John White

A broadcasting reunion involving two radio presenters who had not met for nearly 30 years featured in Synergy's final week on the air. The Bedlington-based community radio station which completes its 28-day Restricted Service Licence broadcast at midnight on Friday saw Drivetime presenter John White get together with ex-Radio Wansbeck hospital broadcaster Diana Pasek-Atkinson Diana, formerly of Morpeth who now lives and works in Nottingham, was visiting family and friends and made contact with John who invited her along for an on-air chat. John said: "It was great to see and hear Diana again after all these years. She has occasionally done radio work in the Midlands with stints on BBC Radio Nottingham, and during her Trent University days, with a hospital broadcasting service in the city. "The last time we worked together was on a 48-hour sponsored broadcast to raise money for Radio Wansbeck in the early 1980s, about two years before she left the area. But we have kept in touch and Diana has been listening to Synergy on-line in Nottingham." John's final programme on Friday, which he is co-presenting with Synergy newcomer Becca Bird, will feature Ashington AFC's press officer Brian Bennett, defender Craig Scott and midfielder Andrew Johnson, and Stewart Grimes from Bedlington Terriers. They will be previewing Saturday's games and reflecting on recent performances. Earlier in the day, Colin Heathcote will be interviewing Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery and Red Cross senior community fund-raiser Margaret Musgrave. Colin said: "The past four weeks of broadcasting to people on 87.7FM throughout south east Northumberland has been a wonderful experience for all our presenters. "Our aim was to provide an entertaining mix of music to suit all tastes alongside speech-based programmes which concentrated on community activities, facilities and events. We hope that we have achieved that aim. "Our presenters have showcased local musical talent, presented live outside broadcasts and talked to more than fifty guests. "We are grateful for the many messages of support, including texts, letters, e-mails and phone calls, and we look forward to returning on-air and on-line as soon as possible," he added.

A Bedlington-based community radio station has been given the go-ahead to begin broadcasting on FM and on-line. Ofcom, the government's broadcasting authority has granted "˜Synergy' a 28-day licence to go on air as from Saturday March 3. The licence will enable the station to broadcast to thousands of households throughout south east Northumberland. For organisers South Northumberland Radio Group, news that its licence application had been approved comes after nearly four years of fund-raising to build and equip a professional grade studio in readiness for the broadcast. Group chairman Colin Heathcote said: "We're absolutely thrilled to be given this opportunity to provide a genuinely accessible community radio station for the area. "We have raised some £20,000 from councils and local and national funders such as the Community Foundation, Bernicia, the Co-op and the Big Lottery Fund as well as personal donations from supporters and group members. "The group has been very fortunate in having some magnificent volunteers and local contractors who've helped convert the former British Gas showroom in Bedlington's Front Street East into a studio. "We've arranged a "˜meet and greet' session at the studio on Monday February 6 at 6.30pm to talk to volunteers about programming and we're looking forward to hearing from local groups and organisations who want to use Synergy to promote their services and activities." Listeners will be able to tune into "˜Synergy' on 87.7FM or on-line: www.synergyradio.co.uk