Spodden Valley and asbestos investigations help earn journalist Sony nomination

Investigations about the Spodden Valley and asbestos have helped earn a national radio journalist a Sony Award nomination. Dubbed the “Radio Oscar’s”, Sony Awards are the highest accolades for radio broadcasters.

BBC Radio 4 journalist Shari Vahl has covered the controversial planning application made by developers MMC Estates and Countryside Properties to build over 600 homes on the site of what was once the world’s largest asbestos factory. The planning application remains on hold.

The You and Yours radio programme confirmed campaigners’ claims that there was exposed asbestos in the north of the 72 acre site. A director of Countryside Properties stated on national radio that local people were “wrong” about exposed asbestos, however, within a week of the broadcast decontamination work was started where Radio 4 had identified asbestos. 

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has welcomed the Sony Award nomination for Shari Vahl as News Journalist of the Year: "I have appeared on the You and Yours programme on a number of occasions and the professionalism of the BBC staff is to be commended.  The BBC has a deserved reputation for publicising hugely sensitive issues and that is why I am happy to see the BBC and especially journalist Shari Vahl getting national recognition for their work in places like Rochdale."

Jason Addy, co-ordinator of the Save Spodden Valley campaign also welcomed the nomination: “Shari has put an incredible amount of work into her reports. Many hours of research goes into the few minutes broadcast. All aspects of the investigations are substantiated to the highest degree so that the programmes are both fair and accurate. Millions of listeners are following the news about asbestos and the Spodden Valley. The Sony Award nomination is testament to the calibre of her diligent journalism.”    

Other Nominees include John Humphrys and Mike Thompson of BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, the Key 103 news team and Peter Allen of BBC Five Live. The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on the evening of Monday, 30 April, 2007 at Grosvenor House.