KCRW's 7th Annual 24-Hour Radio Race
1. Create your team
2. Get the theme
3. Make Radio!
4. Submit your piece
Race starts August 10th
KCRW’s 7th Annual 24-hour Radio Race begins at 10 a.m. PST August 10 and lasts through 10 a.m. PST August 11. You’ll have just 24 hours to write, record and edit a four-minute nonfiction radio story.
Whether you’re a seasoned news reporter, a freelance audio producer or someone who wants to try radio for the first time, we encourage you to participate. All levels are welcome!
You can join as an individual or as a team of your creation.
We’ll air the top three winning pieces on KCRW. And remember: the Radio Race is more than just an overnight competition. It’s an opportunity to produce the most original piece of radio anyone will hear in 2019. Think big, people!
Registration closes 11:59pm PT August 7, 2019.
Race starts August 10th
$1,000 contract for the piece to air on KCRW, one-year PRX Producer Account, one-year Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) Membership and Talent Directory listing, KCRW swag and an annual Otter.ai team subscription.
$500 contract for piece to air on KCRW, one-year PRX Producer Account, one-year Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) Membership and Talent Directory listing, KCRW swag and a three-month team subscription to Otter.ai.
$300 contract for piece to air on KCRW, one-year PRX Producer Account, one-year Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) Membership and Talent Directory listing, KCRW swag and a three-month team subscription to Otter.ai.
Nocturne is a storytelling podcast that explores the night, the landscape of the unseen and how things transform in the dark. Host Vanessa Lowe will choose one winning piece to air on KCRW’s Nocturne. She’ll be looking for submissions that intersect with the night, darkness and/or something that transforms in large ways by virtue of a seemingly small trigger.
This prize will be awarded to the woman or non-binary person (or team) whose submission surprised, delighted and intrigued the producers of the Werk It Festival. Winners will be awarded General Admission two-day passes to the Werk It Festival courtesy of WNYC Studios. The festival will take place on Oct. 3 – 4, 2019 at the Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles. This prize does not include travel or accommodations to and from Los Angeles.
The team that makes the best use of social media using Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and any other social media platform to document their 24 hours doing the #RadioRace. Winning team gets KCRW swag and $100 cash prize.
All Radio Race winners and finalists will be considered for air on PRX Remix, PRX's XM station and radio show featuring stories and podcasts. All California residents who COMPLETE the race will get a KCRW Membership.
A team can be you, or you and a friend, or you and five friends. As long as you are collaboratively working on a single piece that will be submitted under a single entry, the team can be as large or as small as you’d like.
Nope! You should deputize one person to register. BUT we will ask for contact info for each team member, just in case your team takes home a prize.
The most basic rule of thumb is this: If you didn’t write it (or can’t work out a legit direct agreement with the composer), you shouldn’t use it.
The piece must be produced, recorded and edited within the 24-hour time frame. Sometimes the stars align and the theme will perfectly mirror some brilliant piece you’ve been sitting on for months, but this isn’t the forum for that. The Radio Race is about invention and ingenuity, and we want you to maximize both!
Yes! Operators will be standing by on Twitter and email for the duration of the Race. Feel free to ping us with any special considerations or unforeseen circumstances (after you read the FAQ and the registration page, of course).
Reach us at IPP@kcrw.org. And be sure to sign up for the Independent Producer Project newsletter to get updates and insider info here.
Thank you to our fantastic sponsors
KCRW staff will listen to every submission. They will narrow down the batch and send their favorites to our industry judges. Submissions will be judged on four categories: creativity, storytelling, technical skills and incorporation of the theme.
Sharon Mashihi makes movies, radio and performances. She was editorial advisor of The Heart, and editor of The Shadows and Bodies. She is at work making a new radio drama.
An Uong is a writer and community builder living between Los Angeles and New England. At AIR, she works to bring more tools, resources and collaboration to independent multimedia storytellers.
Diarmuid McIntyre is the founder of the HearSay International Audio Arts Festival in Ireland and multi-award winning Creative Director of Grey Heron Heron Media. Diarmuid's work has appeared at the Venice Biennale, on BBC, RTE, NPR, CBC and is best listened to with a cup of tea in hand.
N'Jeri Eaton is the Deputy Director of Programming and New Audiences at National Public Radio (NPR) where she is charged with sourcing new content, partnerships and talent. As a part of her portfolio, she oversees NPR programs such as Believed, Latino USA, Throughline and White Lies.
Steve Chiotakis hosts KCRW's "Greater LA," a daily show that brings you a little closer to the places and people of this giant, often-unwieldy region that millions call home.
Race starts August 10th