The first Lithuanian language radio programme aired in the UK on May 1. It is broadcast from a studio in Peterborough, the most Lithuanian-populated city in the UK.
Snieguolė Maliavskaja, an active member of the local Lithuanian community and organiser of various events, first received an offer to host a Lithuanian language show on British radio in October 2020, after an interview with BBC Radio.
A journalist who interviewed Snieguolė asked if she would be interested in hosting a show at another radio station he managed. The Lithuanian woman turned the offer down because she was expecting a baby at the time. However, after a while, she received the offer again.
“I said, let’s try. We Lithuanians cannot miss opportunities to talk about ourselves, especially in Lithuanian,” she tells LRT TV.
Salaam Radio, which hosts the first Lithuanian radio show in the UK, was initially aimed at the Muslim community. However, its managers later decided to broaden the audience and reach as many different ethnic communities as possible.
“Their motto is uniting communities. Here in Peterborough, all the communities have a very nice, warm relationship,” Snieguolė says.
According to her, she is volunteering for the good of the Lithuanian community in the UK. The woman also tries to inspire other compatriots by her example.
“Since nobody pays me, I do it all voluntarily. I would never take money for it because I’m not a professional radio presenter. I find it very rewarding and fun to do something for our community, for Lithuanians – not only in the UK but also in the whole world because maybe I will inspire someone to do the same,” Snieguolė explains.
The woman says that the only requirement for her to become a radio host was to do some training on the operation of a radio station.
According to Snieguolė, the station managers also gave her full freedom in deciding the format of the show. She says she instantly knew that it had to be a talk show with local Lithuanians.
“I feel happy when I’m interviewing people here. [...] I feel happy that there is someone who is talking to me, sharing their story,” the woman says.
The Lithuanian language radio show has already been airing on Peterborough radio every Monday for six months. However, Snieguolė says that she still gets nervous every time she goes live.
“As soon as I started my very first programme, I immediately said: 'Dear Lithuanians, I'm very nervous’,” the host remembers.
In her show, Snieguolė addressed issues of local Lithuanians. She jokes that the radio station managers have no clue what she is talking about on air, so everything is based on trust. Moreover, Salaam Radio is already thinking of expanding its Lithuanian language programme.
“We are thinking about adding another Lithuanian language programme. We hope it will happen soon,” Snieguolė says.
The woman expects that in the future, Lithuanians in the UK will have not only their own radio show but also an entire radio station.
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