Well if this isn't proof that Yelp works then I don't know what is. Upon reading these reviews of a…read moreradio 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

Féile Fm is west Belfast's community radio. It's a great local station offering a rich variety of…read moreshows 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.

Queen's Radio is a very vibrant and rich station, and I feel that it needs to have a lot more…read moreattention that it currently gets! The station broadcasts on 1134MW in the Belfast area, but your most reliable bet is to listen via the internet! The station is ran by QUB students, and as such operates mainly in term time from September until June, however in summer there are many special broadcasts! The station is ran by people who genuinely care about music and want to try their hand at broadcasting, and the results are refreshingly professional!(That rolls off the tongue...unfortunately thi is written so the impact is lessened!) There is a huge breadth of programming, including a news debating show,a sports talk show where the topical sporting issues of the day are bantered about with the minimal of tired clichés, a show about computer games and of course oodles of music! Personal favourites of mine are the regular Audi Beef sessions where DJs have track battles over certain subjects , and also Wavelength, a show fronted by a charismatic friend of mine called Jamie who fills our lugs with the crème de la crème of alternative music every week! So if you need something to distract you from your homework or give you something interesting to listen to whilst at work or home Queen's Radio can provide something for all tastes, not just students!

And so they should have one. The students have one in Hollyoaks, and Zak had one in Saved by the…read moreBell (points for whoever can remember its name). So should Queen's have their own radio station that can play the music they want and have shows presented by the students. Problem number one. The majority of it is rubbish. I don't want to generalise. And I try not to be so general. But I do tune in regularly and I do know a few people who have worked at the station. But the majority of it is rubbish. They seem to strive to make it a 'cool' music station which plays hip music for some funky cats. Problem number two. 'Cool' music stations aren't particularly interesting. Or for that matter are they particularly good. Yes so I don't mind listening to the Libertines or the Strokes every so often. But when I do some work, the last thing I want is more of the Libertines or the Strokes. Whenever I go to the library, I want to listen to a variety of music and talk. Not the same cool music that I've heard all day. Radio One, for all those that hate it, is still more popular and interesting. So is Radio Two, Cool FM, 2FM... they all have a variety that appeals to a spectrum. Not all students play guitar to Pete Doherty songs. Damn it I want a Girls Aloud hour and I want it now! Queen's Radio has all of the basic ingredients for a good radio station, but it needs a bit of a better direction to go in and it could be as good as KKTY BAYSIDE... (Two points if you got it right)

There comes a time in everyone's life when Radio 1 just doesn't cut it in the mornings. It starts…read moregradually, with you thinking on some Monday mornings that Chris Moyles is just downright annoying. Before you know it, you don't even want to listen to music before work. You may not believe me now, but trust me, the time will come. It happened to me a few years back and I'm OK with that now and the up side is that my knowledge of local politics and current affairs has increased by around a million per cent since I switched from Radio 1 to Radio Ulster with my cornflakes. From 6 - 9 am Monday to Friday, I am educated, updated and informed by the wonderful Mark Carruthers, Connor Bradford and Karen Patterson. I wonder what time they have to get up at and do they wear their PJs in the studio? Anyway, Good Morning presents the local and world news in an interesting and easily digestible format. Business news is analysed and that means I no longer have to panic when someone asks what I think about the latest banking fiasco. Even though it's an early morning programme, politicians and other guests on the programme aren't given an easy ride to start the day; all 3 presenters do an excellent job in grilling guests when they have to. They also do an excellent job of giving traffic updates in real time so you can switch your route if necessary. I love listening to Good Morning Ulster in the car on the school run and drive to work. I learn something every morning and I love that. It means I can tick that box and tidy away my brain cells for the rest of the day.

As sometimes Radio 1 (particularly Chris Moyles) is banned in our house in the morning, Good…read moreMorning Ulster becomes the default station for breakfast eating and tea drinking. I do prefer Radio 1 because at least it is a light-hearted style of presenting which can help you wake up and face another horrible day. But when you put on Good Morning Ulster, everything becomes that bit more dreary and painful. It is a current affairs programme with a 'breakfast show' twinge, but what is severely lacking is any presenter who makes you think "I'm glad they are presenting this show" because what Chris Moyles does is he owns the show and stamps his personality on it. With Good Morning Ulster, the people sound as bored as the listeners, and if it continued much longer, both ends of the radio would fall asleep. Chris Moyles can be loud in the morning, but at least he's not boring.

Having worked for Connected and State, two Dublin based music magazines since about 2006 I think I…read morecan give a pretty comprehensive overview of AU Magazine. AU is NI's main alternative music mag (as you may have guessed from the title!) and is published monthly. It carries a mix of interesting and in-depth music features, a very comprehensive and clued-in section called incoming- tipping some hot new bands, the best of Northern Irish indie bands, interviews with major bands and a cracking website. My only criticism is that they could probably dig a little deeper on their own doorstep for Northern Irish bands as opposed to rehashing news about well known bands. The design is pretty simple, nothing very arty or imaginative. They also cover some Southern Irish bands, which is something I really think needs to happen more. There's only a mere two hours between Belfast and Dublin and so much great homegrown music going on in each city, but yet there is little or no crossover. Now if only they'd answer my email, I'd sort it out!!

I feel that the reviews of Alternative Ulster have been very over critical so far, so I want to set…read morethe story straight! The music scene in Northern Ireland has been growing rapidly for the last5 years, with a few bands starting to break internationally like Two Door Cinema Club, Fighting with Wire and so on. There is a very vibrant local scene ranging from the dream pop of bands like the Wonder Villains to the ska/punk hybrid of Pocket Billiards to the metal/comedy mix of Mental Deficiency! All these bands I have mentioned and many more have been profiled and reviewed in the pages of AU.The staff of AU are primarily volunteers, so to be producing the high quality publication that they do is a real credit to them. There are big interviews; band profiles album reviews, gig reviews and many interesting and irreverent articles. Their website is well updated and their forums has a fairly rich community too. As also mentioned y another reviewer, AU is now totally FREE! That in itself should quell the complaints of others! The online viewer works great and physical copies can be picked up from certain places, so kudos to AU for making this great magazine available to everyone for free!

Utv is Northern Ireland's version of ITV1, with a few local variations such as the news and…read moreregional programmes. The station hasn't been as prominent as BBC NI has in providing a stepping stone for local TV presenters, in terms of promoting them to the rest of the UK, and thus national TV, but there are a good few presenters who are locally well-known and loved. However, one exception to this would be the example of Eamonn Holmes, who presented 'Good Evening Ulster' in the 1980s on Utv, as well as 'All Mixed Up', a game show broadcast in the 1990s. Since the early 90s, Eamonn has made a name for himself presenting on GMTV, and has since moved on to work for Sky News, as well as This Morning, which he co-presents with his wife. Not bad going Eamonn! One of the interesting elements of Utv is the announcements shown between programmes, usually in the evening. A presenter will inform the viewers of the next programme, and perhaps what is also happening later on that night. Very novel...and apparently Utv is the only station to do this in the UK. Shows on Utv have been many and varied over the years. I recall the likes of 'School Around the Corner', 'McKeever' and 'Kelly', none of which are still in existence. At the moment, most shows are sporting (RPM), local interest shows ('Lesser Spotted Ulster', 'Ultimate Ulster'), or lifestyle programmes ('The 7:30 Show'). Utv has even spread its wings to include a radio station (U105 - a particular favourite of my mum's), as well as internet package (random, I know). Who knows where they'll go from here...

It's hard to disagree with anything the other reviewers have said here. UTV doesn't really do…read moreanything that's hugely entertaining, or informative or, you know, interesting. The news coverage is better on the BBC, the drama output comes from ITV (and we all know how good they are at making good drama...) and the local programming is usually at best boring, and at worse patronising and cringe inducing. But they do have Corrie, so that's something!

The BBC in Northern Ireland has been home to some of the best loved television shows over the years…read morein our wee country, as well as having provided a launching pad for a few of the UK's biggest stars. One of the most popular TV programmes to have come from the BBC is 'Give My Head Peace', a highly comical show which brought humour to touchy subjects such as paramilitary groups, sectarian issues and religious differences. Running for ten years on BBC One, this greatly loved TV show allowed viewers to see the lighthearted side of things and realise just how far Northern Ireland had come in the previous ten years, and indeed the ten year period for which it was shown. 'Spotlight', which infamously shed light on the Iris Robinson ordeal is also a favourite show amongst viewers, as is the political show 'Hearts and Minds'. Two of the most well-known stars to have found their feet on BBC Northern are Christine Bleakley and Rachel Tucker. Christine started her presenting career with her own programme 'Sky High' in 2004, which followed her travelling over Northern Ireland in a helicopter. Today she is famed for being the other half of England's Frank Lampard, as well being one half of the presenting team on the 'One Show'. Rachel Tucker was also given the opportunity to elevate herself further in the spotlight, having come third in the BBC's 'I'd Do Anything' Nancy competition. Alongside Eamonn Holmes, Rachel presented a six week long programme on BBC One NI called 'The Friday Show', which also allowed her to perform each week. She has now launched a fully-fledged musical theatre career, having appeared in 'We Will Rock You', and currently starring in the West End version of 'Wicked' playing the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba. Both Christine Bleakley and Rachel Tucker used BBC NI as a stepping stone to greater careers and nationwide fame. Who knows what other stars may arise from BBC Northern Ireland, or indeed what great TV shows may emerge as well. I, for one, love watching the local TV shows on BBC NI for both these reasons, and so many others do too.

It's just past 10pm on a Thursday night, and I have felt a compulsion to write this review after…read moreflicking over to BBC2 and inadvertantly catching the first 40 seconds or so of some godawful programme called Our William. That was enough. It featured an elderly, well, I think he'd be categorised as a 'comedian', but not in my book. Like pretty much everything BBCNI produces (Derek's Dreams, anyone?), this is patronising unwatchable dross. What is even more insulting about how BBCNI regards its viewers is the scheduling they give to programmes. Many a weekend night I've decided to have a cosy night in, treated myself to a glass of good wine, and turned on BBC1 for something like Have I Got News For You to find something like NI Wags instead. Enough, enough, enough. Stop treating us like culchie idiots, put on something decent, and open a competition or campaign to get some new blood writing some new stuff. Any of my drinking buddies could come up with something vastly superior to this pap.

Waddell Media is a Northern Irish production company that specialises in factual, entertainment and…read morelifestyle programmes broadcast in the UK and Ireland. They are based in Holywood, County Down but have the ambitions of a company from Hollywood California. Waddell Media is responsible for the making of tonight with Craig Doyle (RTE) and Getaways (BBC NI). These two programmes sum up what the people at Waddell Media do, they generally make television programmes aimed at a regional audience. These often play on the regions stereotypes. More recently Waddell Media has been awarded a contract with Channel four television and will produce shows that will be aired after the Channel Four news. The programme they have been commissioned to make is called 4thought. This company is a shining example of what companies in Northern Ireland can achieve if they think outside the box. Waddell Media is bringing much needed revenue to the Media industry in Northern Ireland. They should be held in high esteem for there contributions and there continued growth may see them capture the international media market. Stay tuned for more.....

I visited BBC Blackstaff Studios last week as part of The Belfast Film Festival and I was impressed…read moreby the facilities on offer. From the outside the building looks like any other characterless public sector building in the City but once you're inside the building the grandeur becomes apparent. There's something exciting about getting to go in to television studios, even if you are just going to watch a movie. As you'd expect the building has quite high levels of security with guards and turnstiles on the door so if you don't have the correct credentials you simply won't get in. The movie itself was played in one of the main production studios, which seated around 300 people - it is in these studios that the likes of 'The Nolan Show' and other BBC NI productions are filmed. I think the public should have more access to this building as it is extremely interesting seeing how TV shows are created as someone at the Film Festival said, 'we did pay for it after all'!