand Trophy, RTÉ also took home 8 Gold Awards, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze, and 2 Finalist Certificates for their distinguished entries.
Click here for a complete list of this year’s award winners.
