THE MTN Radio Awards are guaranteed to turn out to be a farce when radio personalities converge on the Sandton Convention Centre tomorrow to honour excellence on the wireless.

In fact, the finalist lists suggest that the name of the awards should be changed the to Primedia or Talk Radio 702 Awards to save everybody the blushes.

The concept, the brainchild of radio and television anchor Jeremy Maggs, did not have good intentions in the first place. Clearly it was designed to reward friends.

When the awards were staged for the first time last year Maggs and his cronies had stated that only entries from English radio stations would be accepted. This apparently irked the sponsors, who demanded that the awards should reflect the demographics of the country.

So it would appear that Maggs and company grudgingly accepted and knew how they would manipulate the system to reward their friends because the list of finalists is dominated by Talk Radio 702 and Highveld Stereo.

The organisers might try and fool us that the awards operate on an entry basis and only those who send in their entries will be considered. Well, let that be dismissed as bollocks.

There are many stations in this country, both commercial and non-commercial, and the list suggests that Highveld and 702 are the only stations. That is an insult to many men and women in the trade who are doing good work.

It is amazing that in some of the categories you have four presenters from 702 vying for the crown. A case in point is the content producer-commercial category, which lists the following as finalists:

William Scott - Jacaranda 94.2

Megan Mitchell - 94.7 Highveld Stereo

Saras Arjunan - Talk Radio 702

Jonathan Fairburn - Talk Radio 702

Mzoxolo Jojwana - Talk Radio 702

Thabisile Mbethe - Talk Radio 702

What exactly are these people trying to tell us?

One startling list is when SAfm and Radio 2000 are pitted against community radio stations in the Community Radio Station of the Year category. This smacks of sauce to SAfm, which in a normal world should be neck and neck with 702.

After being handed the station of the year in the previous year, it will be a shock if the station doesn't repeat the same feat. A few notable recognitions such as Thabo T-Bose Mokwele, who got the nod in two categories, is applauded.

Not that I am a big SAfm fan, but it is somewhat mind-boggling that the station got the nod twice. It's either they are utterly atrocious or 702 is damn good. I think SAfm's PM Live is a quality programme that beats any of the 702 shows hands down. But then, the writing is on the wall. These awards are about a bunch of old boys' club members who have assembled in the name of honouring radio excellence to reward friends.

Either MTN are happy to fund this or somebody in the network company is not doing their job. The jury is still out on the lifespan of these awards.