UKC

To All The Assembled Parish....

I am considering setting up an free to listen to internet based radio station devoted to all things hillwalking/climbing/mountaineering here in the UK.

I'm thinking it could comprise a mixture of music, features, articles, interviews, debates, weather forecasts, conditions reports etc., and being internet based would be accessible at home on a PC, laptop or tablet, and "on the move" on smartphones....

So 2 simple questions...

1. Would you listen to it/use such a service?
2. If yes, what would you like on your radio station?

Thanks for any feedback in advance.

ANdy Mallinson

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

yes.

If you could give a updates all winter on Kinder Downfall and how long the waiting time is for routes.

On a serious note, i think it'd be an interesting project if nothing else.

In reply to birdman:

Thanks for comments Birdman....

Any other thoughts anyone?

ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:
good weather forecast would be/could be a key service.

hard to fill with talk - would be good to have some music as well

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:
I'd imagine a podcast once a week being easier to fill with good quality content.

I'm not sure I'd just tune in for hours on end, but I might download a podcast if I knew it was going to have something interesting.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

+ one

D

In reply to Ramblin dave:

And I'd mostly be interested in magazine type content - interviews with interesting people, or well researched thinkpieces about particular areas or destinations or bits of history, that sort of thing.

Stuff like weather forecasts and conditions reports I can get off the internet at my leisure.

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

1) Yes I would/

2) Rock music.

I'll get me coat.

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:
Yes I would be interested
Same topics as you have mentioned would be good

In reply to climbing:

Hi All,

Thanks for your constructive suggestions...would welcome as many as possible.......
ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson: training tips, interviews, news items, gear reviews, people talking about their routes/ days out.

In reply to ankyo:

Thanks folks, any other thoughts?
ANdy

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Yes, similar thoughts to the above. Would be quite a lot of work, but go for it ANdy!

In reply to Andrew Mallinson: I think a service would be great! I think gear reviews, forecasts and interviews would be great!

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

Yep to all the above, esp weather current and forecast, maybe a podcast format to enable searches for areas etc and then download.

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

Have a listen to Out of Doors on BBC Scotland, they do a show on Saturday mornings and they normally have quite a varied mix of content.

Hi All,
I've had some great feedback and suggestions both on this forum and privately via email..

Any further requests? Suggestions? Nice features to have?

I was thinking of starting it off with a Friday afternoon/evening show every week as a taster? Thoughts?

ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson: This is about the only climbing podcast I can think of, some kind of UK version would probably get an occasional listen from me

http://enormocast.com/

In reply to Andrew Mallinson: Andy I think this is a great idea and maybe a first but I have reservations about it. I access UKC once a day and between the news stories and forums I can get a decent picture of what is going on in the climbing scene. I often listen to my own music while viewing the content and only switch to the audio as approrpriate. How will your content differentiate itself from UKC plus music? I think this is the key. It may be that user supplied content - reports on the latest epics, current conditions, where to go, partners live, left gear worth retrieving might be a unique selling point. Good luck.

In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

Hi Keith,
That's really thoughtful stuff and yes, my idea is that it compliments the likes of UKC. I want it to be about climbing people, and for climbing people...what people are doing, what they can do, live reports, live conditions etc, and making it interactive where possible with text & email content on stream.
Thanks again.
ANdy

I was thinking of starting it off with a Friday afternoon/evening show every week as a taster? Thoughts?

ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson: sounds good

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

You'll be needing a playlist.

Running Up that Hill - Kate Bush
Climbing Up the Walls - Radiohead
Black Mountain Side - Led Zeppelin
...

Anything unthematic would not be appropriate.

In reply to Andy Moles:

manowar - mountains

In reply to Andrew Mallinson: I'll add my support to the podcast. I was only thinking the other day that a station like six music with up to date climbing news and features would be good. If it was a podcast or a couple of podcasts I would subscribe and tell my mates about it.

Regarding content I would like the usual notions of gear reviews and news but more detail in news, are there any expeditions on that the listenership can wish luck, is there a closing date for applications for funds, when will the next Bonnington lecture be where etc.

In reply to Andy Moles:

You'll be needing a playlist.

Running Up that Hill - Kate Bush
Climbing Up the Walls - Radiohead
Black Mountain Side - Led Zeppelin

"Aint No Mountain High Enough" - Marving Gaye & Tammi Tirrell

Anybody think of any more?

ANdy

In reply to puppythedog:

Great feedback mate. On the podcast thing, I want to make it FREE to listeners, that's important to me.

Second, the ideas re: lectures, funding closing dates, expeditions etc is really good!

Thanks!

ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

I would say ditch the music (you'll have to pay rights) and focus your budget on going places.

If you broadcast live, make sure all the shows are also available as a podcast afterwards - gives people two ways to listen.

Seek sponsorship and think creatively about the way you do advertising.

Good luck, and don't be too successful

Chris (producer of Radio Scotland's Out of Doors prog)

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

Meet on The Ledge - Fairport Convention
Big Rock Candy Mountain - Harry McClintock
Rocky Mountain High - John Denver
Joy of Living - Ewan MacColl
Climb Every Mountain - Julie Andrews
Everest - Andy Stochansky
Get Off Of My Cloud - Rolling Stones
I can See For Miles - The Ooo
The Only Way Is Up - Yaz
Blue Ridge Mountains - Fleet Foxes
Sugar Mountain - Neil Young
Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin
First there Is A Mountain - Donovan
Windy Mountain - String Cheese Incident ( A song to cut yer arm off to!)
Fearless - Pink Floyd
Colonel Forbin's Ascent - Phish
Wild Mountain Thyme (Braes of Balqhuidder) - Robert Tannahill
The Legend Of Joe Brown - Tom Patey
Onward Christian Bonington - Tom Patey
The Ballad Of Bill Murray - Tom Patey
Last Of The Grand Old Masters - Tom Patey

"Live it up, fill your cup, drown your sorrow
And sow your wild oats while ye may
For the toothless old tykes of tomorrow
Were the Tigers of Yesterday"

In reply to Rob Naylor:

Absolutely priceless Rob !

Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia - Laurel & Hardy ?!??????

ANdy

In reply to chris_s:

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your support mate, really appreciated. Good, sound advice.
Would welcome the opportunity for a beer/chat sometime!
Thanks again.
ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

1) yes I would listen, most days whilst at work.
2) weekends weather for mountain area, MWIS reports + everything in your post

In reply to Andrew Mallinson: Thanks for acknowledging my Post Andy, I don't really know about podcasts and things, what I mean is something that can be listened to not live, like listen again on iPlayer so that if I am unable to listen on Friday at xpm I can still listen to the week's broadcast. Best of luck with this.

In reply to Rob Naylor: how could you forget Otway & Barrett's Misty Moutain ?

Also a few Runrig tracks such as Nightfall on Marsco

Andrew,

I suspect you might struggle to find enough content to run a radio station, also running a live show doesn't leave you much room for error, and means you'll be learning the hard way i.e. live under pressure. Consider going down the podcast route first so you can learn interview techniques, good/bad content, editing ect with time on your side, before broadcasting. Allowing you to develop a style and a polished product

For an example from the seakayaking world, look at seakayak podcasts com. Note I'm not saying this is good or bad, but the author has put alot of work into them and was previously a broadcast proffessional. It should give you food for thought....there are examples of vocal and reluctant interviewees, occasionally self-centred interviewing, along with educational offerings. Listen to several of them, and ask yourself could you carry the quiet interviewee, would you let the interesting interview talk rather than interupting...all difficult judgement skills, and hard to get right for the audience. Hard still is getting people to agree to go before the mike!

But for what its worth I think its a very intersting idea, I was looking for something similar, and found a few USA sites. I think there is a wealth of stories out there, and with a quality outlet, they would be very interesting to hear first hand from the horses mouth. Could be really good.

In reply to ScraggyGoat:
and for a track

Halfway there, living on a prayer

In reply to Rob Naylor:

Foggy mountain breakdown - Flatt and Scruggs?

Once again, thanks for all offerings!
ANdy