As the country is on COVID-19 lockdown and navigating new ways of doing business, the South African radio industry recently held its 2020 Radio Awards virtually, on Friday, 17 April 2020. The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) campus radio station, UJFM 95.4, won the Best Station Imaging award in the Campus and Community Combined category.
UJFM was nominated in seven categories, including the Breakfast Show Presenter (Nick Explicit), Campus Day Time Radio Show (The Urban Brunch – and The Ego Trip), Campus Station Imaging (UJ FM 95.4), Campus Night Show (The Urban Dance Culture), Campus Station of the Year (UJFM 95.4), and the Campus Afternoon Drive Show (The UJFM Drive).
The station’s total number of presenters involved in driving the nominated shows reflects the country’s gender parity, with five males and six females out of eleven. As the competition was conducted online, the SA Radio Awards organisers produced login codes for nominees to participate in the Awards ceremony on its website.
Says the station manager, Mr Tebatso Maapola: “Since 2017, UJFM has been on an upward trajectory showing competitiveness against its peers within the campus, mainstream commercial and public broadcasting spaces. For instance, UJFM was the most nominated radio station for Liberty Radio Awards in 2017/18, was in the Top 3 campus radio stations in South Africa in 2018/19 and now winning the SA Radio Awards Best Imaged Radio Station in 2019/20 under a combined category of Campus and Community Radio. The station has since changed from a rock music playing station to becoming a content driven platform of engagements to information, education and entertainment.”
UJFM broadcasts from its studios at the University’s Auckland Park Bunting Road Campus and on digital platforms such as the University’s website, and various social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.