John is a Genius!

Way back in 2000 I was telling people that we would have our second studio operational any day now. We had all the equipment. We had all the music. It seems that all we lacked was the will to do the job and the expertise to make it work. Well, today, that has all changed!


Thanks to the lovely John T. - that's him in the picture - who is an IT genius - we now have a fully operational pre-production studio with complete networked access to the other studio and to the office computers.


We can use this for news casting, for training, for recording shows, jingles and much much more.


It has been a long time coming but we are so proud to announce the arrival of our new studio.


Thanks, John!

Quality Assurance Checks

Some people take things to extremes. Some people will just not take your word for it that you are presenting good programmes and developing good station procedures. Well, when I say 'some people' I do, of course, refer to our Station Manager, Irene.

So determined was she to ensure that we were doing things just right she got herself admitted to Ward 19 just to be positive. Well, OK, so she was actually ill as well.

Presenters like Duncan who was playing his first ever show was scared to death at the thought that the big boss was listening in from her bedside and could phone him over immediately he made a mistake. He stumbled on regardless. She did phone him but only to say he had done a good job.

We are delighted that our Manager was cared for by wonderful nurses like Margaret Ann and Donna who are in the picture and surrounded by delightful ladies like Peggy McBennett and Betty Nelson who are also in the picture.

Many thanks to all the staff in Ward 19 for making our manager's stay so comfortable and for taking such good care of her. Now.... about that request you wanted ...?

Write for Radio

This is a hospital radio station with a heart. We like to listen to what our audience tell us. Any old radio station, it seems, can play continuous music but our listeners want more. They want items of interest and they want short stories and they want short stories they haven't heard before.

We thought we should rise to such a challenge and we invite you to join us. So if you think you have a short story in you and you can write it for radio we would be delighted to hear from you. Our sponsors have put up cash prizes and we have the best of people to do the judging.

Judging the short stories will be Janice Long of BBC Radio 2 fame. Now there's a woman who knows what's good for radio!

Judging the poetry will be local author and campaigner Sandra Brown who was Scotswoman of the Year in 2005 and certainly knows what people like to read and hear.

You can download all the details of the Short Story Competition by clicking the link. Download the Poetry Competition too. Print the brochure and pass it on to your friends - they might want to write for us too.

We anticipate that all items will be broadcast and the listeners will play a big part in the selection of the final choices.

Go on - get writing!

......... Update - we have been innundated with entries for this competition - there is no way we will be able to acknowledge every entry - we are all volunteers working in our spare time - Judging is a long and tiring process - If you sent us something then be patient - you should hear from us eventually.

Finally - We are Talking to You!

It has taken a long time. It has been months in the making. We have all worked hard. It has been worth it in the end.

TODAY WE ARE LIVE AND ON AIR

From a standing start in August after vandals ripped the heart out of the station and left us with no computers and no music library we have worked hard and done all the repairs. We have had lots of help from professional radio people like Jimmy Young, David Forbes, David Treasurer and more. We have had huge support from the boys at Radio Grapevine at St. John's Hospital at Livingston. We have had total dedication from our man Barry, from Andy, from Denice, and so many more. Today, though, we are indebted to Bob Chilvers from Patientline (that's him in the top photograph) who has spent so much time working to put us back on air today. Thanks, Bob!

So, now we can broadcast live to the hospital and we will be putting out good shows with good music which will be well worth listening to.

If you want a request for a relative or friend then talk to us cos we'll be talking to you!

Meet James!

We are a messy bunch at Radio Heartbeat and I am probably the worst of all. So it was almost a tragedy when our recently donated vacuum cleaner - which, in fairness, was not new when we got it - became very ill. Our cleaner rendered first aid with a screwdriver and sticking plaster but no amount of tlc was going to rescue this baby. It had sooked its last sook!

We were very sad. Money at this radio station is always at a premium and vacuum cleaners do not contribute to good station output which is our current priority. There was no cash to spare for a cleaner. It was more than a little problem.

Undaunted I reached for Yellow Pages, flipped open to Janitorial Supplies and dialled the first number I came to. Magic sometimes happen if you wish hard enough. I got straight through to the boss man at Alex Shanks & Co. He was charming. He was helpful and he knew immediately what to do.

'Come and see us,' he invited.

I did.

Now we have the beautiful and ever so helpful James as part of our station team. He is not just a cleaner he's our pal. He is shiny and gorgeous and much too nice to sit in the cupboard so we leave him in the hall so that everybody can admire him and we tell them all we are shining like a shilling thanks to our pal Alex.

Thanks, Alex - and here's the plug we promised you!

So...Speak Out!

We are a radio station that likes good speaking practice on air. We like our people to be witty and funny and present good programming.

We decided that if you can't entertain an audience you can see then you will struggle with an audience you can't see. To help with audience entertainment we formed a Speaking Group which meets every Wednesday at 7.30 pm in the Lecture Theatre in the hospital. Now it is not just radio staff who attend but people from outside the hospital as well. They learn to build up their own confidence by standing up and speaking up.

If you have a wedding speech, an important interview, a university or work Presentation or anything of that type which worries you, feel free to come and join us and get help and support. If you just want a good laugh then we have that too with Comedy Workshops and much more.

Come along and join So...Speak Out in Monklands. Or for more information email us.

You'll love it - honest!

The Fish Supper

All voluntary organisations need staunch supporters. These are the folk that dig deep into their pockets to fill our collecting cans, folk who come to our dinners and cheer us on and folk who work their little socks off to see us right. Every one of them is important to us. Every one of them, we hope, knows how much we value them.

However, as I was going home on Tuesday evening after a particularly long day full of little highs and many disappointments in terms of our progress towards good programming for our listeners, I was feeling more than a little down. I was also hungry and cold. It seemed reasonable, in the face of all this adversity, that I should seek sustenance and warmth. Where better, then, than our local chippie. Well he isn't local either to the radio station or to my home but I would drive a long way to eat fish and chips cooked by this man.


When I got to Roberto's in Broomfield Street, Airdrie, he enquired after the welfare of the radio station, as he often does, chatted and then said the magic words, 'This one's on the house.'

Ah! Bliss! Roberto, you are a lifesaver and a true gentleman. What's more you make the best fish and chips anywhere.