GMG Radio’s Real Radio stations scooped four gongs at the prestigious IRN Awards, which celebrate excellence in commercial radio news.

 

Real Radio in Yorkshire won two awards. The first was for Best Funny Story for its creative coverage of Italy’s World Cup win last year in which a local Italian restaurant owner got over excited at his country’s triumph and started singing opera music and screaming for joy. The station’s second win was in the Sports Coverage category. It gained the top spot for its special programme – Sheffield United: The Path to the Premiership – which charted the Blades’ 12 year fight to get back to top flight football.

 

In Wales, Real Radio’s special programme on the 40^th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster was voted Best News Programme. The station spoke to survivors and visited the scene of what is still considered to be one of Britain’s worst disasters, when a coal tip above the village collapsed and destroyed a school.

 

IRN Managing Director John Perkins commented: “This was one of the best radio programmes I’ve ever heard on commercial radio.”

 

In Scotland, Real Radio won the IRN Contribution Award for submitting more material to IRN’s national news services than any other station in the UK.

 

London news legend Howard Hughes, who works at sister station 102.2 Smooth Radio was recognised with The IRN Special Award for his years of dedication to reporting and reading news in the capital.  As news presenter on Chris Tarrant’s Capital FM breakfast show for more than a decade, Howard became the most recognised news voice on the London airwaves.

 

In a specially recorded message played during the awards ceremony Chris Tarrant said: “Howard is a great news reader and a complete radio nut. He’s a one man news room and one of the funniest and nicest men I’ve ever worked with. He truly has one of the greatest voices on radio.”

 

For once, Howard was speechless when the Special Award was made: “I’m gobsmacked. It’s an honour to be recognised among your peers for something that you love doing.”