Life of Hope

It has just been announced that radio audience figures in the UK have reached a record high of 45 million a week, with new listeners tuning in via the internet, digital television and mobile phones.

In these days of hundreds of TV channels, mp3 players and non-radio in-car entertainment this statistic both surprised and delighted me. Radio is experiencing a renaissance and long may it last.

Hope FM, the community radio station for Bournemouth and the surrounding conurbation, will be joining this radio renaissance on 27^th May, when after 13 years of broadcasting on a part-time basis, we will at last start broadcasting  24/7.   

Today there are literarily hundreds of radio stations to listen too. So to be successful it is crucial that stations are distinctive, so that they stand out from the crowd when potential listeners are checking out what they want to listen too. Fortunately being distinctive is what HOPE FM is all about.  

Community Radio is a new tier of radio that has recently been introduced into the
UK and is very different to the current BBC and Commercial Stations. Community Radio is very much radio run by the community for the community and as part of the licence award we are required to demonstrate that we are bringing social gain to our broadcast area.

Those of us involved with HOPE FM believe that we are trying to do something unique in radio terms. The Station is very much driven by the need to serve the community not to make a profit and we are looking to be a bridge between community groups with programming that aims to be informative, challenging, entertaining and positive; giving local people the opportunity to talk about issues that are important to them, all to the soundtrack of a unique music mix.    

Under the terms of our licence we can only cover 50% of our costs through advertising, the balance coming from listener support and local and national grants, which is obviously a challenge in itself.

We are however relishing the challenge of being distinctive. So why join the Radio revolution and join us on 90.1FM when we go live on 27^th May 2007 

I received an email this week from a friend Kevin Miwachiro, which finished with the following paragraph:

Future, God knows! I press on with a resolution that I have kept for the last two years, which is, to do something new and different every month. Every month seems like an adventure.  

What a wonderful philosophy to do something new each month. Have you done something new, something that has taken you out of your comfort zone? The benefit of this attitude can be seen in the final sentence ‘Every month seems like an adventure’.

My wife Vicki, a friend Nicola and I have just returned from a trip to Crimea in theUkraine, where we taught at a Bible School for 4 days and we also had the opportunity to visit two Churches on the Sunday that we were there. This trip very much fitted in with the above philosophy, none of us had either been to the Ukraine or taught at a Bible School and WOW did we have an adventure.

The highlight for all of us was the Sunday afternoon when we visited a Church in a small, isolated village. When we arrived the congregation of around 12 were sitting and standing around a long table singing their hearts out. There was no musical accompaniment, just their voices lifted up in praise to God. As we joined in and gave our own inadequate praise the three of us felt that we were being given a glimpse of what it will be like a heaven. I have to tell you it is going to be wonderful.

 These folk who had so little showed us such love, friendship and hospitality that we had an afternoon that we will remember for the rest of our lives. 

Have you had a day in the last month that you will remember for the rest of your life?