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Where is your Heart Global?
Earlier in the year, we brought you breaking news about the future of local radio. On 6th June Global Radio acquired Gcap Media, the owner of Essex FM and this led to shock waves being felt across the broadcasting industry. It has now emerged that in a heartless attempt to save money, Global have decided the fate of Essex FM. It's soon to become a 'Heart' branded station. We're yet to find out if broadcasts will remain 'local', the likelihood is though that Essex FM as we currently know it will be lost forever!
UPDATE: As part of the rebrand, the breakfast and drivetime shows will remain local.
Published: 16/09/2008
Youth of Canvey star in new film
Youngsters on Canvey were given the chance to star in their own movie last week. Images Youth Centre, based in the town centre, hosted a week long course which offered an insight into media. The course gave 13 to 19 year olds the chance to develop a wide range of skills including working in teams, writing and producing scripts, enhancing acting abilities and understanding basic filming techniques. Kelly Pain, a youth worker at Images said: “its good to see the kids in a different light and see their acting skills.”
Sue Macainsh, Youth Worker and the Project leader explains the plot: “The story is based around a young person who is naturally gifted and a talented athlete who is set for the Olympics. Under pressure from his parents and bad influences through his love life, he becomes pressurised into making bad choices. The girl he fancies, also a gang leader, convinces him to let his hair down, which led him to drugs and alcohol. Challenged to a race which ends up being a challenge to climb the roof of a building, he falls off the roof and becomes paralysed. His hopes and aspirations for Olympic success were dashed.”
Scenes which involved sporting activities were filmed at the running track of Waterside Farm.
The cast members each had the opportunity to take part in the technical side of producing the film, and were also split into three groups to write and produce the beginning, middle and end. Professional actors were on-site to lend a helping hand. Kolade Agboke, from the Trinity group said: “I was a professional actor for eleven years and the talent I've seen here today is brilliant. Some of the kids could walk straight onto a set. The kids have shown extraordinary focus and commitment.”
The film, which is currently being edited, will première later in the year and members of the public will be given the opportunity to watch the final product. The cast members, along with the staff at Images Youth Centre, are working together to prepare for the première along with choosing a suitable location for the event. The chosen date and venue will be published here on the canvey views website.
For more pics of this event, visit our new gallery (click here) Published: 07/08/2008
Haven't you heard?
Local radio station, Essex FM, will be getting new owners on June 6th following a £375 million takeover of Britain's largest commercial radio group. Current owner, GCap media has been acquired by Global Radio.
Under rules imposed by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), Global Radio's chief executive and chairman will be expected to take up respective roles at GCap for an interim period. The OFT have told Global that it must keep the companies separate until such a time as a regulatory review of the takeover is complete. This, then is good news for Essex FM as it means that immediate changes to the station are unlikely.
Essex FM was originally acquired by GWR in October 2000. The company later merged with the Capital Radio Group to form GCap Media in what was to become the largest commercial radio group in Britain. GCap media currently operate 42 regional radio stations across the country. Essex FM has been a key player in the GCap portfolio and has some of the highest listening figures for the entire network.
Global Radio already has a large portfolio of radio stations including Heart, Galaxy, LBC and The Arrow. Ofcom, the regulatory body responsible for issuing and renewing broadcasting licences, are likely to instruct Global Radio to dispose of some of their stations. Will Essex FM be selected for disposal? Only time will tell, but with any luck the station will eventually benefit from the changes.Fact File:
Essex FM launched on 12th September 1981 as Essex Radio. The station was originally based in Southend and moved to Chelmsford in 2004. Legendary breakfast DJ, Martin Day, gained National fame in 1998 when he was featured as part of a television series called Lakesiders. In 1998, Essex Radio Group was acquired by DMG Radio, a subsidiary of DMGT (Daily Mail and General Trust). In June 2000 DMGT announced that it had entered an agreement to consolidate all of DMG Radio's UK operations to GWR. GWR merged with the Capital Radio Group in May 2005 to form GCap Media
Have your Say...
Should Essex FM be run by a large commercial broadcaster, or should the station go back to its original independent local radio routes? Get in touch (click here)Published: 22/05/2008
Canvey News Xtra (From Canvey News):
Furtherwick Park buries its past
Furtherwick Park School, Canvey Island celebrated its 50th anniversary with a 50s themed day. Students wore 50s dress wear, had 50s themed lessons, a 50s style dinner and a disco after school. The disco played the top 50 songs, nominated by staff and students.
During the day the burying of the Time Capsule took place in the centre of the school, with students, governors, the Head Teacher, Senior Staff and The Mayor and Mayoress.
The Mayor spoke to the students and said, “It is a pleasure to be involved in the celebration of 50 years of Furtherwick Park School and particularly the burying of a time capsule at the school site. I commend the enthusiasm of students and staff who have contributed both to the material contained within the capsule and also to those who attended the ceremony in 1950’s dresses. This capsule is an historical legacy for the future. It recognises 50 years of success at Furtherwick Park School”.
Inside the capsule is an attendance list of all staff and students of the school on the day, school ties upper, lower and a prefect’s tie, student diaries about their day in school, school newsletters, pictures of school life and a CD with school documents on it. Some of the students that were dressed in 50s style, stood and watched as the time capsule was being buried by The Mayor. Amy Barker Year 7, Jessica Smith Year 7, Ellie Wilson Year 9, Lily-Rose Buisson Year 9 and Charlotte Walker Year 9
Ms Missons, Head Teacher said, “It has been an excellent day and the students have enjoyed experiencing school life in the 50’s!
Published: 02/05/2007
Are we safe from Floods?
With the recent floods along the Thames, Islanders have every right to be concerned about safety on Canvey. Throughout the latest heavy downpours on the Island, our reporters noticed that the flood defence gates along the seafront had been left open. This sparked immediate concern as the tide had clearly reached the bottom of the wall at various stages this week, so Canvey News immediately contacted the Environment Agency. In response to our concerns, James Mason, Flood Incident Management Technical Specialist, said:
“If there was a perceived threat of flooding from the sea then the flood gates would be closed. No such threat has been forecast and the amount of water working its way down the Thames will not have any effect in relation to Canvey Island.”
Islanders are advised to keep visiting the Environment Agency Website for further updates.
Published: 27/07/2007
Islands tv signal close to darkness
If the development of flats on Canvey seafront takes place, along with the proposed expansion of the gas terminal, residents close to the seafront could be left without a television signal.
Depending on how high the Lubbins flats go, some areas of Canvey could experience major difficulties in receiving digital broadcasts in the not-too-distant future.
Lee Sayer, founder of Canvey News explains the situation...
Islanders are in an unusual situation whereas we fall into the reception zone of two major transmitters, one of which is in Kent. You wouldn’t normally notice the signals from Kent, perhaps only becoming aware of their existence whilst retuning your television. Most Islanders have probably come across the Meridian variation of ITV at some stage.
Freeview technology, on the other hand, locks on to the strongest signal and stores such channels in the correct order. For example the LCN (Logical Channel Number) of BBC 1 would be 001, BBC 2 being 002. Currently some, if not most, of Canveys Freeview boxes are locking onto the two transmitters in Kent and London. This results in the channels often being duplicated. The strongest ones being placed with the correct channel numbers, the weaker (duplicated) channels being stored in unused LCN’s.
Unfortunately even though most of the Islands digital television aerials are pointing towards the Crystal Palace transmitter in London, the signal from Kent is nearly always stronger (or at least until large container ships block the reception).
The Lubbins flats may eradicate the Kent signals, or at least make them weaker. If, however the gas terminal gets the go ahead, there will be large areas of Canvey which most definitely wont be able to receive television through an aerial. Whereas one solution may have been to point the aerial toward the Bluebell hill transmitter in Kent, this option won’t be available if we let the flats go too high!
It's worth bearing in mind that the proposed gas terminal will have containers which are higher than the tallest mobile phone mast on the Island!
We’ll still get some local DAB (digital radio) stations, including BBC Essex and Essex FM, as the local transmitter is situated on the water tower in Benfleet. The London stations will be difficult to pick up.
