County FM runner-up for small market station of the year award

99.3 County FM was recently recognized by the Broadcast Dialogue’s 2021 Canadian Radio Awards as runner up for the 2021 Community Radio Station of the year award in the small market category.

Each year, since 1993, the Canadian Radio Awards honours 20 winners and 20 runners-up across the country.

This award recognizes overall excellence in broadcasting and is awarded to a station operating as a not-for-profit, demonstrating its ability to impact and engage with its audience, including but not limited to community service and involvement, creativity and innovation.

“To have won this award as the second best station of more than 180 community and campus radio stations is an honour we accept with pride,” said Craig Mills, station manager. “To be presented with this award during the first full year of a world-wide pandemic is a testimony to the dedication, resilience, and creativity of our county staffed community radio station.”

“Since a dozen or so county residents got together in 2011, 99.3 has been run by dedicated volunteers from the County. Today 104 volunteers and a core of 3.75 full-time dedicated employees put in over 20,000 hours to keep 99.3 on the air 24/7.”

Mills noted that each week, announcers host 114 hours of new programming. Within that time, the team interviews a wide variety of guests ranging from the county’s chief medical officer to internationally known personalities.

“In addition to these interviews, we have contributed to the artistic community with daily concert and arts calendars, features on local musicians and broadcasting, and locally produced radio plays. Our annual Radiothon showcased 44 local musicians and raised over $70,000,” he added.

Last year County FM broadcasted 6,700 public service announcements and helped more than 150 local non-profit and volunteer organizations get their messages out.

“Communal celebrations were a challenge for many groups during this pandemic and we were able to work with 17 churches to create a non-denominational service for Christmas day as well as help organize COVID safe celebrations for seasonal events and holidays. We helped our young community members celebrate important milestones when we broadcast the Grade 8 and Grade 12 Graduation ceremonies.”

“To receive this award at the national level demonstrates to our entire organization that every little thing that we do, matters,” said Pat Larkin, on-air production leader. “In being recognized this way, every person who has contributed to 99.3 County FM success over the years can take immense pride that people outside our community recognize our success and hard work. The nice thing about being runner up is we still get to grow from here.”