Accra, July 9, GNA - The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has extended the closing date for receiving entries for the Best Rural Radio Station awards for 2008 to July 31.

The Best Rural Radio Station forms part of the 2008 GJA media awards competition launched on June 17 as a two-year pilot project of the Media Foundation in collaboration with the GJA, the Ghana Media Standards Improvement Project (GMSIP) and the Royal Danish Embassy. A statement signed by Ms Ajoa Yeboah-Afari of GMSIP to the Ghana News Agency explained that the award involved principally, four selected newspapers and eight radio stations.

Winners will be honoured along with other award winners at the 14th GJA Awards Night scheduled for August 15. The Best Rural Radio Award winner and runner-up will receive very attractive prizes, she stated. Ms Yeboah-Afari said the competition was open to only radio stations and owners or station managers may apply on behalf of their station. "Only radio stations based in, or broadcasting solely to, rural communities/catchment areas are eligible", she said. She said entries should cover works from January 1 to December 31 2008. The Stations are required to submit: samples of three news bulletins over a one-week period; a sample each of - feature, discussion and magazine programmes; and a copy of the normal programme for 2008. Ms Yeboah-Afari said stations should present separate recordings for each on cassette or CD, with proof of broadcast date and entries will be judged on, among other things, originality, impact and relevance to station's catchment area, production quality and overall presentation. She said entrants should state impact of the station's work on the catchment area in not more than 100 words. Each entry should be accompanied by a short statement, bearing the entrant's contact details.

Individuals and institutions in communities can nominate the radio stations they think deserve this award and give reasons in not more than 100 words to the Chairperson, Media Awards Committee, GJA, P O Box GP 4636, Accra.