MAY 2008

You will notice, dotted around the web site, buttons that have the word 'donate' on them. We rely very heavily on the generosity of funding and donations in order to keep the station on air and with the web streaming now in full-swing, we are relying on it more than ever. So, unashamedly, we are placing these around the site and, if at any time you feel you can afford to donate some amount to the station, no matter how large or small, we would be eternally greatful

Following their success earlier this year in winning the prestigious Thomas Prag Award for Broadcasting, Cuillin FM are in line to receive a further award in May 2008. This time it is the Maurice Nicholl Award of the Rotary Club of Portree & District which is given in recognition of outstanding achievement to local communities. The Rotary Club note that “Cuillin FM has had an extremely successful year, expanding the broadcast times and coverage. The wide and varied programmes offered and the listing of local events has brought the whole area together. It is all the more outstanding that they have managed this by being run by volunteers.” The award is being presented at the Rotary Club's annual Awards Dinner being held in the Cuillin Hills Hotel, Portree on 27 May 2008.

Cuillin FM's popular Saturday night Scottish Dance Music show, “Balaich nam Port”, broadcast a special edition of their programme on Saturday 10 May 2008 in tribute to their former friend and colleague on the show, Iain MacAskill, who had recently passed away at his home in Carbost, Isle of Skye after a long and courageous battle against illness. The show's presenters, Duncan Martin, Donnie Alick MacLeod and John Grundy produced a special two hour programme featuring many of Iain's favourite tunes and musicians reflecting Iain's taste in all things ‘box and fiddle'. An accordionist himself and former chairman of the Isle of Skye Accordion & Fiddle Club, Iain had a great love and knowledge of his type of music, in particular pipe marches and Gaelic airs. Iain was known far and wide for his laughter and great ‘craic', always happy to spend time for a good ‘blether' with his many friends. He has brightened many a dull day of those who were privileged to know him and he will be sorely missed. Condolences go to his wife, Chris, his family and his many friends far and near.

They said it would never happen - but it has! Web streaming on Cuillin FM has arrived. This has been an on-going battle for the last couple of years between the station and the powers that be who charge the licence fees for such things. We, along with other smaller radio stations, were going to be charged the same high rate as all other commercial radio stations, which would have meant it would have been out of reach. However, thanks to the never ending persistence of Alex Gray at Two Lochs Radio, who has managed to negotiate a much lower deal for us, we can now bring you Cuillin FM over the internet.
At present we can only afford to stream to up to 50 listeners at any one time so we would respectfully ask any listener who can receive us via their FM radio to use that method and leave an opening for someone who is outside the broadcast area to be able to tune in through the wonders of the World Wide Web. We have also installed a player on the Webcam page so that international listeners can watch and listen at the same time - this seems to be going down very well.

On the Home Page of the site there is a web site survey button which we would love everyone to take 5 minutes to check out. It is to give us an idea on what your thoughts are on this web site. We realise we can't please everybody all the time but we try to strike a happy medium and would love your input for future updates to the site.

APRIL 2008

They came, they saw, they conquered – not with violence but with charm and professionalism.  “They” were the Radio Waves Team of young presenters from our neighbouring radio station in Gairloch, Two Lochs Radio, comprising of four Gairloch High School pupils and five younger pupils who had literally sped across the sea from Gairloch in a fastboat to spend the day with Cuillin F.M. in Portree.  After introductions and a welcome from Hector, Shona and John as hosts, the intrepid youngsters were given a tour of the Cuillin F.M. studios including some comprehensive instruction from John on some buttons and levers on the control desk about which he knows very little!  Following the essential lunch break it was time to let the young presenters loose on the airwaves of both Cuillin F.M. and Two Lochs Radio for their own programme of non-stop music and chat from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. – and what a great programme it was with the Radio Waves Team taking complete control of the station, including ‘driving’ the control desk which, to the uninitiated looks like the flight deck of an airliner!  All too soon it was time to close the programme and say our goodbyes.  The visit was a resounding success and thanks are due to Youthlink Scotland and Highland Council for funding the project, to those involved in organising the visit both on behalf of Cuillin F.M. and Two Lochs Radio and for acting as ‘minders’, but most of all to the Radio Waves Team themselves for a day of fun and great broadcasting.  They were a credit not only to Two Lochs Radio but to their families, schools and communities.  Haste Ye Back ! For further information on the visit and photographs, click here

JULY 2007

Well, the mast is up - the frequency has been passed by OfCom and given the 'all-clear' however there are a few little gremlins in the works and this means that our proposed Launch Date for the new frequency of July 3rd is now no longer feasible.
We are sending out Test Transmissions at the moment on 102.7FM and people are picking up Cuillin FM as far afield as Cluanie! However, the reception is quite distorted and is very much atmospheric-led, so we feel we can't really say we have 'made it' as yet until we iron out all these little niggles. Having said that, we hope to have it all polished by the end of July and then we can sit back for 2 seconds and have a breather. Meanwhile, we are asking anybody who is picking us up on 102.7 to kindly let us know what sort of reception they are getting. There is a form on the website that you can fill in and send off to us or give us a call on 01478 611234 or 01478 611797.

MAY 2007

Is it really 6 months since the last Newsletter? I can't believe it! Time just seems to disappear into some huge big black void somewhere.

Today (11th May 2007) we finally heard from OFCOM that the new frequency of 102.7FM has been passed for our usage on the island and parts of the mainland. This means that, when the new transmitter and antennae are wired up at Skriag, we will be broadcasting to 95% of the island and parts of the mainland. Which parts, we don't know as yet. This will have to wait until we are transmitting and then we will have to go round with our trusty old transistor and see where we are being picked up! But rumour has it that you will be able to receive Cuillin FM on the new frequency in the strangest of places! The new frequency will be for all parts of the island apart from Portree, which will remain on the 106.2FM frequency, so as not to confuse matters.

Where have I heard this before - I hear you say! Well, I agree - it does sound like a worn out old record but this time it seems to have got over that dreadful scratch and the needle is now well and truly on to the clean track and (fingers crossed) we will not see it jump or stick again until it is finished!!

The work at Skriag will commence on the 21st May and should take about 7 days to complete - we will then take 10 days to test the new equipment and also to find out the transmitable area and then we will be holding our week of the Big Launch. Hopefully this will entail going round the island presenting the Breakfast or the Dol Dhachaigh shows from different venues every day for the first week with lots of fantastic prizes to give away and a balloon release to see just how far the listening public will go to get in touch!

All this takes money and, although I keep saying it, we do rely very heavily on funding at the moment but that will all cease very shortly and we will be reliant on fundraising. To that end we are currently looking to recruit a fundraising committee who needn't be presenters from the station but people who maybe enjoy listening to the station and would like to help out in some way. If you would like more information about this, then call John Masson on 01478 611797.

Other things that have been happening: We presented the Big Island Debate live from the Aros in the lead up to the Elections and broadcast it simultaneously to the Two Lochs area - a great triumph. Our Christmas and New Year shows were another triumph and especially the New Year look back on 2006 which John Masson had put together from shows and interviews, etc through the year - he told us he could have filled over 4 hours of programming with excerpts but was tied down to just 2 - oh well, maybe this year!

Our presenters are still turning up for their weekly programmes and it is to their great credit that they have continued to support Cuillin FM with their professionalism and enthusiasm - without them there would be no radio station.

I am hoping with all my might that the next time I set fingers on the keyboard to type another Newsletter - it will be to tell you that you can tune in to 102.7FM and then we can concentrate on the webstreaming - watch this space!

Again - lots of things have been happening at the station and therefore not much time to update the newsletter before now.

We are getting on leaps and bounds with the new transmitter. It appears there were a few hiccups with the previous application and this has held things up a little but we are now on track to be transmitting to 95% of the island and parts of the mainland within the next 2-3months. We have our new frequency - 102.7FM - which will be used for all places outwith the Portre reach on 106.2FM. Lots of things planned for the first few weeks of this new broadcasting region - including live Dol Dhachaigh shows from different parts of the island every night of the first week - we'll be exhausted!

The MacMillan Coffee Morning went with a swing and we collected over £400 for the charity. Thanks to all involved and those who gave generously of both their time and money.

There is now a webcam in the studio and you can access that from the main page of the website. However, it may be that when you log on it will be off air. This is because we have given each presenter the choice of having you watching them or being discreet! Webstreaming is still on the cards but we are having problems with the licensing of music. Hopefully that will be solved very soon.

A brand new hard drive has been put in the studio computer and our library of music has just expanded by about 400,000 tracks! Enough to keep anyone busy - especially since it all has to be catagorised!

JUNE 2006

Sorry it has been so long since the last update but so much has been happening!

The studio has now been moved around a bit in order that we now have an editing suite and studio that are apart from one another and therefore create no sound problems for either. The main studio has also been fitted with sound proofing panels to help deaden any 'echoing' sounds when broadcasting. The office has been moved in to the old editing suite. This now means that presenters can come in at any time of the day and pre-record their programmes, if they are unable to come in on their allotted slot. It also means that for any new presenters out there who may think they'd love to have a go but are a bit scared, they can come in and have a 'dry run' or even pre-record all their programmes so they are not going out 'live'. If you think you may be interested, then call the station and make an appointment to pop in.

After extensive interviews, we now have a Station Manager who is in charge of the day to day running (and much more!). The successful applicant was John Masson and we wish him all the best for this new post, which was only made possible through the kind assistance of Highland 2007, Leader+ and SALE.

As you are no doubt aware, we had a trial outside broadcast last year at the Gathering Hall market and then the turning on of the Christmas Lights in Portree. These were both highly successful so, again thanks to Highland 2007, Leader+ and SALE, we have been able to purchase proper outside broadcast facilities, which have already been used at the exceptionally successful Accordion and Fiddle Festival this year. We are now in the process of acquiring a marquee and a trailer to take the equipment around the island. If you are interested (or know of anyone who may be interested) in sponsoring these items, then let us know. It would mean that your logo will be on the marquee and also on the side of the trailer as it tours the island and parts of the mainland.

Our schedule a live programmes from the studio has now been extended to Mon to Thur Breakfast Shows 7.30-9am and Friday Breakfast Show 7.30-10am. The Live Broadcasting Monday to Friday 3-11pm, Saturday 12noon-11pm and Sunday 10.30am-11pm. Our aim is to cover at least 7.30am - 12midnight every day with live broadcasting - so, if you are free between 9am and 3pm get in touch with John Masson

Good news on the transmitter front. It looks as if we may be able to cover 98% of the island and some parts of the mainland by the end of August 2006. This means a new transmitter and aerial being erected at Skriag and (touch wood) everything seems to be on course for that happening to schedule. This will hopefully bring us new presenters from round the island and also increase our advertising revenue - which is the mainstay of the station. Becasue of this, we have decided not to have a Birthday Bash this year but to wait and have a HUGE party on the week we go live all over the island. At the moment we are looking at broadcasting live from different venues each day of the week. So the Dol Dhachaigh programnme, for instance, would come from Broadford on Monday; Dunvegan, Tuesday; etc

The AGM will be held on the 26th or 27th July and we will put a note on the web site and aslso there will be adverts in the WHFP and on Cuillin FM - new members are always welcome.

JUNE 2005

Our Birthday Bash went exceedingly well

Technology has hit the studio like a rocket and, thanks to Broadband, we are now linked to our listeners via instantly accessible e-mails for the presenters during their programmes and texting facilities. Yes, you can either e-mail the presenter, go to the schedule page and click the link you require, or you can text the studio on the same number as the phone, which is 01478 611234.

We also have merchandising available now, including Tshirts, badges, wristbands, car stickers and pens and as soon as we can get it done, we will have a merchandise page where you can order any of the above through the site.

Meanwhile, we have linked up with buy.at to have a special shopping link on the site. This link takes you through to a shopping channel where you can save money on your gifts, etc and in the process, Cuillin FM will receive a small amount of money from the distributer, which will go toward our fund-raising.

Thank you to everyone who came down to the Royal Bank of Scotland car park on Games Day to see us at the stall. A HUGE thank you to Jans for the scaffolding and the generator and to Hector Cormack for the tarpaulin covering. Also, thanks have to go to John and Kate for organising the event, Jim for all his help, Andy for the technical side and Seonag Campbell and Barbara MacKenzie for putting up with the wet and the dreech to make everyone welcome. Also, the Royal Bank themselves for the use of the car park (and their coffee machine and toilets!!)

MAY 2005

We have now moved in to the new Studio and, apart from some snagging here and there, it is almost finished.

The station consists of Studio, Editing Suite, Transmitter Room, Office, Toilet, Kitchen and Reception area. All very hi-tech!

The Studio has a mixing desk, 4 CD/MP3 players, cassette and mini disk players. We have the facility to have 3 microphones for broadcasting and there is plenty of room for live bands. The Studio also has two computers, which will be connected to the internet when Broadband becomes available in Portree. This means that every presenter will be able to receive your e-mail messages while they are on air. We are in the process of purchasing a new desk for the Studio and putting the current one in the Editing Suite in order that people can pre-record their programmes.

At the moment we have mini disk, cassette and CD players in the Editing Suite along with an editing computer with more disk space than we'll probably ever use! This is where the adverts, idents and sponsor tracks are all recorded at the moment. We also have an ever-growing library in the Editing Suite.

In the Transmitter Room, apart from the transmitter itself, we have a logger that records all the programme output which can be downloaded onto the computer and put on to CD if required. Also in there we have the router for the computer networking.

The Office consists of pigeon holes for all the presenters, the office computer and loads of filing space!

Our kitchen is equipped with fridge, hot plates, kettle and sink and the toilet – well, it has everything you'd expect to find in a toilet!

Outside the Station there is going to be a car park and the wilderness there at the moment will be landscaped. A new fence will be erected round the studio too.

WIDER AUDIENCE

We are working extremely hard to bring CuillinFM to the greater part of the island and hopefully this will happen no later than September 2005. We had hoped to be transmitting to a larger area by June but circumstances beyond our control has put a dampener on that one! Never mind, we are looking at a transmitter at Skriag and then an additional one in another part of the island. We will keep you up to date on any advances in this area. We are also currently looking at streaming over the net so all the many people, who have contacted us regarding this matter, will be able to tune in.

VOLUNTEERS

We have been very lucky in having so many volunteers taking a role in CuillinFM but we are always looking for new blood. If you are at all interested in either becoming a presenter or even just helping in fundraising, office work, etc then please do get in touch with us – we would be delighted to meet you and give you the training you require.

ADVERTISERS

Advertising revenue is extremely important to the longevity of CuillinFM and we have been extremely lucky in being able to attract local and national advertisers. If you would like further information on advertising or sponsoring a show, then please get in touch with us and we can come along and see you or send you all the details by e-mail.

FUND RAISING

We are always looking for different ways to fund raise in order to keep equipment, etc up to date at the studio. The latest way that you, our audience, can help, is by using our online shopping link. Everytime you use this link to buy anything from the listed online retailers, we get a small amount of money from them. Every penny helps so do please have a look at the site by clicking here or using any of the links dotted all over the CuillinFM web site.

MOST IMPORTANTLY...

Last, but certainly not least, we would like to thank all our listeners for supporting us over the last year and hope you will stay tuned to CuillinFM on 106.2 – without you there is no station!