Capping another successful evening at the 2024 Telkom SA Radio
Awards, HOT 102.7FM walked away with the coveted ‘My Station – Most Loyal Listeners’ award at
the event, which was held in Johannesburg on 30 November.
Just three years after going live, HOT 102.7FM came out on tops in a category that puts the voting in
the hands of South Africa’s radio listeners. The My Station section gives listeners the opportunity to
vote for their favourite radio station and this year the organisers received over two million votes in
this category. Specifically, the My Station – Most Loyal Listeners award goes to the station with the
highest number of votes relative to its listenership.
“This award means the most to us, because it comes from our listeners and we’ve always placed our
audience front and centre of everything we do, whether it’s playing the music they grew up with,
presented by DJs that they’ve come to know and love, or supporting the causes close to their hearts
and throwing the kinds of ‘Old Skool’ parties they love,” said Lloyd Madurai, Managing Director of
HOT 102.7FM. “This award will just spur us on, in the knowledge that we’re giving our listeners what
they want, and that will remain the HOT 102.7FM priority going forward.”
HOT 102.7FM’s Head of News, Tara Penny, was also honoured in two categories – ‘Best News
Bulletin Reader’ and in the News & Actuality Show – Commercial category, with the latter for her
work on ‘The Bully Chain’, which saw a whole month dedicated to dissecting the topic of bullying.
Penny delved into how bullying manifests in different environments and most importantly of all,
played a key role in HOT 102.7FM arming its listeners with information so they could do something
about it. Penny drove this project, producing and presenting a series of special reports that added up
to an in-depth series that delved into every aspect of bullying, with moving sound pieces that
included interviews with victims and their tormentors, parents, psychologists, and other experts.
Providing the icing on the cake, veteran radio personalities Simon Parkinson and Darren Scott –
hosts of the HOT 1027 Breakfast and The Just Plain Drive – were inducted into the industry’s ‘Hall of
Fame’.
“All of these are incredible achievements – not only because we’ve only been on air since 2021, but
because it’s also an incredibly competitive industry with high standards,” said Madurai. “When we
launched, we set out to make our mark by playing the best ‘Old Skool’ and R&B music, with the best
presenters, and with the goal of having the most fun possible. We’ve done that, and these awards
are just a nice reminder that we’re on the right track.”
It’s been quite a run for HOT 102.7FM, which was recently named the winner in the ‘Best Local Radio
Station’ category at the Best of Joburg Readers’ Choice Awards for a third consecutive year. The HOT
1027 Breakfast was also named the ‘Best Local Radio Show’, whilst Parkinson was honoured as ‘Best
Local Radio Personality’.
The station also raised a whopping R27.5 million in just 12 and a half hours at its annual Teddython
Hot Cares charity fundraiser in November, ensuring a strong and satisfying end to the year and laying
the groundwork for a 2025 full of promise, as HOT 102.7FM approaches its fifth year of being on air.
HOT 102.7FM Wins the Hearts of Listeners at SA Radio Awards
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