WFM Radio vacant broadcasting desk – Before and After….Radio Waves Opened, and Tuesday Breakfast presenter Dennis Phillips
Readers of Southside will be aware that the Wythenshawe Community Radio, which is based in the Forum, is in its 20th year broadcasting to listeners and ‘surfers’ in M22, M23 and beyond. What they might not have realised because of the quality of the station’s output, is that, since March 2020, the volunteers at the station have been excluded from their small studio next to the security office owing to the COVID-19 restrictions.
After over a year ‘in the wilderness’ and having to maintain a quality schedule with pre-recorded programmes from home, including the addition of professional Susie Mathis during lockdown, the embargo has been lifted and last Monday, May 17, saw veteran Breakfast, Hospital Heartbeat and Drivetime presenter, Mike George, kicking off the station’s relaunch of live shows. Thanks to their current sponsors the Forum Trust and the Wythenshawe Community Housing Trust, the station has been sustained and supported throughout the pandemic, and in the government’s terms are back on the road to full recovery.
Mike told Southside, “It’s been the longest year of my life! The absence of the inborn injection of adrenalin broadcasting live and getting the immediate feedback of telephone and text requests and dedications has been hard to cope without, but we’re back! Although it will be a gradual build-back of live shows, it will all depend on the national road map campaign to win the battle against the Indian Covid variant.”
Readers who are in a position to offer sponsorship, advertising or financial contributions are asked to have a look at our website – www.wfmradio.org for more details.
Mike has worked with the Wythenshawe community for almost 40 years during his service at Haveley Hey School, Sharston and Baguley Youth Centres, The Birtles and Sharston Adult Learning centres, and latterly as a Covid-19 Marshal at the Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre.
Once the pandemic is over, the station hopes to celebrate being a long-standing popular, vibrant and a valued part of its listening community in a spectacular awareness-raising extravaganza!
Watch this space!
Mike George