Life of Hope

We often receive comments about the name of our Radio Station. Normally along the lines of ‘that’s an interesting name’, which is probably just a polite way of saying they are not sure about it.  

The Oxford Dictionary defines the word ‘HOPE’ as: expectation and desire combined; feeling of trust; person, thing, that hope centres in.  

As I travelled up yesterday to watch my football team, Watford, play Manchester United in the Semi-Final of the FA Cup it was with just a little hope that they would win. As this game really was a giant against a minnow. So I guess in my case, going back to the definition, I had the desire but not the expectation.  

In terms of Hope FM, this name is a great definition of what we are all about. We really do want to make a positive difference to our broadcast area, so we have the desire. Previous experience,  when we have been broadcasting on a part-time basis,  has encouraged us to believe that through giving people in our community a voice to express their views and also training them to become broadcasters, we can make a difference; so we have the expectation as well. So we really are Hope FM.  

Bringing the definition of ‘HOPE’ back to a personal level what are your hopes, or using the Oxford Dictionary definition; what are your hopes and expectations? Why not let us know?

A terrorist is a man with a bomb but no air force

                                    Bruce Kent quoted in The Independant

A confused cockatoo thwarted her family’s Easter by trying to hatch their chocolate eggs, Pippa aged 17, has been jealously guarding the 20 Cadbury’s Crème Eggs for two weeks. Owner Geoff Grewcock from Warwickshire, said: ‘If you try to take one she goes crazy.’

Another week has passed and it’s now 7 weeks until Hope FM goes live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  We are now four in terms of staff in the Office, but time is still passing too quickly, with our ‘to do lists’ growing every longer. Plus there are now four lists compared to only two a week ago.  

 As well as working in the Office, three of us have presenting responsibilities, so there is that to think about as well.  I am scheduled to present the Afternoon Show from 2.00pm until 4.00pm, three days a week; Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  

The plan is for the Show to be a magazine type format with interviews plus regular features of around 4 to 5 minutes in length.

As yet I have a blank piece of paper, mainly due to the fact that I have given the subject very little thought.  So you folk out in cyberspace, have you any feature suggestions that I could use?  The target audience is the 30+ age group in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch area.    

I look forward to receiving your comments; please keep them Family Friendly!! 

If we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrifical death of His Son, now just think how our lives will expand and deepen by means of His resurrection life!     Romans Chapter 5 verse 10 - The Message                                         

A woman who lost her father’s ashes on a train has been reunited with them nine years later. Molly Schofield was on a train from Preston to London, to scatter her father’s ashes, when the bag containing his urn was stolen. It was later found on the Tube and handed into the lost property office. In a BBC documentary last month, the office’s supervisor, Ted Batchelor, appealed to the public to help trace its owner - and within days the urn was back on Mrs Schofield’s mantlepiece.

Two schoolgirls fron New Zealand have humbled one of the world’s biggest food companies, after their science experiment proved that ready-to-drink Ribena in New Zealand contains almost no trace of vitamin C. Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo disproved the advertising claim that ‘the blackcurrants in Ribena have four times the vitamin C of oranges’. They got short shift from makers GlaxoSmithKline, but a government watchdog backed their findings, and GSK is now facing 15 charges related to false advertising.

It doesn’t matter what God you worship - if your God is sending you to maim and kill people, I say to myself: what kind of God is that ?

As I write this there are exactly 8 weeks to our launch date of 27 May 2007.  

It has now got to the waking up in the night stage, thinking about all the tasks still to do.  

Radio seems simple. You put together a studio, get a few coat-hangers and make a transmitter mast, round up a few people to say a few words in between music tracks, phone up the record companies for the latest cd’s and off you go.  

If only it was that straight forward.  

There is all the marketing needed to make people aware of the Station. Mail shots; presentations to local groups, Churches, Businesses etc; t-shirts and car stickers; press releases and editorial for local media; launch parties.  

Programmes need to be decided upon. How can we interest as many people as possible? What features should we include on the programmes?  What specialist programmes should we carry? Do we need to involve other local groups? What speech to music mix are we going to use? How are we going to cover local and national news? Should we do outside broadcast? Why won’t record companies respond to our requests for music?  

Then there is the question of presenters. How are going to train them? When is the Studio going to be ready so that we can do some hands on training? What output software should we use? Do we need to record our output for the Regulatory Authority? How do we record the output?  

Where is the money going to come from to pay for the Station running costs? What sales material do we need? What should we charge for advertising?  

What about a web site?  

What licences do we need?  

I hope you get the picture. There is a lot to do. So how are we doing? At a rough guess I would say we are about a week behind were we would like to be. But the good news is that our current manpower of 1 full-time and one part-timer,  is going to be expanded tomorrow (2 April) by 2 full-time staff. A Sales & Development Manager and a Production Manager; welcome on board Sheena and Mark.  

So tomorrow afternoon after staff induction has been completed, Kevin and I will be able to lie down in a dark room and relax. The only problem is that as we lie there with our eyes closed all the things that still need to be done will be going through our heads. I think this is where I came in!! 

Do you want to find out more about Community Radio? What it is all about? How you can get involved?  What it can do for you.? Well here is your opportunity.  

Join us at our  PRE - STATION LAUNCH CONFERENCEOn: Monday 23^rd April 2007At: AFC Bournemouth Conference Suite 

Two Sessions to Choose Between

 Session One 2.30pm to 4.30pm or

Session Two 7pm to 9pm

 Hope FM, the area’s first Community Radio Station, will launch on Sunday May 27^th. The conference will enable you to understand what community radio is and how you can use it to get your message out whilst also developing communication and other related personal skills.  ·   View the new promotional DVD

·   Video greeting from our President Archbishop John Sentamu

 ·  Hear about the North Kinson LAA Pilot Project 

    Learn how to get your message out effectively

·   Discover how the Statutory and Voluntary sectors can benefit

·   Learn how local businesses can showcase products and services

·   Our training programme and programme schedule will be explained

The two-hour conference will be time well spent and will present you with a comprehensive overview of Hope FM’s Community Radio service giving you opportunity to ask your own questions over a cup of tea or coffee.

Telephone Linda Voysey on  01202780396

 OR EMAIL Linda.Voysey@bournemouthymca.org.uk

TO SECURE YOUR PLACE