The Bridge (BRFM)
With Island & Radio History
Issue : 3 Dated : 26th March 2009
Page 3 of 3
Some pictures of the island overlooking the Thames Estuary
Looking south east the village of Warden Point the village long ago fell into the sea, we've been unable to find out when?
People recall a Post Office General Store the foundations, bricks of the homes & even a WWII reinforced concrete observation post litter the cliffs below
North west view of the eroded soft clay cliffs
The obligatory car wreck
North west view to trees haning on before an inevitable plummet into the gulley
South east view of fencing a casualty of the land slips in centre of frame
Looking towards Southend the hillocks are a catcombe of rabbit burrows
The rabbits sit contented basking in the sun
The island comprising mostly London Clay is at risk of further erosion as the cliffs facing North become waterlogged large sections fall away
Isle-of-Sheppey postcard shows the island from Whitstable
BRFM tell us that they are planning a major re-fit: Reconfiguration of the facilities on site, a second studio & improved transmission chain, we'll report more as it happens
Grateful thanks to Valve for the additional Thames Boom photographs & to Roy & Paul for the Crane Lorry Antenna photograph & Kevin Turner for the additional photograph of the Mulberry harbour
1/10/08 - BRFM as a Community Radio is funded from a variety of sources: Grants, Local Donations, a little advertising & the deficit topped up by its directors. All their staff are volunteers & so work freely either for the passion of radio, belief in the good of promoting Swale or their own ego. Mostly it sounds like the latter, a lost opportunity! – Alvin Hamlin - Minster
2/10/08 - Regards BRFM
in their wisdom management have apparently sanctioned a presenter committee,
that's been running for sometime, they dictate the stations sound. The result
is that programme quality varies wildly. The DJ’s, you can’t call
most of them presenters are amateurs, many with very strange voices who make
shows in strange haphazard ways. Musically individual DJ’s left to their
own devises to play anything from Old Standards to ‘Street R&B’,
hardly a credible mix – Katherine MacArthy - Sittingbourne
2/10/08 - BRFM should
be a great local but its stuck half way up a cliff in the middle of nowhere.
Hardly in touch with its audience! Unfortunately with its DJ’s &
bizarre music. They've done little to no listener surveys & the station
seams blissfully unaware that even core locals once loyal to the station are
turning away in droves. Sadly without a captain at the helm Swale Community
Radio (BRFM) is in jeopardy of floundering – Reg Caplin – Queenborough
2/10/08 - I moved to the Isle-of-Sheppey a year ago & thought it would be nice to support a Local Community Station. During the last year I feel that the station is on the slippery slope. More & more slots are left unattended, I assume output fed via computer with very little or no DJ input
The local feel is fading. For example, the station relies on its listeners to advise of any traffic problems. Today on my way home just after midday, there was a crash next to the A249/M2 junction with traffic tailing back beyond the Key Street roundabout, 2/3 miles of stationary traffic. So I attempted to call BRFM, the phone rang & rang, I drove all the way home, a further 5/6 miles. No-one ever answered. Local residents will lose interest if the community station does not fulfil their needs.
It seems to me that BRFM has made the effort but is losing interest, brighter programmes needed maybe with some experienced DJs rather than relying on unpaid people playing their own choice of music. Two guys chatting together with lots of laughter between themselves is not good listening. The basis is there for a good show though, phone in no prize contests, old TV questions, nostalgic quips & music. Just need to answer the phone. At weekends the station fails badly, so much so that I don’t tune in any more. Come on BRFM, get back to the basics, back on track.
Disgruntled Minster on Sea resident.
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