A WESTERN Isles radio broadcaster this morning endured the pain of a broken arm while presenting her show – thanks to having fallen badly on an icy pavement on her way to work.
Despite her injury, Kathleen Maciver limped to the Isles FM station, went on air and stayed at the microphone until she could be relieved by a fellow DJ. Because she said nothing about her injury during her broadcast, listeners were therefore unaware of what had happened. Hospital doctors later found Maciver had broken her elbow and she has been ordered to rest for a few weeks.
The accident happened at 5.30am as Maciver walked to the station’s studios, in Stornoway.
In a statement issued by the station, she is quoted as saying: “After I fell, I couldn’t get up again. It was too slippery. I had to crawl to the edge of the pavement to get a grip and get to my feet.
“At first, I thought it was my leg. But when I started moving I realised I had badly hurt my arm too.”
Isles FM is a community radio station and Maciver is a volunteer broadcaster.
Her show – Duisg (Gaelic for Wake Up) – began at 7.30am, as usual. She was eventually relieved by fellow volunteer, Lionel Sewell, who took over the rest of the show until 10am.
She continued: “I tried to continue as normal with my sore arm resting on the desk. I was speaking through gritted teeth. I managed with a few gaps.”
Isles FM managing director, David Morrison, is quoted in the statement, saying: “Kathleen is one of our longest-serving volunteers in the 12 years since we began full-time. We all know how absolutely dedicated she is to making sure local people get the news and other urgent information, particularly at this time of year.”
