Hard to BEAT: Regional station celebrates huge night at national awards bash

By COLIN BARTLEY

SOUTH East radio station Beat 102 103 had a hugely successful night at the annual IMRO radio awards.

The awards, which were held in Kilkenny’s Lyrath Estate Hotel, saw the popular station pick up an Outstanding Achievement Award, a silver award and three bronze awards.

Lunchtime Presenter David Hammond was awarded silver for Best Radio DJ in Ireland. Beat Breakfast presenters Niall Power, Vincent Bradley and Trish Archer scooped Bronze in the Best Breakfast Show category, while Shonagh Lyons was awarded bronze for her documentary, ‘So much more than the baby blues’. Debbie Ridgard also scooped the bronze accolade for Regional Sports Broadcaster.

Beat CEO Gabrielle Cummins also received the Outstanding Achievement Award for her ongoing work with the Choose Radio group.

Gabrielle (pictured) said: “I was really humbled to be honoured by the industry with this special award.

“I work with a core group of eleven people on Choose Radio who are all as passionate about radio as I am.  We have worked hard on a number of initiatives to help raise the profile around the power of radio advertising and they’ve all been hugely successful so it’s a bonus to have been honoured in this way; at the national radio awards.”