Gaelic Community Radio Award

Issue Date: Monday 16 January 2006

TWO LOCHS WIN GAELIC COMMUNITY RADIO AWARD

A Wester Ross community radio station has won the 2005 Wallace Highland Gaelic Community Radio Competition. Alex Gray and Alice Mackenzie from Two Lochs Radio in Gairloch were presented with a replica Wallace broadsword and a cheque for £500 during The Highland Council’s Gaelic Select Committee held in Inverness this afternoon. (Thursday 12 January).

Organised by The Highland Council, with support from the Gaelic Media Service and Burn Stewart Distillers PLC, makers of the Wallace Liqueur, the aim of the competition is to encourage radio groups to develop Gaelic programming within their broadcast schedules and encourage Gaelic speakers to participate in Community Radio.

Community radio stations from the Highlands and beyond were invited to submit a tape of a 20-minute Gaelic programme, which had to include a topic of the entrant’s choice, a lively signature tune, a short jingle or advertisement, an interview, traditional and contemporary music with links in Gaelic.

Chairman of The Gaelic Select Committee, Hamish Fraser congratulated Two Loch’s Radio for submitting a strong entry that was very professional, creative and entertaining. Before presenting the team with the replica sword and a cheque he said: "The standard of entry this year was very high. We are keen to encourage Gaelic speakers to get involved in community and local radio and for radio stations to think about their national language and culture. I would like to congratulate everyone involved with Two Lochs Radio. Winning this award is a tribute to their hard work and commitment to produce quality radio programmes."

Alex Gray, Station Manager said: "We are very proud to have won this award and it has come at a good time as we have just broadcasted our 100th edition of Ceờl is Criomagan."

The radio station celebrated its second birthday in November but won the Wallace Award in 2002 before it went on air after producing a pilot for a Gaelic programme.