Johannesburg-based radio station HOT 102.7FM is celebrating once again – this time the achievements of two of its journalists in the station’s News department.
That’s after Head of News Tara Penny and Multimedia Journalist Ahmed Kajee were honoured at the Brave Journalism & Media Awards in Hyde Park, in Johannesburg.
The awards celebrate journalists and media personalities from across the country and honours them for their bravery to take risks, investigate and ask the really tough questions.
Penny heads up the HOT 102.7FM News department, juggling the running of the news division with presenting news, primarily, on The Just Plain Drive show and producing stories for the station’s other shows, whilst Kajee spreads his time across both the News and Digital departments, writing and producing content for on-air and the station’s online platforms.
“Absolutely well deserved,” said Lloyd Madurai, Managing Director of HOT 102.7FM. “I’ve said it before that Tara has had a huge impact on how HOT 102.7FM delivers its news content, since joining us a little over two years ago, bringing a professionalism, tenacity and attention to detail that has just elevated the standard of our news and made it one of the most credible news sources in radio. That News team has now been strengthened by the addition of Ahmed and even though he’s only been with us a few months, the quality of his work speaks for itself and I have no doubt that he will continue ensuring the HOT 102.7FM news output remains of the highest standard.”
According to Sudeir Ramparsad, Managing Director of Adcock Ingram’s OTC division – the sponsors of the Brave Journalism & Media Awards – this awards programme singles out journalists who consistently and relentlessly push to get answers for their listeners or viewers – often in difficult or even dangerous circumstances.
“The Brave Journalism & Media Awards is basically a peer review,” he said. “And when a peer honours and acknowledges another peer, it’s the highest accolade you can receive, because it’s very difficult to congratulate an industry colleague when you are competing in the same market.”
The good news out of the HOT 102.7FM News department comes just days after the station celebrated raising a whopping R27.5 million in cash, goods and services at its Teddython fundraiser, in just 12 and a half hours.
That, in turn, followed HOT 102.7FM picking up five awards in the ‘Best of Joburg’ and ‘Best of Ekurhuleni’ Readers’ Choice Awards, making it a week to remember for Johannesburg’s newest commercial radio station.
