IRISH RADIO stations RTÉ and Newstalk were among the gold medal winners in the New York Radio Awards announced late last night, with RTÉ retaining the title of broadcaster of the year for a second year running.
The State broadcaster won a further 25 awards for individual programmes broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ Lyric FM, including four gold awards.
One award was for the Helen Shaw-produced Death of an Empire, a five-part series presented by retired international editor and Moscow correspondent of The Irish Times Séamus Martin, which took gold in the history category. An Athena Media production for RTÉ, it looked at the fall of the Soviet Union and the birth of modern Russia.
Coinciding with the production, The Irish Times published a series, also by Séamus Martin, exploring the 20 years since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Other RTÉ gold-winning productions were My Dad’s Depression in the best documentary category; Because You Can’t Smell Someone on Skype, in the human relations section; and Conversations in the Dark for best sound.
Managing director of RTÉ Radio Clare Duignan said that to be named broadcaster of the year among world-renowned peers was important “not just for RTÉ, but for Ireland”, adding that in 2011 RTÉ Radio had become the first Irish radio station in the award’s 55-year history to be awarded broadcaster of the year.
Newstalk picked up a gold award in the best writing category for Flights of Fancy, which was written and produced by independent producer Zoë Comyns.
The radio play, which was broadcast on Newstalk on St Patrick’s Day, starred Alan Stanford and Frank Kelly. It charts the life of 18th-century balloonist Richard Crosbie as he endeavours to be the first Irishman to fly a manned hydrogen balloon.
Classic Hits 4FM took a bronze award for Rhoda’s Story in the best human interest category and 98FM also took bronze for Dermot and Dave in the best comedy/humour personality category.
Independent producer the Audio Orchard received a silver award for The Fear of 9/11.