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ramsgate recorder
COMMUNITY
Preparing for broadcast: (from left to right) Jon Nickoll, Rachel Mills, Filipe Gomes, Mark Bandola, Charlie Anson, Laura Nickoll, Lydia Laitung and Bettina Ji
Good morning Ramsgate! Interview Lila Allen
Photographer Ed Thompson
Ramsgate Radio is a new station taking to the air to offer music, debate, food, travel and most importantly a sense of local identity. We speak to its creator Filipe Gomes as he prepares for launch
What can listeners expect from the new station? Ramsgate Radio is a mix of nonmusic and music content. Our ambition is to create audio output that truly represents the identity of Ramsgate.
Where did the idea for Ramsgate Radio come from? Lockdown shook up my life. Work, as I had known it, was pretty much over for the foreseeable future. But I felt this overwhelming sense of freedom to explore and build something else. I’m inspired by the celebrated chef and writer writer, the late Anthony Bourdain. I admire the way in which he explored stories through food, often using the simple act of eating to initiate deeper conversations. Like him, I’m interested in the impact gentrification has on a locality, particularly on those excluded by it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m for a place developing, or redeveloping, I’m just
Filipe Gomes by Dean Scutt
challenged by the fact that so many people living in Ramsgate don’t feel they are a part of it. I see the radio station as a way to engage with these issues whilst also offering valuable entertainment.
What do you hope it will bring to Ramsgate? My biggest ambition for the station is to bridge divides, to include, celebrate and listen to one another. I accept that’s much easier said than done, just know this mission runs in the DNA of the work we produce. We’re working with incredible content makers whose values are echoed in the ethos of the station. Our music programming will support and amplify Ramsgate’s amazing music scene. We’ll feature dedicated local music segments on shows like The Bandcamp Show, and tap into the musical tastes of the people that so often flood our local music venues. We’re fortunate to be working with inspiring presenters and DJs,
