Tuesday 24 March 2009

Where did spring go?

That was a horrible day today, strong winds, heavy showers, and a lot colder than last week. Perfect day for the Stornoway Trust elections. Can't seem to find when the result will be out, but it should be interesting. Focus appears to have been on Sunday sailings, borne out by the flood of comments on my post on that subject a little while ago.

The helicopter is back in the air, after its emergency refit over the weekend. BBC Radio Scotland reported this before 8 am on Monday, but Isles FM unfortunately had not yet awoken to that little update by 9 o'clock that same morning. Have to say that they could do with a wholesale revamp.

I like Isles FM in its own right, with the idiosyncracies of the presenters, the programs and the music and topics featured. However, nothing has chanced on there since I arrived in Lewis in November 2004, and the jingles and features are growing a wee bit tired. Star presenter Kenny-there-you-go has not made an appearance for a while, and the rest of the crew bravely soldier on. The new manager of the station has asked for feedback, for new ideas. For those outside the island: Isles FM 103.0 is our community radio station; it does NOT stream on the Net. Isles FM can only be received in Lewis, parts of Wester Ross and the far north of Skye. Efforts are ongoing to extend coverage south of the Clisham, with fundraising music CDs and the odd ceilidh. This dates back about 4 years, but nothing has actually happened. Extending coverage costed about 150,000 pounds in 2004/5.

6 comments:

  1. Arnish, do you know anything about the new Media Centre and Harris Tweed grants reported by the BBC?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Les,
    I have heard about the Media Centre, but nothing beyond the BBC report, and cannot really comment, as I haven't formed an opinion on it. I don't think I'll mention anything about the Harris Tweed grants other than something preceded by a sarcasm alert.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Guardedly may I declare that it sounds good, Les ...?!
    Money from Grants is always good, and jobs are always good ...
    Training new weavers is a good move ... isn't it ...?

    My only grouse (it's wednesday, I'm allowed one grouse a week!) is going to be a generic one about the new jobs proposed in the article:

    1) Advertising (singing 'Compare the meerkat ... DOT COM' ...) sometimes tending to being such an incidious and ridiculous profession ... and also,

    2) careers in Media being easier for those with a ruthless, piranha sort of nature, who don't blench at all at asking people who are obviously in pain, how they 'feel' about it, and have no qualms about dumbing-down to reach their target audiences ...

    That feels better ... :- )

    ReplyDelete
  4. You may say "Where Did Spring Go?" Mr Lighthouse, but I like to think it hasn't actually got here quite yet...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cloot casting has a while to wait yet, methinks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Did you know that the meerkat animations were done by a boy brought up in Orkney? His animation portfolio is on display at the Pier Arts Centre as part of an exhibition of recent Orkney art school graduates.
    How very abstemious to allow oneself only one Grouse in a week Soaplady:grin:

    ReplyDelete