A POPULAR youth-oriented radio station in Cork banned bad news from its airwaves yesterday in a bid to inject some happiness into the current climate of gloom.
Red FM’s news editor Lana O’Connor said news reporter Kevin Purcell came up with the idea of “a feel-good Friday”, and a decision was made to have the inaugural good-news day on Friday the 13th, generally associated with bad luck.
Ms O’Connor said she was hoping to incorporate the good-news day into the station’s regular schedule such had been the positive response to the novel undertaking.
“There is a great vibe in the office today. Everyone is embracing it. One of the girls in here said she had given up reading the paper at lunchtime because she could not cope with it .”
Stories covered yesterday included a segment on Chernobyl children travelling to Ireland, a slot on breast cancer projects in Cork and a multimillion euro stimulus package approved for west Cork by the EU.
Red FM also ran a clip on a report which shows that Friday the 13th is safer than an average Friday on the nation’s roads.
Motor insurer Hibernian Aviva has found that between 2007 and 2008, there were 14 per cent less accidents on Friday the 13th than on any other Friday.
Hibernian Aviva said the fear of bad luck may cause drivers to be more careful.
O’Connor said: “I was worried about something bad happening . But it is all going well.
“The atmosphere is really good in here. We are all wearing bright colours and one of the guys is giving out Fair Trade chocolates. It is an inspiring-stories day and a beat-the-blues day.
“We are all good at embracing negative stuff, and this is something different.”