Radio New Zealand Wins Gold

New Zealand’s top ranking radio station, Radio New Zealand, has won gold at the 2012 New York Festival Radio Awards for their Christchurch earthquake documentary, Broken River. Broken River received the top award for best social issues or current affairs programme at the Manhattan ceremony, which recognizes the world’s best radio programmes. Produced and presented by Simon Morton and Richard Scott, Broken River takes listeners on an emotional and geographical journey along Christchurch’s Avon river in the week following the 6.3 magnitude February earthquake. Simon Morton cycled the length of the Avon river stopping to talk to Cantabrian’s along the way, recording their candid reactions to the devestation. “With only a bike and a microphone… Simon gets an extraordinarily frank and open response from many people who want to talk, who want to have their experiences captured,” explains Paul Bushnell, Radio New Zealand’s Spoken Features Manager.