The "unsinkable" Titanic sank in the early-morning hours of April 15, 1912, after colliding with an iceberg about three hours earlier. The tragedy occurred during the Titanic's maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City, causing the deaths of 1,517 people. Another 706 people were rescued.

(Oct. 26, 2012 - by Ralph Kurtenbach) Within a week's time, the creative team at Whistling Frog Productions in Bradford, U.K., was recognized twice for inspiring segments that aired on radio stations across Britain.

A contingent of HCJB Global ministry workers, the production team won top prizes at both the Christian Broadcasting Council (CBC) Awards and the Jerusalem Awards.

One of the winning contest entries, "The Band that Played On," captured first place in the "Radio Short Features" category at the CBC Awards in London.  (Download - The Band that Played On.mp3)

"The Band that Played On" blended voices, music and an interview with Steve Turner, an author who wrote about Wallace Hartley, the bandleader on board the Titanic as it sank. CBC judges commented that the feature "packs a big punch, provoking thoughts about how we ourselves would face imminent death."

The audio account of Hartley's testimony in the face of death aired on Easter, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking. The message it conveyed was that in times of trial, Jesus is our hope and will be with us always. Across 16 stations of the U.K. Radio Developments (UKRD) network, it was available to a potential audience of more than 900,000.

Then just a week after winning at the CBC award, Whistling Frog Productions bested other entries at the Jerusalem Awards in London and placed first in the "Short Form Audio" category. These awards are organized by the Jerusalem Trust, one of the Sainsbury family charitable trusts.

A series of one-minute radio spots called "The Pulse Passion" aired on a popular FM station, The Pulse, of West Yorkshire. Each told the passion story by using a modern-day testimony that reflected a different aspect of Holy Week such as violence, grief and new life. The judges said the series was "gritty, relevant, well-produced and perfect for its audience."

"The whole team is delighted to be recognized in this way," said Colin Lowther, chief executive of HCJB Global-UK. "Jesus reached the unbelieving crowds by telling powerful, entertaining stories and planting seeds. As we aim to be the voice of Jesus on mainstream radio here in the U.K. and around the world, we follow the same strategy. It worked then and it works now."

Rather than focus on the traditional world of Christian radio, HCJB Global-UK has a passion to reach those outside the church who listen to mainstream radio stations.

After hauling home the hardware, members of the Whistling Frog team are hard at work on new Christmas material for Sunrise Radio, Pulse 2 and the UKRD network.