Radio script: Week 4

Its 6 o clock. I’m Karen Purnell

It was announced yesterday that Colonel Gadaffi is dead.
He was toppled months ago, but news of Gaddafi's death brought euphoria to the streets of Libya.
For a while it was unclear whether or not he was dead - but as gory pictures emerged of his bloodied body being dragged though Misratah, Libya's new Prime Minister confirmed the news.

CUT

The dictator who ruled for 42 years was reportedly found in a tunnel in the town of Cert.
One fighter claims Gaddafi begged not to be shot.

For the rebels - in what was the former leader's final stronghold in this long and bloody civil war - his death is the ultimate symbol of liberation.

Outside number 10, David Cameron said it was a day to remember all of Colonel Gadaffi's victims over the years.

CUT

The fate of two of Gaddafi's sons, Saif al-Islam and Mo'Tassim, as well as some top figures of his regime remains unclear.
Their father's body is now reportedly lying in a Mosque in Misratah, but Libyan officials say the burial has been delayed until the circumstances of his death can be examined.

The UN human rights office has called for an investigation into how the former dictator died.

***

Winchester news online have discovered, through a freedom of information act request, that 38 hampshire police officers themselves hold criminal records. Although most of these offences occured before their enrolement in the police force, some of the results are surprising. Julie Cordier reports.

Play Cut

***

Multiple arrests have been made at the Dale Farm travellers' site after Basildon Council started the process of evicting residents. Violence broke out when bailiffs began their operation on Wednesday morning.

***

After announcing their reunion on Tuesday - the Stone Roses are enjoying an upturn in sales.In the 24 hours following the revelation, the number of copies sold of their "Very best of . " album has increased by over 1-thousand per cent. There's been a similar increase for their Second Coming record.

***

The tax office says it has spotted six million cases of overpayments. Anyone affected can expect rebates of about 300 pounds each. But the computer has also picked up the details of about one million people OWING tax..

***

Young people feel bombarded by enticing alcohol advertisements and want tougher regulations to protect them from temptation, a new survey has found. The survey of more than 2,300 people under the age of 18 by Alcohol Concern is said to be the largest study of what young people think about alcohol marketing.

The study found young people strongly supported tougher regulation of alcohol advertising, with 60% of respondents wanting alcohol adverts in cinemas restricted to 18-certificate films only.

Some 58% want the industry's television adverts limited to after 9pm and 59% want alcohol promotion limited to supermarkets and off-licences selling alcohol.

Alcohol Concern chief executive Don Shenker said the survey showed even young people believed they needed greater protection from the industry's advertisements.

"If one of the aims of alcohol marketing regulations is to protect children and young people from exposure to advertising then government needs to ask itself whether the current framework is fit for purpose," Mr Shenker said.

"Clearly young people don't believe it is, and their preference for stronger protection deserve to be heard." Alcohol Concern said the alcohol industry spent £800 million on marketing in the UK each year.

It also said 1.6 million children aged four to 15 were exposed to alcohol adverts during a single game of televised football at the last World Cup.

For more information about alcohol and its effects along with information on how to drink responsibly visit www.drinkaware.co.uk

***

Local residents are to get advice on how to save money on their energy bills. As gas and eletricity prices continue to rise, consumers are starting to feel the pinch. Earlier this week, the UKs six biggest power firms were represented at a summit, also attended by David Cameron and Eastleigh MP Chis Hune. Winchester Citizens advice bureau has offered information to local people.

Play Cut

EDF Energy were just one of the suppliers that attended the summit and spokes person said that EDF Energy are committed to providing as much simplicity and transpanrency to customers.

***

Stanmore Library is due to close if voulenteers can not be found to run the service by december. Hampshire county council say that the service is too expensive to run. Local residents and students alike, stand to suffer a long journey to the central library if the resourse is forced to close.

***

Princess Anne has graced Southampton at the opening of the brand new police station. The multi million pound building, located in West Quay replaces the delapidated central police station which is soon to become one of the biggest “sea city” museums on the south coast. Dignatories from all over hampshire attended the official opening. Chairperson of the Hampshire Police Authority, Councilor Raymond gave the opening speech.

Play Cut

After a tour of the station, including the custody suite, the princess unveiled the royal plaque to a round of applause.

***

Industrial action in Southampton could finally be coming to an end. Residents have suffered over the last 13 weeks with irregular waste disposal collections and disruptions in many other council services. The planned date for the decision will be the 4th November. Unison are not planning any further strikes until this date at least.

***

Local people have asked city councilors for more affordable housing. in an offical move by winchester town forum, residents have asked for a new housing strategy to be drawn up in time for the next forum meeting on the 23rd of november. The plan is aimed at first time buyers who are trying to get a foot on the property ladder.

Play Cut

***

The conservation charity, Marwell Wildlife, just outside Winchester, is leading the fight against poachers in Africa. In the last three years, over 800 rhinos have been harmed or slaughtered for their valuable horns. The centre has launched an appeal to raise awareness of the issue and are working along side an african agency to protect these wild creatures from extinction. Poachers are targeting the animals using ever ingenious silent methods, including poison and cross bows to avoid being detected by park rangers.

Play Cut

Help us save the Rhinos is aiming to train rangers to try and put a stop to poaching once and for all.

***

In sport. We start with football,

In their fourth consecutive victory, Winchester City secured a 5-1win against the Bournemouth Poppies, securing a 4-nil lead by half time, to put them at the top of the Wessex Premier League.

***

As Eastleigh faced oxford in the FA cup, the team were hoping to put an end to their recent poor form after crashing out of the Hampshire senior cup and sitting just outside of relegation in the blue square south premier league, however after a tough game, Oxford city pulled ahead to a 3-1 victory.

***

Its not all bad news for Eastleigh though, 17 year old Fullham target Sam Wilson has signed a 2 year deal with the local club. He told us how he felt about the signing, despite reports suggesting a move away from Hampshire.

***

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins has urged his players to keep up their current high standards. Saints are now five points clear at the top of the Championship table, thanks to a 1-nil win over second-placed West Ham. Adkins has told us, the platform for success at St Mary's is very much in place.

***

Hampshire have announced the signing of Pakistan International Shahid Afridi. He'll play for the county in next year's Twenty20 Cup. Afridi enjoyed a successful spell at the Rose Bowl last season, helping Hampshire reach finals day.

***

Durham fast bowler Graham Onions has replaced the injured Chris Woakes in England's one day squad for the tour of India. The Warwickshire all-rounder's picked up a thigh strain and will play no further part in the series. Onions last played for England in January 2010 and has since battled back from a career-threatening back injury.

This is Karen Purnell from Sound Radio, its 12 minutes past 6.

Radio script: week 3

Its 6 o clock. Im Karen Purnell.

Our top story this afternoon…

The Defence Secretary Liam Fox has resigned.

He's faced several questions about the nature of his relationship with his best man Adam Werritty.

In a letter to the Prime Minister he said he mistakenly allowed the distinction between his personal and government activities to become blurred.

****

More than 100-thousand people have got tickets to the London 2012 Paralympics in the first round sale.

It means nine out of ten people who applied for more than a million tickets are in line to get all or some of their ticket bids.

Payments will be taken from their accounts from next Tuesday before they find out what tickets they've got.

****

One in five BlackBerry users is considering switching to another phone because of the service problems which hit millions of people this week.

A survey by website Kelkoo found 19-percent are thinking about moving to another manufacturer, while 42-percent will consider changing later.

And 8-percent say they've already bought a new phone.

****

In entertainment…

The boyfriend of Amy Winehouse says he had to take 6 weeks off work to help him cope in the aftermath of her death.

Reg Traviss has recently started work again and is promoting his new prison-drama movie 'Screwed.'

The film director is involved in the foundation setup after Amy died and says working with her dad Mitch has helped him with his grief.

***

A computer hacker accused of targeting celebrities including Scarlett Johansson - and leaking racy pictures - has apologised, and says he plans to plead guilty.

Christopher Chaney faces up to 121 years in jail after being arrested in Florida after a probe into the hacking of over 50 victims.

Other stars who were targeted include singer Christina Aguilera and actress Mila Kunis.

***

Michael Buble has been in London today celebrating the release of his official, illustrated memoir.

The 36 year old is currently the biggest male solo artist in the world.

The Canadian was signing copies of his book 'Onstage, Offstage' at Waterstones on Piccadilly this afternoon.

***

In local news...

Crisis talks are underway between Unions and Southampton City Council in a desperate attempt to stop more strike action. The City has been disrupted by 12 weeks of rolling strikes over enforced pay cuts for council staff.

More than a thousand council workers walked out on the streets of Southampton last week to protest about the pay cuts, which were imposed by Southampton City Council.

After several meetings with the council over the summer, the Unions are still unhappy with the plans.

Play Cuts

11 seconds

Southampton City Council insists that the pay cuts will protect 400 jobs, and save 75 million pounds over the next 4 years.

The Council and the Unions are trying to reach an agreement, to put an end to the ongoing strikes, but if a compromise is not reached, the residents of Southampton will have to put up with the consequences of the dispute.

***

Local students could face not graduating on time if lecturers carry out threats not to mark their work. Academics from 67 Universities, including Winchester, say that if changes to their pensions go ahead, they will be forced to take such action, in strikes that could affect over a million UK students.

University lecturers across the country are set to take industrial action this week, following changes to their pension schemes, which they feel will leave them worse off after they retire.

The lecturers are set to begin stage 1 of their campaign, which will consist of them working only their contracted hours.

Further stages of the campaign will include rolling strikes.

Academics have also threatened to boycott the marking of students work if University employers are unwilling to co-operate.

Play Cut

18 seconds

***

An unexpected budget deficit of almost 1 million pounds in Winchester has led to a row amongst councillors over who is to blame.

Local public services and charities in Winchester could be at risk after it was announced that the City Council would have to cut its budget deficit.

The deficit, which stands at 825 thousand pounds was announced at a recent council meeting, at Winchester Guildhall.

One charity that could be at risk is the WInchester Church Night Shelter, which has already had its budget cut twice in the last three years, but project manager Michele Price, feels that the charity will continue to run due to the donations they receive.

Councillor George Beckett, feels that the changes are for the best.

Play Cut

16 seconds

The argument over who is to blame for the budget deficit does not look like it will be resolved, however it is not clear how badly public services, and the people that use them, will be affected.

***

Unemployment in the UK has hit an all-time high, with an estimated 2.5 million now out of work. The figures show that the amount of young people unemployed is close to 1 million, the highest since records began in the early 1990s.

***

Winchester City Council is aiming to save 2 million pounds a year after agreeing to a new contract over bin collection. Calendars have been distributed to homes of residents informing them of the new collection days. The contract comes into affect on the 17th October.

***

THE streets of Winchester are officially a safer place after police statistics revealed crime has fallen in the past year.

Recorded crime and disorder fell by 3.9 per cent to 6,198 cases in 2010/11, meaning there were 252 less victims than the previous year.

The figures, from an assessment made by Winchester Community Safety Partnership, also showed that criminal damage was down by 12.9 per cent and violence with injury was reduced by 3.7 per cent.

***

Scientists from Southampton have their sights on the Antarctic after the discovery of a new subterranean lake. Believed to have been submerged for thousands of years, the breakthrough is hoped to unearth some new life forms, and even clues about climate change.

PLAY CUT

25 seconds

The expedition will be taking place next year, and will last for 3 months.

***

A Winchester primary school marked the 10th anniversary of the Afghanistan campaign with a special forces day this week.

Harestock Primary School took part of the ‘tenforten’ charity campaign to raise money for Help For Heroes and the Army Benevolent Fund supporting soldiers families, as 16 per cent of families at the school are involved in the armed forces.

A variety of army representatives visited the pupils to show them what life in the army was like, including field kitchen demonstrations and woodland survival tips.

Children from service families were invited to dress in full soldier gear while others were encouraged to turn up in red, white and blue to show their national pride.

And in Sport…

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is in the frame for England ahead of the Euro 2012 finals.

The winger has impressed since his summer move from Southampton.

The Gunners chief says he could yet go to Poland and Ukraine.

***

A top jockey has quit racing in protest at new rules on the use of the whip.

Richard Hughes says he's handed back his licence until further notice, after receiving two riding bans in the space of a week.

Jockeys can only use the whip five times in the final furlong.

Hughes says he "can't ride horses like this", and said it's like telling Lionel Messi he couldn't use his left foot.

***

In local sport….Basingstoke faced Hartley Whitney in the Hampshire Senior Cup this week. They continued their early season form, with a 3-2 win at the Camrose.

Elsewhere in football, Blue Square South strugglers Eastleigh slumped to a 4-1 defeat away to league two side Aldershot Town. The result adds increasing pressure to manager Ian Baird.

There was more positive news for AFC Totton, who saw off Cove in a convincing display at the Testwood Stadium. The home-side recorded an emphatic 7-2 victory with summer signing James Coutts scoring a hat-trick.

And in the Wessex league, Winchester's good form continued at the weekend with a 4-2 win over 5th place Christchurch. Jamie White got himself on the score sheet twice to make it 6 goals in his last 3 games.

This is Karen Purnell for Sound Radio, Its 6.09

Radio Script-Week 2

It’s 6 o clock, I’m Karen Purnell.

Our top story this week...

The inventor of the iPhone and the Apple Mac, Steve Jobs, has died at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer. Microsoft boss Bill Gates says Jobs' impact has been "profound" and will be felt for generations.
But the man behind the iPad and the iPhone wasn't ALWAYS doing glitzy product launches.

Sound Radio investigates how this man, has affected the world we live in today…

Steve Jobs co-founded Apple in the 1970s - in his parents' garage in California.
Their first computer was funded by the sale of his VW van.
How things have changed.

[montage of apple product launches]

DURATION: 14sec

He's transformed not just computing, but the music industry, phone, TV and - through his role in Pixar - the film industries too.
Among the tributes, Bill Gates called his impact "profound", while President Obama says the world's lost a great visionary.
He's being compared to the likes of Edison and Einstein.
Stephen Fry, one of the biggest advocates of apple products said on his twitter page He changed the world. I knew him a little and admired him entirely.
Lord Sugar started amstrad at around the same time as apple, and competed throughout the 80s. He says he’s a true icon

[play cut]

DURATION: 13secs

Today, you can hardly look around a university campus anywhere in the world without seeing a product that steve jobs worked on. From macbooks to ipads, iphones and ipods, the sleek products could very well be the iconic symbol of the decade.
These students from Hampshire say his products have had a major effect on their lives.

[Play Cut]

DURATION: 12secs

People who worked with Jobs admit he could be difficult - relentlessly demanding.
But Apple says that spirit will forever be the foundation of the company.
His last job before standing down as chief executive six weeks ago was to announce the launch of the iCloud, which is soon to be relased as part of ios5.

In other news…

Drivers who cause serious injuries to other people can now face a prison sentence of up to five years.
At the moment, dangerous drivers can only be jailed for two years unless they actually kill someone.
16 year old Craig Williams is still recovering after being the victim of a hit and run 2 years ago - he welcomes the new plans.

Play Cut

OUT WORDS: out still

Duration: 12"]

A NEW specialist emergency care hospital to treat severely injured people could be built in Hampshire. It is part of proposals to develop services after Basingstoke hospital takes over the Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust next January.
The new unit would treat major trauma injuries, heart attack victims and perform emergency surgery.
Less serious A&E patients will go to Winchester’s Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

POLICE have fined three Winchester off licences after they failed a test of selling alcohol to minors.
Six premises in the city were visited to crack down on selling alcohol to under 18s.
Waitrose Supermarket in Stoney Lane, Weeke, and Stanmore shops One Stop in Battery Hill and Stanmore Stores in Wavell Way all received a fixed £80 for serving under 18s without asking for ID.
The three premises that passed the test were Tesco in Andover Road, Southern Co Op and Wineshak, both of Stoney Lane, Weeke.

A number of students arriving at the University of Winchester for the first time have been forced to live in cabins, but pay the same rent as those living in University housing.
The number of students at the University has significantly increased since last year, and Due to a lack of accommodation, some students were placed in portacabins, where the facilities do not meet their expectations.
Although negotiations are underway between the University and the Student Union, the students affected feel let down.

IN WORDS: I don’t think...

OUT WORDS: …to the bathroom

DURATION: 10 seconds

City Council workers in Southampton are to strike over the latest pay cuts, after the council announced there would be a 2-5.5% reduction in pay.

IN WORDS: Workers that are…

OUT WORDS: …child social services

DURATION: 12 seconds

2 bus routes are to be axed this month by the county council to the anger of local residents who will be affected. The proposed plans are also intending to stop buses running late at night.
The cuts are expected to hit Winchester on October 30^th.
Hampshire County Council promises to bring in greater punctuality to some of its services, but to the cost of 2 closures.
Routes 2 and 6a are to be discontinued, leaving commuters from Olivers Battery the Valley and Abbots Barton less connected.

Councillor Brian Collin is opposing the cuts.

IN WORDS: What my point….

OUT WORDS: …finish around half past 1

DURATION: 15 seconds

Details of the new timetable are available on the Stagecoach website.

And in sport…

England can seal their place in the finals of Euro 2012 tonight.
They need only a point in Montenegro.
Elsewhere, Wales face Switzerland, Northern Ireland need to beat Estonia and the Republic of Ireland can go top of their group with a win against Andorra.
In local sport, Eastleigh turned their attentions to the FA Cup, as they hosted Cinderford Town in the 2^nd qualifying round.
Eastleigh won 3-1, with goals by Tom Jordan in the 25^th minute, Andy Forbes in the 33^rd minute and Andrew White in the 80^th minute. Nick McCootie grabbed a late goal for Cinderford in the 85^th minute.

Eastleigh now face Oxford City in the next round.

AFC Totton have continued their impressive start to the season, with a 3-0 victory against Cirencester. Top scorer Mike Gosney, has ensured that the Stags remain 3 points clear at the top.

In the Wessex League, Winchester City looked set to challenge for the title in their game against Blackfield and Langley. After a shaky start, Jamie White went on to score a hatrick, with other goals for the Winchester side by Chris Mason, and Dom Allen, to secure City 3 points with a 6-0 win. They face Christchurch tomorrow at the Denplan.

Over to Rugby, and the Winchester 2nds faced Southampton 2nds this week hoping to continue their unbeaten streak. Captain Mark Castle scored the opening try, after only 3 minutes. The Winchester team went on to score another 12 tries, in a resounding 83-0 win.

This is Karen Purnell for Sound Radio. It's 6.08

Radio Script: Week 1

It's 6 o clock, I'm Karen Purnell.

It is day 4 in the trial of Conrad Murray, the man accused of killing Michael Jackson.

The court is expected to hear evidence from paramedics who say they believe the singer had died by they time they'd arrived at his home.

American lawyer Michael McParland has more details on the pair.

IRN CLIP: 059

OUT WORDS: UCLA hospital

DURATION: 16 seconds

Doctor Conrad Murray denies involuntary manslaughter.

Police say a baby boy is 'hugely fortunate' to have been unharmed when his teenage mother was shot in west London.

The bullet missed the 11 month old but hit his 18-year old mother Jessica Chrichlow who was carrying him.

Her two sisters were also both injured in the shooting last night.

Imogen King is a friend and says it has upset the whole area:

IRN CLIP: 051

OUT WORDS: …its disgusting

DURATION: 11 seconds

A watchdog is warning talent shows about showing "sexualised clothing and dance routines".

A new report from Ofcom highlights the final of the X Factor last year, which featured Christina Aguilera, and describes it as "at the very margin of acceptability".

Officials have now issued new guidance on protecting under-18s and observing the 9pm watershed.

After more than 10-thousand performances, the Phantom of the Opera is celebrating its 25th anniversary this weekend.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical first opened on London's West End in 1986, with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in the lead roles.

A live performance from the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday will be broadcast to cinemas all around the world to celebrate.

In local news…

Plans to build houses on Barton Farm are set to be rejected after months of campaigns and demonstrations. Winchester MP Steve Brine, along with anti-development campaigners, is delighted at the decision.

The Save Barton Farm Group has been fighting for months to stop plans by Winchester City Council, to carry out major developments on the 300 acre site. The decision to reject the plans has been hailed "a victory for common sense"

Council leader George Beckett has cautioned campaigners against celebrating the victory, warning that the council must still address the issue of where much-needed homes should go.

A new law is being introduced to ban tobacco vending machines as of October 1st, making pubs even more of a smoke-free zone.

The aim of the ban is to prevent under 18s from obtaining cigarettes from the unsupervised machines, after evidence has shown that 11 percent of 15 year old smokers, use this method to purchase cigarettes.

Trading Standards Officers say that the machines themselves can stay, but any tobacco related products and advertising, must go.

Julie Robson from the Hampshire Stop Smoking Service "Quit4life" gave her opinion on the ban…

IN WORDS: Its a great idea….

OUT WORDS: …we can give.

DURATION: 15 seconds.

However, not everyone shares the same enthusiasm for the ban.

Ben Robbins, manager of the County Arms, described it as "another nail in the coffin for the pub trade"

Solar Panels could become a regular sight on houses in Winchester. Talks are currently underway between Winchester City Council, and installation companies, over the plans.

Councillor Lucille Thompson said that originally the project was to install solar panels on up to 2000 council houses, allowing the tenants to have cheaper electricity during the day.

She goes on to say that the Liberal Democrats are backing the scheme, and that for them it is a high priority, but this may not be case for the current administration.

In response to this, Councillor Norma Bogda assures that she is in favour of looking after working-class people, but the scheme all comes down to finances, and as it stands, nothing is set in stone.

For the time being, the future of the Winchester solar panel scheme remains uncertain.

Seasonal train ticket prices are expected to increase by 8 percent in 2012, putting pressure on commuters, such as those travelling the popular route between Southampton and London.

The price of a 3-month seasonal ticket will increase by over £90. The revenue of this will go towards improvements such as the high speed rail system in place for 2012 Olympics.

A recent Winchester City Council Survey has unearthed an issue concerning the abuse of parking permits. Local residents have been found to be exploiting the terms and conditions of the contract.

The Council are now planning a crackdown on the abuse of parking permits across the City, with the main affected areas being the train station, the University, and around the Cathedral.

Councillor Steven Godfrey-a member of the parking and traffic committee claims that residents have identified that some of the parking permit areas have more spaces for permit holders, than others.

In response to this, there will be an additional 15 parking spaces in Park Avenue, which is welcomed by local residents.

The problem the Council now face, is to stop permit holders from sharing their permits, especially with commuters.

Now I expect you have all been feeling rather hot again today as the daily temperature record has been broken for the second day running.

This afternoon Cambridge recorded highs of 29-point-2 degrees celsius.

The previous record for the 30th of September was 27-point-8 celsius in Maidenhead in Berkshire in 1908.

Winchester reached highs of 25 degrees celsius this afternoon with a prediction of an even higher temperature of 28 degrees tomorrow.

And now for this weeks Sport.

Winchester City Football Club held a charity event yesterday in an attempt to raise money for the club and for Naomi House. Southampton football legend Matt Le Tissier, attended the event to show his support for the club.

IN WORDS: We're here to...

OUT WORDS: …cracking job here.

DURATION: 14 seconds

Other guests at the event were Gillete Soccer Saturday Panelist Paul Walsh and ex footballer Mark Dennis. The evening was organised by Winchester City Owner Paul McCarthy, and included an auction of football shirts from the likes of David Beckham and Pele.

And this weeks football results…

Alresford Town looked to improve on their inconsistent start to the season by welcoming early promotion chasers- Hamworthy United to Alresbury Park.

The away side struck first to take the lead, but Dean Cole managed to draw level before the break.

Ashley Ledger took Alresford into the lead in the second half, but the visitors managed to secure a draw with a goal in the 80th minute.

This result leaves Alresford in the middle of the Wessex League table.

Eastleigh have struggled to get going this season, but managed to secure a win on Saturday against Staines Town, with the winning goal by Jamie Brown.

This is the first win for the team since the end of August, but Ian Baird's men will be hoping that the win will kick start their season.

In other results, Basingstoke continued their impressive early season form with a win at home to local rivals Farnborough, with Shaun McAuley scoring twice to put the Dragons in 5th place.

Early pacesetters AFC Totton suffered a disappointing defeat at home to Hitchin Town, but despite the loss, they still remain top of the table.

And in the Wessex league, Guy Butters' Winchester side failed to gain ground on league leaders Bemerton Heath Harlequins, as the Citizens lost 3-1.

This is Karen Purnell for Sound Radio. Its 6.08...

Working with Special Media Projects

I have recently become involved in a media company called Special Media Projects, and was invited to Bridgwater YMCA with them to run a radio station.
The event had a 3 day RSL, to broadcast the Royal opening of the YMCA throughout the whole of Bridgwater. We were broadcasting on 87.9fm, with Access All Areas News.

We arrived in Bridgwater at 9am, and started setting up the studio, and taking care of potential safety issues, such as loose wires. I was introduced to the Chief Executive of the YMCA, Martin Hodgson, who invited the team out for dinner in the evening.

Soon after, a group of school children arrived to help run the radio station. We showed them how to use the equipment, and sent them off to interview members of staff.

Much of the first day was setting up ready for our live broadcast. The jingles had already been made, and the station was just running a playlist of music and jingles.

Once everything was set up for the next day, and the children had gone back to school, we went for a tour of the YMCA building, and had a briefing on what was happening for the Royal opening. We were issued badges, so that we would be allowed in the building the next day.

We found our hotel and spent the free time before dinner writing the news bulletin for the live broadcast. We used Sky Radio News and IRN to look for potential stories, and chose the ones that were positive, fluffy stories, to keep the right mood for the following day.

We met some of the YMCA staff for dinner and drinks, before heading back to the hotel.

The next day, we were up at 7am, for a full english breakfast, before heading off to start the live broadcast. The attire was smart wear, with the men in lounge suits, and me in a waistcoat and smart trousers. We prepared all the pre-recorded material, and then started the live broadcast when the other member of the team, Steve Cross, arrived.

There were 2 different news scripts prepared, one for odd hours (9,11,1,3) and one for even hours (10,12,2).

There was a good mixture of live conversation, interviews and music, with a very relaxed feel to the show. I was sent out as a roving reporter to talk to groups of school children that had been invited to the event, and was asked to climb a rock wall, live on the radio.

I also interviewed the carnival club, and we spoke to people who support the YMCA, and also the police and fire services.

The group of school children from Otterhampton Primary School arrived, and we let them run the radio show, except for the news bulletins. They introduced interviews and songs, and played their favourite music. We found out that our Royal Guest was about to arrive, and so I was sent to the front entrance, to reveal him live.

The presenter introduced me, and I broadcast that a helicopter had been heard overhead, and it has landed nearby, and so our Royal guest would be arriving soon. I answered some questions from the presenter about the atmosphere while our guest was being driven to the YMCA, and explained what was going on outside when he arrived. As the car pulled up, I revealed to Access All Areas 87.9fm that the Duke of Kent was outside the building and would be opening the Bridgwater YMCA later in the afternoon.

After our live broadcast, we edited the recordings so that we could do a repeat of the days show the next day. We had to edit them to make the cuts flow smoothly, as there is a 30 second overlap between each recording.

We set the recordings into the playlist, and played them on a loop, so that the whole show would be played on repeat, for anyone who has missed it.

I found this was an absolutely amazing experience, and I learnt a lot about how to run a radio station, and how to create a radio show. I also found it really enjoyable, and it is definitely something I would want to do again, and a possible career choice.
I can take the things I have learnt over the last 2 days and use them to improve the WINOL radio bulletin.

Media Law Year 3

Our first media law lecture went over the basics that we learnt in our first year.
Check out my earlier blog post for the information from this weeks lecture.

www.karenpurnell.blogspot.com/2009/09/introduction-to-media-law.html

WINOL Week 1

So WINOL is back, and it's not only the 2nd years who are finding their feet. With the introduction of both the radio station and the magazine, some of the team have been thrown into the unknown.
My role this semester is Radio editor. I work closely with the radio society on Sound Radio providing all the news content.
The aim is to produce hourly news bulletins, using the automated service IRN, and local news. However, this is not possible until the radio studio is completed. My other responsibility is to create a weekly extended news bulletin-a radio version of WINOL.

Although this week was only a dummy run for the 2nd years, I used the bulletin for the radio show. I re-edited the bulletin, removing the video, and cutting the audio into suitable interviews.
I re-wrote the script and timed all of the stories to get an outline of how long the bulletin would be.
It is important to have the correct timings in radio, so that there are no long silences on air. The radio society had told me that it didnt matter if I didn't fill the 10 minute slot, because they would have music ready to play as soon as the bulletin was over.

After I had re-edited the WINOL bulletin, and written a new script, I timed the show at 4.30 minutes. I knew that I would need more to fill the slot, and so went along to the Winchester City charity event that evening with Gareth. We got interviews with Southampton footballer Matt Le Tissier, which I felt would be a great name to have on the radio bulletin.

I spent the next day editing the new audio, and writing the script to go with it, as well as adding national stories from IRN, and checking to see if they had been updated throughout the day.

By the time I was due to go live, I had timed the bulletin at 8 minutes. I was nervous about using the equipment, but Alex and Thomas from the radio society were really helpful and explained how everything works.

I signed the contract with Sound Radio, and helped set up the bed and load the interview clips.
At exactly 6 o clock, I went live on Sound Radio with my first news bulletin.

I feel like for a first attempt it went very well, but I know that it needs to be improved. The feedback I have had so far is to focus on writing the script for the target audience.

I am currently being taught radio techniques to use while reading the news, which I hope will improve the show, and make it sound more like a professional news bulletin.