Radio Competition Time

MSM, the UK’s largest commercial sales house, and IRN, Independent Radio News, have joined forces to launch the Newslink Radio Creative Award.

The Award has been designed to encourage creativity within the radio industry. It is an opportunity for clients, creatives, media planners and buyers to work together on an innovative radio campaign. The winning client will receive £500,000 worth of radio airtime; the largest ever media prize offered in the UK. This is divided into 36 spots within IRN news bulletins. The team behind the winning entry will receive the prestigious award and a luxury trip to New York. Runners-up will win a trip to Paris.

Tim Mellors, of Mellors Reay, is chairman of the judging panel, he said: “The UK advertising industry is renowned worldwide for creative excellence, but I would say that currently commercial radio lags behind the standards of other media. I hope that such a large prize and the specific brief of creating copy for the environment will go a long way to raise the issue of excellence in radio in many agencies.”

To enter the awards advertisers must produce a new ad, specifically designed for the Newslink ad slot. This slot is within the IRN News Bulletins broadcast at the top of each hour, across 165 ILR stations, between 7-10am weekdays and between 7am to 12pm on Saturday and Sunday. The copy must be between 50-70 seconds long and will run between May and September 1997.

Entries must be received by 21 March; the winner will be announced in early April.

For an information pack call: 01628 666039