24 September 2004
Sky Television, The Radio Network And Fairfax New Zealand Join Forces To Launch 'Freedom Air People's Choice Sports
Awards'
SKY Television, The Radio Network (Radio Sport & Newstalk ZB) and Fairfax New Zealand (Sunday Star-Times, Sunday News & TV Guide) confirmed today that nominations are now open for the inaugural Freedom Air People's Choice Sports Awards.
The awards provide for the first time, an opportunity for New Zealanders to choose their favourite sports heroes of the
year under a new, exciting and different format.
The New Zealand public can now nominate their sporting heroes via the Freedom Air People's Choice Sports Awards website
as well as phone, text messaging, fax or coupons. The Freedom Air People's Choice Sports Awards comprise six awards
categories: Sports Team, Coach, Paralympian, Sportswoman, Sportsman and International. Proceeds from the event will be
donated to Paralympics New Zealand.
In a unique partnership between SKY Television, The Radio Network and Fairfax New Zealand, the awards are designed to
deliver on the expectations of viewers, listeners and readers. The awards will be promoted across all of SKY's sports
channels, The Radio Network's Radio Sport and Newstalk ZB, as well as Fairfax publications, Sunday Star-Times, Sunday
News and TV Guide.
SKY and The Radio Network believe their sports channels have a strong synergy, and Fairfax, through the Sunday Star
Times, Sunday News and TV Guide, together with other newspapers owned by the group reach a substantial audience of
sports fans throughout New Zealand.
According to Bill Francis, General Manager Talk Programming, The Radio Network, says "anecdotal feedback showed that
over the years, the New Zealand public has been clamouring to play a part in choosing the major sporting awards. The
Freedom Air People's Choice Sports Awards delivers on these expectations."
Tony O'Brien, Director of Communications, SKY Television believes this is the first time that three key media players
have successfully collaborated on a project of this nature. "Together we have created a powerful combination of
television, radio and print media that enables us to reach a considerable portion of New Zealand's passionate and
opinionated sports audience," he says. Craig Calder, Marketing Manager, Fairfax New Zealand agrees. "Utilising SKY
Sport, Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport, as well as Sunday Star-Times, Sunday News and TV Guide allows us to reach the whole
of the country. No matter where you live you can participate in the selection of the winners and raise funds for
Paralympics New Zealand," he says.
As the naming sponsor for the awards, Freedom Air is proud to play a role in helping the New Zealand public acknowledge
their favourite sporting heroes. Freedom Air Sales and Marketing Manager Rachel Gardiner says "Freedom Air sees itself
as the people's choice of airline which makes the People's Choice Sports Awards sponsorship a natural fit."
About the Freedom Air People's Choice Sports Awards The six weekly shows will be broadcast on SKY Sport and simulcast on
Radio Sport. Hosted by SKY's Stephen McIvor and The Radio Network's Martin Devlin, each show will focus on one of the
six awards categories. The five finalists in each category, as chosen by the New Zealand public, will be announced on
these shows, that New Zealanders can vote for their favourite sporting hero from the finalists in each category via SKY
Television Interactive, phone or text messaging. The first show focusing on The Freedom Air People's Choice Sports
Awards Sports Team of the Year will go to air 8:30pm on Thursday 4 November 2004.
The winner from each of the six categories, as well as the overall Freedom Air People's Choice Sports Awards Supreme
Winner will be announced on Thursday 9 December 2004 at the Supreme Awards Gala Dinner. The Gala Dinner and Red Carpet
event will be broadcast live from the Hyatt Regency Auckland, and will screen on SKY Sport and simulcast on both Radio
Sport and Newstalk ZB.
For more information on the Awards and how to nominate your sporting heroes please visit
ENDS