Summer 2024 Update
Hello All,
Hope this update finds you well and everyone is looking forward to the sun returning at some point over what will be an eventful summer with The European Football Championships, The Olympics and a General Election!
It’s time to give you all the update on Listen Lanarkshire with all we have accomplished and our plans going forward…
It has now been 7 months since we began broadcasting on 107.7 FM from our new Springhill Community Hub and therefore since then we have been filling peoples ears with well over 5000 hours worth of local volunteers shows, youth groups, podcasts, interviews and a varied mix of musical genres chosen or requested by the Steering Group, Youth Panel, presenters and listeners.
We currently have 11 individual regular presenters with DJ Lieser just joining us and also a 4th year high school Joseph Gorman starting recently. And a 12th new presenter is starting in July.
The djs have a broad offering from Heavy Rock, Hip Hop, 80’s, Pop, Classic tracks, Country, folk/trad, Indy Rock, Prog Rock, Club/Dance with modern hits played throughout the day voice tracked by our Radio Apprentice. We also have a 20’s to 50s hour on a Tuesday and upon suggestion from The Youth Panel have a Classical and Jazz hour at the weekend.
We are getting more music submissions from unsigned musicians and live interviews/performances in the studio which I think is a great thing for the station to be championing (especially local talent who may benefit from a foot up). I feel slowly but surely the station is getting its name out there! Having bands and other organisations sharing that they are on Listen Lanarkshire as guests is another way of us growing awareness of our station.
There is pretty much something for everyone but being a true community station, the music and identity of the station will continue to be in the hands of the community, presenters, listeners, Steering Group and Youth Panel subject to aligning with our OfCom obligations. In fact, we will be launching a new community consultation in the near future!
Along with music we have our podcast feed and The Louise Murphy Show that with the odd Taylor Swift tune is a speech based local politics show. Local politics was in our Ofcom application and part of our OfCom obligations. It is a great service to the local community to have a show covering topics in depth where members of the public can have their voices heard or submit questions. We take impartiality seriously and adhere to OfCom obligations on neutrality with Election Period rules in place during what will be an interesting General Election Summer!
Further speech radio is encouraged and nurtured during our school and youth groups.
We have two Additional Support Needs schools: Buchanan and Bothwell Park alongside Dykehead Primary who all have weekly shows. (around 10 to 15 pupils per week in total)
Youth Monday’s Radio for Primary aged children (4 – 6pm) has about 10 people a week and has been split into two groups – Group 1: a football chat show with music and Group 2: a music/quiz/general chat show.
That leads us on to our up and coming plans…
As school groups are on holiday we will be offering Summer Radio Slots again this year to anyone. Individuals, pairs or groups of 3 can book up to two hours a day during available time slots. No experience necessary with help given.
A Radio Drama Club will pilot this summer for p4 to p7 (or soon to be 1st years).
A Young Reporters Group from Lanark Universal Connections will be starting their own show soon made up of 9 young people covering various topics and playing music.
In September a partnership with New College Lanarkshire will see us deliver a SQA accredited Podcasting course.
Finally we are “adopting” Shotts Train Station with the help of Blanka (Getting Better Together (GBT) Community Gardener) and volunteers. Along with making a positive difference to a local community asset we will be allowed prime advertising space at the station for Listen Lanarkshire/Getting Better Together so people can see the difference we are making or perhaps find out about us.
After Ian is back from Germany following Scotland in the group stage, and probably coming back without a voice, we will also be arranging new Steering Group and Youth Panel meetings to discuss everything and make further detailed plans. Watch this space!
Being a community radio station our main objective is providing social good, Community Learning and Development informed work and delivering GBT’s own sets of Aims and Objectives. So this update is not just to say there is lots happening but, just as with all of GBT, that there are lots of things happening which deliver these most important aspects of our work from young people’s early development, to promoting local help and support avenues, to individuals gaining confidence through presenting radio or helping out in various ways… as well as having lots of fun!
Thanks to all the volunteers for their commitment and efforts so far and going forwards.
A special shout out to first Josh aka DJ Ginger who now does a massive 6 hours a week for us with two shows by himself plus a joint show with DJ Lieser themed on Pro Wrestling.
A big thank you to Steven Ferguson who will be finishing his apprenticeship in the middle of June after 15 months with Listen Lanarkshire. Steven has been a big help in, podcasting, voice tracking and helping other volunteers. All the best to Steven in his future endeavors.
Apprentice Steven
Bothwell Park 
Louise interviewing Marion Fellows MP Finally a massive congratulations to Ray (co-host of GBT Workshop Hour with Simon) who has beaten stage 4 cancer for the second time! One of only a hundred or so in the country to have ever done so I believe.
If you’ve read all that well done and have a great summer from Listen Lanarkshire.
If you have any questions about anything feel free to ask!
Email: radio@shottshealthyliving.com
Ian and Rebecca.
Official FM Launch Event
On the 27th Jaunuary 2024 we had our Official FM Launch Event. Though we have been broadcsting since the 24th October 2023 we had waited to have this event when we had been trained up and had more experience with our new studio.
The event was a great occasion, celebrating our progress and a show case for many of the presenters to give listeners and guests a snapshot of what they do. There was a ribbon cutting by Mia (who designed our new logo) and her brorther William, Listen lanarkshire Cake and refreshments, Listen Lanarkshire History Exibit, Comments Wall, Green Screen Video Booth and Creative Arts Space.
The event was well attended with everyone enjoying the opportunity to find out more, meet one an other and talk to each other. "The event was a success!" was commented by more than one as the day wound down.
Thanks to all the volunteers, presenters, staff and guests for making it a great day and to all our listeners! Due to the success we hope to arrange something similar, along the lines of an open/fun day, this summer :-)
Happy New Year from Listen Lanarkshire
After a successful 'soft launch' at the end of 2023, we are excited for the year ahead and what it will bring for Listen Lanarkshire. Behind the scenes the whole team have been very busy both with the operation of the station's output and scheduling, and planning for the year ahead.
We have had some brand new DJ's join the team and our schedule is constantly evolving so exciting times are ahead! Recently added shows include Richard, The Louise Murphy Show, GBT Workshop with Simon and Ray, Weekend D'Anthems and a second weekly show from DJ Ginger.
After a short break our youth groups are also back and we can't wait to introduce more local young people to radio broadcasting and inspire them. Listen out for them broadcasting live on Monday evenings 4-6pm and Friday afternoons 1-3pm.
As always we love to hear from you, if you would like to get in touch please email us at radio@shottshealthyliving.com or through our contact form.
Listen Lanarkshire :)
"We Are Live!"
Finally, as of 24th October 2023, we are broadcasting on 107.7FM along with our online feed.
It's a very exciting time as we continue to learn all the ins and outs of our new set up and DJs are back into the studio - our brand new studio at Springhill Community Hub - and the radio youth groups can also gradually start to get back to broadcasting!
A big thank you to the following: eighteenthree for designing our website, OfCom for their understanding and guidance whilst the new building got completed and our new studio fitted, Clyde Broadcast for fitting out our studio, giving us great training and top class tech support and National Lottery Young Start for funding this fantastic project.
The station gives opportunities for young people to learn, develop skills and improve their confidence, enjoying themselves through radio but also the knock on benefits that all gain from having a local community radio station.
Also a big thanks to everyone else at Getting Better Together for continued support for the radio team!
We hope everyone likes our new logo (designed by young Mia) and a fresh lick of paint to our website and social media.
Any questions or interest in being involved whether in a big or small way then get in touch!
Thanks, Listen Lanarkshire.
