Hillfields Community Radio

Who are Hillz Radio?
How does Hillz Community Radio Station use ICT?
What difference has ICT made?
What was learnt?
How to find out more

Who are Hillz Radio? 

Hillz Community Radio Station is located in the Hillfields area of Coventry.  This is an inner city neighbourhood with a population of around 10,000 which is immediately adjacent to the city centre.  It is a multi racial community with a third of its population from black and ethnic minority groups. 
Hillfields has all the usual social problems associated with cramped housing and high rise accommodation of any challenging inner city suburb.  Hillfields has for many years maintained a community spirit that has also embraced a high number of refugees and asylum seekers.  The diversity of the community has produced a range of innovative projects using ICT as a way of making the community visible. 

How does Hillz Community Radio Station use ICT? 

One good example of the use of ICT is the community radio station.  Hillz Radio not only offers a radio service for Hillfields but also transmits across the city of Coventry.  It actively promotes the involvement of the local community by offering various activities and training opportunities, and works with local agencies and statutory bodies to deliver services.  For example, to get some of the teenagers off the streets and to develop different talents, they have established and deliver creative media production sessions.  The focus has been to work with young people in order to research and record the heritage and history of Primose Hill Park in Coventry - through the use of radio and media. They are recording the findings using a range of multimedia tools such as audio, video and photography.

What difference has ICT made? 

The development of a website that provides an on-line chat room through a webcam is one example of how ICT can be used to good effect.  Another innovative project has involved a mobile monitoring device and the production of radio adverts for a marketing campaign. The mobile monitoring device is a new concept intended to prevent skin cancer from harmful UVB rays from the sun. It is intended to plug into a mobile phone so that the wearer is told when they should apply more sun screen or take cover from the sun.   After devising a promotional campaign, the group developed the script, sound effects and added a voice over to the advert for Hillz radio.

What was learnt? 

The use of ICT has been fundamental in establishing good community relations by working with people from a range of ethnic communities enabling the development of technical skills in broadcasting so that they can transmit radio programmes in four languages. They have plans to upgrade their existing Restricted Service Licence to a full broadcasting licence, which will enable them to offer advertising thus increasing their revenue stream.  At the present time, the restrictions of the Community Radio Act prevent them from doing this.

How to find out more 

Website address: www.thehillz.net
Email: dan@thehillz.net
Telephone: 02476 550 564

To find out more about using new media technologies, visit the new media section of the website.

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