COLUMN - On The Radio: 103 The Eye with Christine Slomkowska
Local charities and community groups often contact us for publicity for events they are organising and our presenters then read out the details on air during their shows as well as promoting them on our social media.
It's particularly nice when a representative of an organisation volunteers to come into our studio and record a ‘promo’ which we can play a few times over several days to encourage people to attend.
Our latest guest was pianist Thomas Corden, who previewed the Spotlight Theatre's Group’s Community Celebration Concert which proved a big success at St Mary's Church in Melton on Saturday.
Thomas is often featured on our station as we like to support talented young people who are starting out in their careers.
Each Sunday morning, our Community Focus programme features interviews on a wide variety of topics with local people, both studio guests and those we have met up with and recorded during the week.
Last Sunday, part of the show was broadcast live from Long Acre Arts in Bingham, a recently-established community hub where we hope to set up an audio recording facility so local people can go in and record features for broadcast on our station without having to travel to Melton.
It is one element of our initiative to increase coverage of events and activities in the northern part of the Vale of Belvoir, where reception of 103 The Eye has strengthened and more people are listening since we joined the Nottingham DAB+ multiplex. This covers a population of more than 750,000.
Meanwhile, back in Melton, we've recently visited the Wilton Manor Care Home to collect song requests from residents. Some of them also introduced the music and recorded details of memories which the songs brought back for them.
The recordings will be compiled into a half-hour feature, compèred by Louise Castilla, the home's lifestyle manager, to be broadcast later this month.
We'd like to thank Richard Angrave, his wife Teresa and daughter Emily, who organise quizzes in the Melton area to support various charities and voluntary groups throughout the year.
Last month, they raised £600 for 103 The Eye by holding a quiz evening which attracted 100 people to Melton Baptist Church, whom we'd also like to thank for allowing use of their premises for the event.