Isles FM
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| Isles FM | |
| Broadcast area | Outer Hebrides |
|---|---|
| First air date | March 1998 |
| Frequency | 103 MHz |
| Format | Community info & mixed music |
| Owner | |
Isles FM is a local radio station operating from Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The station is operated entirely by a volunteer staff from a building in the Newton area of the town. Isles FM is the trading name of Western Isles Community Radio Limited, who own all the equipment. They have recently secured an area of land to construct a purpose-built studio near Seaforth Road in Stornoway.
[edit] History
The station was initially set up in the living room of a local minister, Reverend Stanley Bennie, and operated for a few weeks at a time under a temporary licence as a trial. After proving that the station was feasible, a permanent licence was granted by the UK Radio Authority (now Ofcom) and the station started operating from its current premises in March 1998. Many of the presenters are amateurs, however Glenn Denny has recently completed a VQ in Radio Broadcasting through Moray Firth Radio, making him the only fully qualified presenter with the Station. Other notable volunteers with the station include Rodney Collins who was a former Journalist with Record Mirror and also a member of the Radio Luxembourg team in the 70's. One of the younger members of Isles FM, Eilidh MacLennan, has now gone on to work for the BBC as a presenter on Gaelic children's television.
[edit] Programme Content
The station broadcasts a variety of content, with a mixture of both Gaelic and English programming including specialist music, chat shows, childrens programmes and news. It is often a source of essential information in times of severe weather and other crisis where transport off the islands by ferry or air may be unavailable, or where roads have been closed.
