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Island 104.7 FM
by jrh2
Island FM is the trusted local radio station for the Bailiwick of Guernsey, this includes Herm, Sark, Alderney and Guernsey itself. I have always listened to this radio station as do my family and rarely listen to any other stations.
The station was first launched in October 1992 and to this day is the only commercial radio ... station in the Bailiwick. Although the radio station is only able to be accessed in the Bailiwick of Guernsey it can be listened to anywhere in the world live online on their website islandfm.com.
The station is known for its "no repeat 9 to 5" and on the odd occasion they do repeat a song between those times the first person to phone up and inform them of this wins £100. This is only on weekdays and excludes bank holidays. I have noticed songs being repeated occasionally but never phoned in.
The "Breakfast Show" is my favourite radio programme and is on weekdays from 6am to 10am. During the breakfast show there are regular competitions and segments:
What's the Word is on around half seven each weekday morning and people text in to guess the missing word or answer of a question and one correct guess can win a small prize which varies.
The Mystery Voice competition happens twice a day, 8:50am and 9:50am. A small clip of a voice is played and they will phone up one person who has registered to try and give the correct celebrity name each time. This is generally quite hard! When the person is identified the caller gets a cash prize which is built up over time. This can go on for months and currently the money is to over £300.
At 9am its "The Rewind". A few songs are played from the same year and listeners can text in to guess the year.
At every hour the national and local news are on with the local news being at every half hour as well. Shortly after is the weather and travel updates which includes the roads, airport and harbour. Listeners often text in to mention any areas of bad traffic for whatever reasons as they like to help others who are out and about.
My favorite part of the Breakfast Show is the showbiz news which is at 7:45 and 8:45 each morning, it is Also on later in the day during "The Big Drive Home". It can be about what celebrities are getting up to, recent tv programmes, films or sometimes unique news stories.
On Fridays there is a Free Flight Friday competition where with the correct answer to a question one listener can win a pair of flights to anywhere on the Aurigny network. If it isn't won it goes into the next week and builds up.
On Saturday is a special Saturday Breakfast Show, 6am - 10am, which includes a Bride of the Week segment. Brides can be nominated by friends and family and the one most nominations is surprised on air and given a prize, currently a months free membership at a local hotel spa.
At 10am it changes to the daytime show until 2pm weekdays, 12pm Saturdays. This includes a quiz during the morning to win a meal at a local restaurant although at this time it is mainly just music.
From 2pm to 6pm weekdays is the Big Drive Home. This includes travel information, showbiz news and good music and chat to help pass the time when stuck in traffic.
On Saturdays from 10am is Kick up the Eighties which has classic eighties music until Sports Saturday at 2pm. This includes information on island sports and keeps you up to date with the scores. Often a presenter is live at an event. During the afternoon there is also a phrase of the week which is said in Patoix (Guernsey French, which a lot of people on the island used to speak but it has died out and through schools they are trying to bring it back.)
From 6pm each evening is the Evening Show and has various hosts up to midnight. At that time the music is played straight through the night until the Breakfast Show the following morning.
On Sundays it is a relaxing day of music including easy like a Sunday morning with easy to listen to songs and the Sunday show.
I would recommend Island FM as it is a great local radio station that listens to their listeners and help out where they can.
Other features include the Birthday Corner where anyone who has had a birthday message sent in during the week gets put into the draw for a voucher.
In 2001 Island FM set up their own charity Help a Guernsey Child which helps local children. They are regularly fundraising with Big Kids Day dedicated to this each year. As an island all the schools and local businesses have various fundraising ideas to get as much money as possible. Just today the charity has joined the just giving website.
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Radio 2
by Joselena
I listen to Radio 2 every day Monday - Friday - its brilliant. Chris Evans starts me off with his fab breakfast show and he's the best radio presenter ever! I walk the kids to school and when I get back I have half an hour left of Chris before Ken Bruce comes on. I look forward to pop master and I like it when a celebrity does their ... own record choices. I like the banter that goes on with Ken and his team and he's a great presenter.
Then it's Jeremy Vine. I love this show. I have texted and emailed my comments a number of times but they've never been mentioned!
Jeremy Vine's show covers stories that are happening today and people ring in to debate and voice their opinions. It's sometimes very sad and I have shed a few tears listening to the show.
Then at 2pm it's Steve Wright - Steve and his team are very funny - I love the factoids and when they have guests on. They once had Take That presenting with them and it was brilliant and very funny. I hate it when they are on holiday and Chris Tarrant stands in. Don't like Chris Tarrant on the radio.
Then at 5pm it's Drive Time with Simon Mayo. BRILLIANT! I love the confession at 545 - sometimes the stories have been very very funny.
I normally switch off at 7pm as it's not really my cup of tea then but now Jamie Cullen has a show which is brilliant and I've sometimes caught the Jo Whiley show and she's very good too.
I do miss Terry Wogan but his shows on a Sunday are very good and he is the best presenter ever (apart from Chris Evans of course!)
Radio 2 is the best radio station for me.
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The Archers (R4)
by rolandrat
'The Archers - 'an everyday story of country folk'
---What Is/Are The Archers?---
The Archers is the name of a family who live in the fictional village of Ambridge. This radio programme is a long standing soap which goes out on weekdays and has an omnibus on Sundays.
The Archers are basicaly a farmng ... family and the programme covers a lot of the extended family plus other villagers.
---Where Do They Live?---
The Archers is set in the village of Ambridge in the fictional county of Borsetshire. Borsetshire is hyperthetically situated between Worcestershire and Warwickshire.
---Important Properties in Ambridge---
Ambridge is a small village situated on the river Am with the following being some of the main properties:
*Village Pub - The Bull
*Hotel - Grey Gables
*Gentry Property - Lower Loxley Hall
*The River Am, from which Ambridge gets its name
*Church - St Stephens
*Shop - Village Shop
*Archer's Family Home - Brookfield Farm - family home of Archer family but many more are livng around the village but some are even as far as South Africa.
Many more houses and farms are mentioned in the show and there is a map online which details all the properties and their residents.
---How Long have They Been Going?---
The Archers was frst broadcast in 1950 It was intended as a programme that farmers would listen to and which would help with information on growing crops etc as food was still rationed after the war.
Apparently this educational side was dropped in the 1970s but the programme still has an agricultural advisor and there is much useful rural and farming information dotted through the show - how else would I know that Bees suffered from Varroa?
---When Are The On?---
*On Radio 4:
Six episodes from Sunday to Friday, at around 19.02 (after the News).
All except the Friday evening episode are repeated the following day at 14.02.
Omnibus show - Sunday morning at 10am to 11.15.
*On the Internet:
The Archers is broadcast simultaneously online, and you can listen to any episode from the last seven days via iPlayer.
*Podcast:
The programme can be sent to your computer. You can then keep it for ever and listen to it when you like, either directly from your computer or by downloading it.
---Recordings---
The Editor is Vanessa Whitburn. The prgrammes are recorded at the BBC's studio in Birmingham.
Episodes are recorded weeks in advance but if something current and relevant occurs it can be written into the story and re-recorded.
---The Tune---
It's a 'maypole dance' called Barwick Green written in 1924 by Arthur Wood. Apparently it is also the correct rhythm for doing chest compressions for CPR.
---My Opinions---
I started listenig to The Archers way back in the 1960s. Beng in school then I used to listen to the omnibus on a Sunday morning and made my mum make sure she woke me up in time.
Moving forward through life with work and children I tended not to follow any rado or TV programme religiously, but now that the boys are grown I have once again resumed listening to my Sunday omnibus - making breakfast and then going back to bed to listen from 10am.
Although once centred around the farming community this has now developed into a village soap which follows most of the inhabitants at various times, so you do not have to have an active interest in farming to listen in. It reflects the way village life has changed over the years.
The central characters are members of the Archer family but there is also a lot of other villagers who add to the drama.
Not everyone now farms and many aspects of life are convered - from gay marriage to donor sperm babies and the usual round of adultary and intrigue.
Throughout the year various fesivals are covered - the flower show and fete, and the up and coming Jubilee - plus bonfire night and Christmas. They were even visited by Gardener's Question Time.
Although when you first listen you might not know the characters you will soon figure out who is who - their voices are mostly quick distinct from one another and if you go online you will find family trees and biographies that will help you work out the family connections.
One work of warning - after listening you build up your own image in your head of what each character looks like - and seeing their picture online will shatter your illusion! I just checked out a website and found that Kenton Archer, who has a smooth sexy cultured voice, is actually bald, but he will always stay the same in my imagination. However the BBC site has a facility where you can read about the characters and their families but keep their image hidden - so as not to shatter your illusions.
I find it more enjoyable to listen to this soap than follow the TV ones fo Emmerdale, Coronation Street or Eastenders.
All ages are in the soap, from the newest residents, children Brad and Chelsea, to Jack Whooley who is n an Old Peoples Home with dementia.
There is talk of a new large scale dairy enterprise, the village has a green burial site and you get t hear what happens in the village shop.
Hard to explain but once you have listened a few times you will find you are interested in their goings on.
---Would I Recmmend?---
Yes definitely. Not just for country yokels - it covers all the dramas of everyday life.
---Website---
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4
---Merchandise---
Lots of books and Archer related items such as mugs and aprons on the Archers Addict website.
---Official Fan Club---
http://www.archers-addicts.com/
Also on Twitter and Facebook.
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