AWARDS: Take That still rule as radio crown is retained.

Arqiva names act as most-played at commercial radio

By Paul Williams

TAKE THAT HAVE BEEN RECOGNISED as the most-played act on commercial radio for a second successive year at the sector's annual awards.

The Polydor act, whose hits Rule The World, Shine and Greatest Day were all among radio's 40 most-heard tracks of 2008, received the prize at last Friday's Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards.

The event at London's Royal Lancaster Hotel also acknowledged both GMG Radio and its former chief executive John Myers, who stepped down from the role earlier this year but remains with the group in an advisory capacity.

Myers received the Arqiva commercial radio special award in recognition of a near-30-year career in radio. He began as a presenter on BBC Radio Cumbria before launching GMG Radio, which in 10 years has grown into one of commercial radio's biggest players with a portfolio of stations comprising the Smooth Radio network, Real Radio, Century Radio and Rock Radio.

Myers, who this year undertook a review of digital radio as part of Lord Carter's Digital Britain study, was also on hand to see GMG Radio win the key Arqiva gold award at the ceremony.