Aircheck UK - Guernsey 

UPDATED: 19/09/2003

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CHANNEL ISLANDS (UK)

BBC LOCAL RADIOBBC Radio Guernsey (93.2FM & 1116AM) opened along with it's sister station, BBC Radio Jersey in March 1982, in BBC Radio Guernsey's case, the 16th March, a day after them, and quickly established itself as 'the voice of the islands’ providing residents in the Bailiwick with a comprehensive service of local news and current affairs.

Originally a very small operation, producing a limited amount of local broadcasting, BBC Radio Guernsey has grown until today it deliver seventy-eight hours of local programming a week.  From its original headquarters in Les Banques, St. Peter Port, the station’s journalists and programme makers cover every corner of the Bailiwick.

It became a tradition that BBC Radio Guernsey quickly became part of everyday life and special events.  Every year the station is prominent at all the local shows and celebrations, especially Battle of Britain Day and the Liberation Day celebrations.  Very early on in its history, BBC Radio Guernsey established correspondents in Sark and Alderney, the other two main islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

Audience research carried out in 1999 showed the station has 19,000 listeners - out of an Island population of 68,000.  Among popular programmes are the Sunday Phone-in which deals with the major issues in the Bailiwick, and attracts a massive listenership.  The station also provides exclusive live coverage of the meetings of the States of Guernsey, held on two consecutive days in the last week of the month and are broadcast on BBC Radio Guernsey’s medium wave frequency 1116khz MW.

1999 was an exciting year for the station.   In August of that year, staff from the station played a key role in the BBC's coverage of the total eclipse of the sun.  The entire morning's programmes came live from Alderney, from first sun rise just before 6am, and on through all the phases of the eclipse. Some of the best views of totality in the British Isles were viewed from the island.   Guernsey also had special Milllennium celebrations as covered by the BBC station for those not able to make it to the main party.  www.bbc.co.uk/england/radioguernsey/ 

COMMERCIAL:  LOCAL (ILR)  104.7 Island FM (93.7 for Alderney) is Guernsey's commercial radio station, offering contemporary adult hits, news and information from it's studios at 12 Westerbrook Street, Sampsons.  As with the neighbouring, larger Channel Island of Jersey, commercial radio is in it's infancy, having started just prior to Jersey's station, on 15th October 1992.  Island FM was re-awarded it's licence in 2000, and is therefore currently licenced until 14th October 2008.  Along with Jersey's Channel 103, it is owned by Tindle Radio Group Limited, headquarters for which are based in Surrey.  

There are nine on-air presenters including James Mountford, originally from Birmingham, who started in the bizz at the age of 15 at BRMB, then spending a few years at other stations whilst studying at Essex University.  Ed Nell was born in Norfolk and started in hospital radio aged 16.  He graduated from Loughborough University having spent time in the local campus radio station.  Other presenters include staff who work elsewhere, for example, Jim Trott is a manager at one of the international merchant banks on the Island.  Most presenters have remained with the station since launch.

Weekday programming runs from 5am to 1am, and 6:30am to 1am at weekends.  Being the second largest of the Channel Islands, Island FM also covers the smaller islands of Alderney, Herm and Sark which come under it's Bailiwick, or authoritative control.  There are three members of the station's news team: Alison McGarragh, News Editor, who joined in 1997 as a rookie post degree, Katie Collins, who joined in 2000 post degree and from University Radio, and Lindsey Morgan, the latest news recruit, although she did help out for 2 years on Sports programming whilst doing her A-levels.    

(Tindle Radio is the only family-owned radio operator in the UK. It operates six radio stations across the UK. It owns Channel 103, Jersey; Island FM, Guernsey; The Beach, Lowestoft (Suffolk/Norfolk); Dream 100, Colchester/Clacton; Dream 107, Chelmsford; Bridge FM, Bridgend; as well as minority stakes in Kick FM, Newbury; and Kestrel FM, Basingstoke.)

HOSPITAL RADIO:  Radio Jubilee was the first radio station on the Island, and launched 25th June 1978 with a two hour Sunday evening show, however, the service's rapid increase in popularity led to broadcasting on Wednesdays from 6th December 1978.  Radio Jubilee broadcasts to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital through hard cables to patient bedsides.  

The idea was the brainchild of Dave Eaton & Barry Bridel who were both keen radio enthusiasts. They approached the administrators of the Queen's Silver Jubilee Fund, raised for just such a worthwhile community service as this, and with the co-operation of the Board of Administration and the Board of Health, they made their plans. Equipment was bought with a grant from the Jubilee Fund and personnel from various youth groups in the island were recruited.  So after 18 months of planning and building Radio Jubilee was born.

The station was originally situated in two rooms in the nurses' home later expanding to three rooms, which were soundproofed and had double-glazed windows. This became very cramped as the number of volunteers and records increased.  The station moved in 1996 into the basement of the nurse's home that had been specially converted for the station by the Board of Health.  The new studio's were opened on Saturday, 24th February 1996 by Stan Green MBE, who is a founding and honorary life member of Jubilee Hospital Radio.

Things have changed considerably since the station launched and volunteers now broadcast over 6 evenings as well as a Sunday morning.  The programmes cover a variety of music and interests.  But as always with hospital radio, the most important programmes of the week are the Request programmes for the patients.

Dave Allen, Secretary of Jubilee Hospital Radio writes: The station started out as an idea, back in 1978 they started fund raising, and within a short time they were looking to set up a station.  The Board of Health then gave them one room in the nurses home, and they started broadcasting for a couple of hours a week.  Over the years the station grew, and in the early days, Jubilee Radio used to link up with the local BBC Radio station and a request programme went out on a Sunday morning.
The station grew more over the next few years, and so the air time went up.  The board of Health then gave the station a bigger space, comprising of a storage area for records and tapes. two small studios, and a radio room.  We are now on air live every night from 7pm till 10pm and at 10pm we play pre-recorded programmes until 6 am.
This being our 25th year and our Silver Jubilee, we have been raising funds to put a tannoy system through all the waiting areas of the hospital.  We now have the money to put this in place   When this is installed, we will be in the position to give 24 hours air time to the patients.  We are the radio station in the Baliwick of Guernsey.
Dave Allen
Secretary J.H.R.

RSL: No details known

DIGITAL: There is no digital multiplex for the Channel Islands currently.

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