Live from Dubai: Good Morning, Glasgow

 DUBAI The clock in the Dubai studio showed 12 noon. But at Real Radio Scotland's studio in Glasgow, which was broadcasting its breakfast show to millions of "early birds", it was 9am on a chilly morning. Listeners, however, had no clue that the presenter who was hosting the programme was sitting 6,000 kilometres away at the Gulf News building in Dubai.

Connecting millions

Robin Galloway, a Scottish radio host grounded in Dubai because of cancelled flights due to volcanic eruptions in Iceland hosted his breakfast entertainment show for Real Radio Scotland from Gulf News Broadcasting's (GNB) Dubai studio on Monday. He had come to Dubai three weeks ago to spend time at his holiday home here, but had been trying in vain to get a flight to Scotland - via European stopovers - since Friday.

Most of Europe was cut off from air travel after ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland spread over the continent's skies. Many flights and airports there continue to remain closed for safety reasons.

Galloway is one of scores of stranded travellers worldwide who have been waiting for a flight to get back to families and jobs.

"The Scots are doubters by nature. At first, they didn't believe that I was hosting from Dubai," he said. "It was a bit weird doing the weather forecast - Scotland's got a cold snap with people de-icing their cars, but here I was in 32°Celsius heat!"

The three-hour show from 9am to 12pm (UAE time) was broadcast live in Scotland after studios on both sides linked up through a high-tech Integrated Services Digital Network, similar to how the phone and internet systems overlap, a GNB official said.

"People called in with their stories. We reached half a million people all over Scotland. We also linked up with Scots around the world. There was an unfortunate case of an under-14 football team, whose player was stuck in Madrid and his mum died. He's trying to get back for her funeral on Friday," Galloway said.

"I'm lucky to be in Dubai, I could've been stranded in other places. But I'm also anxious to get back; you can't be off air too long. Plus, the [travel] insurance covers one person for one day only for around Dh1,000."