Radio plea to the heart

Jul 25 2008 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

HEARTLAND FM, the Pitlochry-based community radio station, is appealing for help from Perthshire residents.

The station, which has been around since 1992, relies on volunteers to keep running – but they need even more!

Chairman of the Heartland Radio Foundation, Clive Bridges, said: “We’re all about supporting the community and we get a lot of help and support in return, but even more is needed to help the station maintain the service it provides, as well as working to offer an even more diverse range of programming.

“Volunteers don’t have to present a radio show, unless they would like to try. We’re interested in hearing from people from all walks of life with difference skills, who can help in diverse areas including engineering, administration, and fundraising, to name just a few.

“We’d welcome anyone who gets in touch with us, whether they have specialist skills or just want to lend a willing hand.”

To find out more, visit www.heartlandfm.co.uk or call Heartland FM on 01796 47 40 40.

Heartland FM currently provides 24-hours of broadcasting seven days a week on 97.5 MHz to Highland Perthshire, and further afield, extending to Kenmore and Killin in the west to as far east as Montrose and Forfar, and south to Glenfarg.

It is staffed almost entirely by volunteers, and as well as being a broadcaster, the station also aims to be a community resource.

Its diverse range of programmes includes specialist music, a strong element of traditional music, news and weather, events diary, specialist guest contributors, discussion programmes and interviews on wide-ranging topics of interest or importance to people in the area.

Heartland FM has also produced two series of introductory Gaelic language lessons on cassette, with Scottish Office and local authority support, and organises concerts and ceilidhs, as well as supporting and promoting other cultural events.