THE nominations were announced this week for the annual Sony Radio Awards Awards. These are often described as the ‘Oscars’ of the UK radio industry and culminate in a glittering awards ceremony in London. The years I’ve attended, it really feels like you’re rubbing shoulders with the great and good. In fact, participating in the awards is one of the highlights of the broadcast year.
Normally, there’s a reasonable representation from Scotland. There are normally a few finalists from BBC Radio Scotland and a healthy scattering of entries from the large and small commercial stations. This reflects the resources available and the emphasis stations place on being represented – and gives the whole industry in Scotland a chance to get a nod on the national stage.
Notwithstanding the efforts of Nicky Campbell and Eddie Mair, Scotland’s showing this year is BBC Radio Scotland’s ‘Grapes of Wrath’ (in the Best Drama section) and Real Radio Scotland (in the Best Competition one).
You could call it more if you add BBC Radio Scotland’s contribution to the pan-BBC coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics.
In other words, a meagre haul.
I tweeted on Monday that it was time for the Scottish industry to roll its sleeves up for next year, enter more programmes and look to 2014 being the year that ‘we come back’. And immediately, I got a number of both public and private responses. In no particular order:
* It’s too expensive to enter;
* The amount of time taken to enter is just too much;
* BBC staffers referred to commercial radio’s ‘lack of creativity and originality';
* Commercial radio staffers referred to the BBC’s ‘lack of creativity and originality';
* Maybe Scottish radio is simply not good enough, compared to the UK’s best? and
* Why should we bother? The awards are in ‘that London’ where the locals are bound to share the glory among themselves.
I’m a huge fan of the Sony Awards. In the past, I’ve been lucky enough to judge them and been bowled over by the quality and breadth of content. I’ve been involved in producing entries. Both are huge undertakings and, in my case, hearing that a programme hadn’t ‘made the cut’ always felt like a dagger to the heart.
But winning means a lot. Even the fact that a jury of programme-makers and experts has shortlisted your work gives you almost a full year of energy to invest.
It would be instructive to learn if there were less Scottish entries to the UK awards this year. However, if the number of entries was broadly similar and our best simply isn’t good enough, then we have few options:
* Try harder to produce entries that pass the threshold, perhaps with the help of previous finalists;
* Work on the cost of entry to give smaller operations and independents more access; and
* Come together as in industry to have Scottish awards, whose goal is to give Scottish radio a new platform, akin to the work of BAFTA Scotland.
I’d like to think that our industry is doing well. Scotland’s community radio stations are a huge success story and BBC Scotland has made some decent strides this year, notably with its afternoon arts strands.
Sadly, come May, our peers won’t notice this.
We have to be ‘in it to win it’.
John Collins lectures in radio broadcasting at Reid Kerr College in Paisley, following a 25-year career on both sides of the microphone at both the BBC and in commercial radio in Scotland. He still pops up occasionally on the radio, at Clyde 2 on a Sunday morning. Pic: Michele Dillon.
