| Steven Darge, a law tutor and Master of Laws (LLM) student at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) was one of the stars at the 6th annual MTN Radio Awards held on Saturday 18 April 2015 at the Sandton Convention Centre, where radio professionals and stations were recognised for their work in 2014. |
|
Darge together with four UJFM 95.4 Campus Radio Station colleagues scooped five awards out of 12 nominations this year. In the Campus & Community Category, accolades were presented to Darge as the Best Field News Reporter; Andrew Hope for the Best Sports Show; Lebo Phokela for the Daytime Show; Nontsikelelo Kalipa for Bright Star; and Nick Explicit for the Afternoon Drive Show .
Darge joined UJFM 95.4’s team in 2012, after a brief stint at 1485AM Radio Today. He soon established himself as an exemplary field reporter and reported on a variety of campus and community matters.
Says Darge: “UJFM 95.4 is an incredible place to learn about radio and improve your skills. One of my highlights at the campus station is when, in 2014, I reported exclusively on the Oscar Pistorius murder trial. The story of Reeva Steenkamp captured the imagination of the entire world when she died tragically after being shot on Valentine’s Day in 2013. Subsequently, her boyfriend, Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for culpable homicide in relation to Reeva’s death.”
In fact it was Darge’s constant up-to-date reporting on the Oscar Pistoruis that set him apart from the other contenders in his category. Every report he gave on UJFM was structured around one principle – This is what happened and this is why you should know about it.
As a law student, Darge was able to understand complex issues and terms used during the trial and relayed the information back to UJFM 94.5’s listeners in and understandable and in an educational manner. “That’s what assisted and made my reporting stand out,” he explained.
Darge on his accomplishment: “It is a wonderful accolade and credit must go to each and every person at the station. The hard work, preparation and perseverance behind the scenes, the constant support from everybody at the station were the motivators that kept me pushing for the win.”
Darge plans on completing his articles of clerkship at a law firm once he has finished his Master’s. “I am fully dedicated to a career in the law fraternity. Radio will continue to be a hobby of mine.”
