Féile FM

Well if this isn’t proof that Unilocal works then I don’t know what is. Upon reading these reviews of a radio station that I’ve not actually ever heard of, I figured I’d tune in for a while and see if it really is worth my time and my ears.
Turns out it is. HOORAY!
Though it does have that twinge of local radio which means it is not always as smoothly run as some programmes on the BBC or larger corporations, Feile FM does still boast something that makes the larger stations sit in the shade, and that is genuine charisma. Declan was right, it is a great station to get away from the same old rubbish that you get on every other station. It is a fine wee station that although it is not going to set the world on fire, it is doing a fine job of pulling in the punters and arguably for me is the best radion station in Belfast.
The music is diverse throughout the day, but as you would expect with the «finishing work» time, the music is easy listening, enough to get you home without too much hassle or without infuriating you too much.
The presenters often slip in to the «radio dj» mode whereby they sometimes come across as Tony Blackburn, but as far as local community radio goes, this is certainly one of the better ones.
Well done son

Feile FM is a great wee station to listen to in order to get away from the monotony of the larger stations in Northern Ireland It is a community based radio station, so all the people on this station are doing it because they love radio, and aren’t in it for any selfish motives.
Despite its volunteer base, it is constantly innovating, with a great online presence via social networking sites, its own website and forum and via podcasts and downloads such as a Firefox scheme theme so you can show your support in a fresh and funky way!
They have a wide range of programming ranging from political discussion and sports talk to the usual breakfast and morning time shows with far better music playlists than the likes of Citybeat and other rubbish stations!
They are always on the lookout for new ideas and volunteers, which is great as a few of my friends have applied to them for experience in a more professional environment than student radio can provide! I hope Feile grows from strength to strength and can one day become a paid radio station to allow it to repay its presenters and workers for their great work, but not at the expense of their quality and community ethos!

Feile might be just a wee community station (right now), but they’re going to be kicking the commercial stations’ asses soon. The presenters are a mix of wanna be celebrities/​Z-​Listers and real, down to earth Belfastians who love radio for what it is, not what they can get out of it. The Weds night show with Cormac and Japanese Ska is absolutely hilarious, the type of real humour that the commercial stations censor. This is what distinguishes Feile from its’ «competitors»; while it does all the usual i. e breakfast, drivetime, etc, it isn’t pretentious or fake (unlike its’ competitors). For this, I give it 5 stars.

Féile Fm is west Belfast’s community radio. It’s a great local station offering a rich variety of shows and topics. For example, shows titles include: Movie reviews, Traditional Music, Artery, What the Papers Say, Musical Theatre, African Beats, Street Jams. This gives a brief overview of the wide range of genres they cover.
They also broadcast interviews, music, craic, community information and provide a voice to the local community.
The station was first broadcast in 1996 with a restricted licence, then in October 2005 the station was offered a full-​time Community Radio Licence. Over the years it has turned out to be ‘one of the most successful community development participation projects in the North of Ireland.’ This is due to the stations relationships with various organisations, groups in the community, government departments and the education sector.
The stations website has the full details of the stations history, it notes how Féile FM provides Open College Network (OCN) accredited training in radio and production skills and recording space for local artists, poets, storytellers and community-​based projects.
There are a whole range of reasons why I think this station is so good, one being as it’s a channel of broadcasting that isn’t the corporate meanie the BBC. Not that I’ve anything against them, but the quality of BBC programme making in N.I. is pretty low (No offence). Also I love the community feel here, they offer places for volunteers interested in radio production (a chance I avail of on Tuesday’s ‘Artery’ with Royce Harper) and offer work placement for students interested in the media. There should definitely be more stations like this one, it’s a great avenue for local talent to broadcast their work or discuss their ideas.