Former GWR area programme controller Ian Walker is to work with the US organisation Children's Miracle Network on Radiothons in Europe and Australia. He's Absolute Radio's consultant on the project and will oversee the first charity broadcast in Dublin next month.
Last year Children’s Miracle Network Radiothons raised over $50 million for hospitalised kids. CMN hospitals treat children with cancer, pediatric AIDS, muscular dystrophy, heart disease, leukemia, sickle cell anemia, asthma and accident trauma. Some 17 million children receive treatment each year and Children’s Miracle Network raises the much-needed funds to pay for life-saving equipment, charity care and break-through research. Since 1983, Children's Miracle Network has raised more than $2.7 billion.
Dublin's 98FM will broadcast live from Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin for 3 days from March 8th with their "Care For Kids" campaign, which is raising funds for all 3 children's hosptials in the Irish capital.
Ian, who used to be in charge of programming the Chiltern cluster for GWR, told RadioToday.co.uk: "Radiothons are all about the kids, sharing their experiences and telling their stories – the light hearted, the funny and the serious — all spine tingling and full of emotion. This is compelling radio and each station involved with a Radiothon receives tremendous listener support. Throughout 2007 we will be looking to recruit more stations across Europe to become part of the Children’s Miracle Network Radiothon family”.
Absolute Radio owns FM 107.9 in Oxford and is due to launch the first JackFM brand outside North America later this year, having won a second Oxford analogue radio licence from Ofcom.
[link=https://radiotoday.co.uk]RadioToday.co.uk – non-stop radio news[/link] radionews@tmssvr.co.uk or call 0871 315 6 315