By IANS,
Lucknow : A two-hour children’s programme prepared by a local broadcaster of All India Radio (AIR) has bagged Unicef’s regional award for International Children’s Day Broadcasting (ICDB).
The announcement was made by state Unicef head Augustine Veliath at a function organised by Unicef collaborator Media Nest at the Uttar Pradesh Press Club here Saturday.
The winner team, comprising two dozen children, was present at the function along with their mentor and senior AIR children’s programme producer Archana Prasad, who would be flying to the US to receive the honour in New York Nov 10.
Over the 19 years since its inception, this was for the first time that AIR Lucknow has won the award.
Besides India, the other regional winners in the race for this international honour are Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Germany, Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, South Africa, Suriname, Togo and Ukraine, Unicef state chief Augustine Veliath told IANS here.
Regional judging took place between June and August and entries were evaluated by teams of broadcasters, radio and TV experts and communications specialists. The judges looked at content, execution and year-round youth participation.
AIR Lucknow’s entire two-hour programme broadcast in March had been conceptualized, prepared and presented by children for this special broadcasting day. Later, an edited version of 30 minutes was prepared and was sent as an entry for the competition to New York.
It was an email message of Stephen Cassidy, chief of Unicef’s internet, broadcast and image section, to AIR broadcaster Prasad that broke the news about the organisation’ achievement.
It read: “We are thrilled with broadcasters’ dedication to the ICDB and children’s programming. We are inspired by the diversity and creativity these broadcasters exhibit in celebrating Unicef’s mission to involve young people in the media-making process. Children around the world reap the benefits of their commitment.”
“We put in our best but we never even dreamt that we would be getting this award,” said an elated Tuhina, the anchor kid for the radio programme.
Expressing happiness, Prasad gave full credit for this award to the children who had put in a lot of effort.