RNIB Connect Radio (previously Insight Radio) is a British radio station that is part of

Royal National Institute of Blind People The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is a UK charity offering information, support and advice to almost two million people in the UK with sight loss. History The RNIB was founded by Thomas Rhodes Armitage, a doctor who had eye ...

and was Europe's first

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

for blind and partially sighted listeners. It broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online, on 101 FM in the

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

area, and on

Freeview Freeview may refer to: * Freeview (Australia), the marketing name for the digital terrestrial television platform in Australia * Freeview (New Zealand), a digital satellite and digital terrestrial television platform in New Zealand *Freeview (UK), ...

channel 730. Live shows make up around half of the station's output, with the overnight schedule being used as a showcase for the best music, features, interviews and articles from the past few days. Most of the presenters are blind or visually impaired. From 2007 until early 2016 it was known as Insight Radio. Although the station's main studios are based in Scotland, the station is for everyone in the UK and beyond, with many listeners in the United States and Canada. Other studios are in Edinburgh, Cardiff and London and more locations across the UK are planned for the very near future.

History

The radio station started as an online service called VIP on Air in November 2003, broadcasting for 2 hours a day, and later extending this to a 4-hour broadcast day. In 2007 the service was completely re-vamped, renamed and re-launched as Insight Radio. The name VIP on Air was changed for a number of reasons. VIP in this context stands for Visually Impaired People but could be easily misunderstood. Also, as the station only broadcast online at the time, it wasn't actually 'on air' at all. After broadcasting as Insight Radio for a number of years, the station changed its name to RNIB Connect Radio in 2016.

Big Brother

In 2008, a former member of staff from Insight Radio, Michael Hughes, became a contestant on the TV show Big Brother.

Awards

In 2007, the Insight Show (which later became the Daily Lunch) won the Silver

Sony Award The Radio Academy Awards, started in 1983, were the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. For most of their existence, they were run by ZAFER Associates, but in latter years were brought under the control of The Radio Academy ...

for the Internet Programme AwardSony Radio Academy Awards – Winners 2007
/ref> The Insight Show
Producers: Nina Kirk, Barry Snell & Michael Hughes
Writers: Jill Daley, Nina Kirk & Robert Kirkwood
Editors: Jill Daley, Michael Hughes, Robert Kirkwood, Allan Russell & Nina Kirk
Presenter: Jill Daley
Performers: Allan Russell, Robert Kirkwood & Laura Steel
"This podcast for blind listeners provides a niche service which would never be accommodated on a mainstream radio station and contains some of the most moving and well-produced human interest content the judges had heard in a long time." VIPonAIR & RNIB for VIPonAIR.com

References

External links

Insight Radio website
{{Radio in Scotland Radio stations established in 2003 2003 establishments in Scotland Radio reading services Radio stations in Glasgow Disability mass media

History

Big Brother

Awards

See also

References

External links