Hillz would only ever post important changes to the station either on air, via our website or on our both OFFICIAL Facebook/Twitter pages (links can be found to both at the bottom of this notice).

Finally Hillz FM would like to state that the person responsible for posting these pieces of informtion was a past member of staff and no longer works or represents the station.
Hillz Community Radio (Hillz Hangout) is no longer an official Hillz FM page and has not been since April 2011. It is operated by the person mentioned above and does not in any way represent the views or opinions of Hillz FM or WATCH LTD.

The New Hillz FM Facebook page can be found HERE

The Hillz FM Twitter Page can be found HERE:

We also hope to interact with more listeners by extending the type of music that we play on Hillz FM and giving the listeners what they want to hear. Hillz FM also has a brand new Facebook page which can be found here.

If you are a young person or someone that is interested in volunteering at the Hillz you can contact us on 02476 550 564 and ask for either Kate or Mandy.

There will be a limited amount of support available should you need it.

It’s a small step in the right direction and we are still hoping to be able to have extended services for employment and training advice and guidance operating at some time in the not too distant future.

Thank you

It would appear that a lot of people are thinking that WATCH is permanently closed. This is a complete misconception, as those of you who regularly tune into the Hillz on 98.6fm will know.

It’s true that the doors are shut for general enquiries and employment related advice but t here are still things going on here. For instance, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 10 and 1, we have basic IT courses, delivered on behalf of UK Online. These are great for those who need to start from the beginning or who need additional support to progress their knowledge. On Tuesdays, from 10-4, Imani are running their sewing sessions and anyone, whatever skill level they are, are welcome to come along.

We also have someone manning the phones throughout the week, so if you need to contact us, someone will be there to take your call

Alongside all this, the Trustees and volunteers are working to identify and secure alternative sources of funding so that WATCH and The Hillz are able to deliver services that you want and need, such as employment and training. Just because you may not always see activity, it doesn’t mean that it is not happening – believe me, people are working away feverishly behind the scenes.

On a final note, we are still looking for more advertisers and sponsors for the radio, so if you are, or know, local businesses who would benefit from this, please ask them to get in touch with Mandy or Kate.

From 1 to 6 Hillz FM offered all the listeners the best music with Isiah Williams, Fergie, Deina Johnson, Lloyd McGrath, the beat boxer Rob Kent, Perry Nology, Leon Rolyat (aka Noel Taylor), Aaron Shakezpeare, Hands across the water, Ziggy Natulus and Andre. Brilliant live performances, funny chats and lots of greetings for the special anniversary of the beloved radio station were the perfect ingredients for a really nice daytime.

Just a few hours later, the West Indian Centre in Spon Street welcomed the after party , starring Junior Brown, Black Magic Family, Eddie Goodtimes, Supersonic, Looch, Black Lion, Irie B & Scooby and the Williams Brothers. An amazing, late night which reached its climax when the birthday cake was finally cut and served to all the public.

Although it was a quite pleasant Saturday, Hillz FM would like to apologize for the sudden cancellation of the event in the Village Square.

The party will be rescheduled for the 20^th of August.

“The Hillz FM birthday party – says the dj Brown Sugar – is an opportunity for everyone who listens and supports the Hillz to come together and celebrate its ongoing achievement.”

Come down and enjoy the 2nd Hillz FM Birthday party (Hillfields Village Square, from 1 pm on) with a host of live acts and performances from artists such as Angel A alongside Ziggy Natulus, Rob Kent Beat boxer, Aaron Shakespeare Todd, Joe O’Donnell plus many more.

“This is an opportunity for the whole community to come along and show their support for the Hillz Community Radio Station – commented the manager Chris Barnes - Despite all that has happened over the past year, the Hillz is still broadcasting on 98.6 fm and since April has increased its live hours as well as the numbers of volunteers. This will be its 2^nd birthday and as far as we are concerned will be an annual event for many years to come.”

The party will continue in the evening (9 pm to 4 am) at the Coventry West Indian Centre in Spon Street, with a range of Hillz FM’s best DJ’s including: Junior Brown,
Irie B & Scooby,
Eddie Goodtimes,
Williams Brothers alongside Nelson Irie,
Black Lion,
Looch,
Black Magic 3D,
and the Smoov crew
So come down and join us and let the good vibes continue.

Last week Mickey D hosted in his show three girls from Coventry City College, talking about a special Fashion Show, the highlight of the Arts week celebrated each year in June, in which many students will be involved to show their collections the 29th and 30th June at the Studio 1 South, from 3pm to 7.30 pm.

Last Friday, K8ivity’s “Kick Start” was really funny because of the presence in the studio of five students from Hereward College. A bit shy at first, after just a few minutes the young boys started to feel the vibe as real deejays, suggesting Kate all their favourite tunes and giving their shouts and dedications to friends and relatives in an extremely amazing and spontaneous way.

Harvinder and Coby, two students coming respectively from Princes Trust and President Kennedy College, have just finished their job placement, making their contribution to Hillz FM in different ways (going on air with their selected tunes, producing jingles and fliers and doing a survey by interviewing personally some listeners) and improving themselves in the use of the mixer and other useful softwares to work with music. And today two new lads are on the radio for their first day of full immersion in the world of broadcasting…enjoy it! We at the Hillz are glad to give young people the possibility to express themselves and at the same time the opportunity to learn something about life on a radio station.

It is with regret that we have to announce that this year WATCH will not be running it’s  annual trip to the seaside – Hillfields By The Sea. We sincerely apologise f or this as we realise that this has become an important date in the community calendar over the past six years and that, for some, it has provided perhaps the only opportunity to take a break away from the city, even ifonly for a day.

We are still working hard to secure WATCH services for the future.Please keep checking the websites www.watch-hillfields.org.uk and www.thehillz.net, tuning in to your community radio station (The Hillz) on 98.6fm or looking for notices posted in the WATCH building for updates.

Thank you.

We would like to take this opportunity to clarify the situation as it is now.

The programme was recorded some seven or so months ago and obviously there was an embargo on us saying anything at the time. Our ‘Secret Millionaire’, Sue Stone, was absolutely delightful to work with and kept up the pretence right until the very end. We were speculating as to whether or not the filming was to do with ‘Secret Millionaire’ but couldn’t be certain. The money we received was to go towards Gino’s salary for up to six months in order for us to keep him in employment whilst we looked for other sources of funding. However, this exercise proved to be unsuccessful and all of the staff at WATCH were issued with redundancy notices as at the end of March. We are truly grateful to Sue for her support of The Hillz and hope that the programme will generate additional interest in the radio and highlight the work we do for the community.

What has happened since then most of you are aware of. WATCH, although closed to general public access is operating behind closed doors to develop a sustainable business plan and seek funding to enable future provision of services. Throughout this time, the radio has continued to broadcast with the support of some dedicated volunteers, who have given an inordinate amount of their time to keep it on air. The response from the community has been overwhelming and, although we have so far not managed to access any additional funding, have benefitted greatly from this support in enabling us to present a continuing programme of variety throughout the week. As it stands, if we could find the funding, we would be able to broadcast live for a lot longer than we currently do as we have a waiting list of presenters wanting to showcase their talents on The Hillz.

The Trustees continue to work with volunteers to seek possible funding opportunities that will benefit WATCH and The Hillz. Any suggestions or ideas are welcome and should any business out there consider sponsorship for the radio or individual programmes, then please get in touch.