Source Radio
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Source Radio is a radio station operating from Coventry, England. It is a division of the Coventry University Students' Union, and broadcasts into all students union buildings. There have been temporary wider broadcasts and more are planned.
Formerly known as "Source FM", the station changed its name as part of a rebrand to eliminate confusion over the fact that it does not broadcast on FM for the majority of the year. Other portions of this rebrand included a slogan alteration from "Just The Way You Like It!" to "It's All About The Music".
Originally the station launched with the name "Phoenix Student Radio". Editorial control of the station passed to Coventry University Student's Union (CUSU) in 2001, and rebranded it Source FM in line with their Source Student Media products.
The new station opened on Monday January 9th 2006 at 8am, with breakfast-show presenter James Martin being the first voice on-air.
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[edit] Music
The station mainly consists of live shows presented by students, however at night-time plays automated non-stop music. Musically it presents a variety of music from a cross-section of genres appealable to the student demographic. It plays current and recent music, along with a large number of "old-skool" anthems.
[edit] Presenters
The station has many talented presenters, a number of whom have gone on to enjoy success in the professional arena.
Its alumni includes the likes of Chris Nash, who freelances throughout the region's Touch FM network, and ex-Virgin Radio presenter Kelly-Anne Smith.
Past DJs such as Bill Bennett and Dan Doubleday have been nurtured at Source Radio, and have gone on to work at other stations including Virgin Radio, Kix 96.2 FM, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, Passion 107.9 and Rugby FM.
Midlands radio disco jockey James Martin spent three years with the station during his time there studying a music degree. After a two-year stint as head of music and a third as Programme Manager he has now graduated. Following stints with the Milestone and CN Groups, Martin then took up a permanent position with The Local Radio Company's new Swindon station, Brunel FM, and his first show was on the launch day, September 2nd. Martin left Brunel FM on October 10th 2006 following "various issues", however it is understood that Martin was unhappy with the directon a new programme manager was taking the station and found his position untennable as a result. It is also reported elsewhere that he is unhappy with the way commercial radio is being run in the UK. Martin now hopes to return to the station in the near future.
And now for something that's not actually about James for a change...
Source Radio's current jingle package was produced by ex-Station Manager Chris Nash, and the station voices are Dave Barker (KMFM, Rugby FM) and Anna Harding (Rugby FM).
[edit] Becoming Source Radio
The rebrand came about as the station rarely broadcast on FM, and with the possibility of an AM license on the way it was felt it was time to strengthen the brand. Around the same time the CN Group controversially closed down its youth station in the city, Kix 96.2, and flipped it into an adult contemporary station, Touch FM, which made it part of a network of stations in the South Midlands which have had very little success.
Source FM closed down on Friday 16th December 2005, with Colin Brown's Afternoon Kickabout being the final show.
For the following three and a half weeks (during the Christmas and New Year vacation) listeners heard test transmissions for the new service, consisting of back-to-back music, with a pre-recorded message informing listeners of what was happening, which played every 10 minutes or so.
Source Radio launched on Monday 9th January 2006 at 8am. The station launched with a special launch show headed up by breakfast duo Daniel Doubleday and James Martin, but also featured contributions from drivetime team Bill Bennett and Adam Brown.
Musically, the station remained rather similar but enhanced its "cutting-edge" remit in a drive to push new and especially local musical talent with a new playlist known as "Source UpFront" and tightened its rotational scheduling of playlisted music, in order to make the most of changes going on to other radio stations in the city at the same time (see below on clousure of Kix 96.2 FM.)
The new station kept on one of Source FM's most popular programmes, Coventry's Top 30, however this was rebranded as the Source Radio Most Wanted, in recognition of the fact that student music tastes don't really reperesent "Coventry" as a whole.
From a technical point of view the station's compressor was upgraded, and the studio underwent a major refit during the festive off-air period.
In a convenient co-incidence for Source FM's relaunch as Source Radio, Kix 96.2 was closed down just one hour after Source Radio launched. This move allowed Source Radio to capitalize on the very large alienated youth audience CN Group's move had left Coventry with. As a result of this change to Coventry's commercial radio landscape, the new Source Radio brand has enjoyed considerable success as it now has a far more unique placing in the local market, which the station hopes to contine with the next phase of the rebrand - an AM license.
[edit] Staff
The current staff at Source Radio for 2006/07 are as follows:
Station Manager: Kat Page
General Secretary: Robert Baxter-Kaneen
Head of Music: Jess Urwin
News Editor: Laura Pibworth
Promotions Manager: Isobel Sticklee
Events Manager: Ashleigh Lang
Social Manager Andrew Schonenberger
IT Manager: Edward Barber
Production Manager: Peter Hutyan
[edit] Technology
The station has one studio, with a 12-channel Soundcraft sound desk. The playout system used is BC Software's Sound Box, with music scheduled by RCS Selector & Linker. It is anticipated that the station will move to a more technologically-advanced playout system, when funds allow.
In addition to this, the DJ can play music from 2 CD decks, 2 turntables or a PC, as well as any device they may choose to connect via 3.5mm cable input such as an iPod.
[edit] Flirt! and Source Radio
Students Unions across the country participate in a national event called "Flirt", a franchise for an evening entertainment event. CUSU became the first union in the country to have its radio station simulcast the event live on its radio station throughout the 2004-5 academic year.
The service ceased in summer 2005 following several incidences of profanity from Kate Gregory, who presented the event during this era. It was felt that Gregory's foul tongue could land the station in serious jepoardy with Ofcom.
The death knell sadly arrived with the sacking of Paul Edgington. Flirt has never been simulcast via radio since. Edgington is now enjoying a residency at local rival Warwick University, who bailed CUSU out in the 2005 CUSU Summer Ball Disaster.
[edit] Source Radio Trivia
For the first time ever, September 2006's Fresher's week saw Source Radio's entire daytime broadcasting come live from the Fresher's Fayre.
Source Radio now provide indepth coverage of the university's Varsity Day, with 2006 being a major milestone in which 12 hours of programming was given over to covering the sporting events of Coventry University as they took on local rivals Warwick University.
Kat Page is the first Station Manager to spawn more than one term in office.
The font used in the current logo is "SF Grandezza".
The station premises underwent a major refurbishment this year, following refits of the office in 2004, and the studio in December 2005, during the callsign changeover. The IT infrastructure was also massively overhauled.
Source Radio are a Sony Radio Award winner! Sort of - they received an honorary Sony Award to recognise their participation in Tsunami Relief radiothon UK Radio Aid in January 2005.
On the back of Radio Aid, Source FM (as was!) helped out a team doing a Tsunami Relief 24-hour sponsored stay-awake by doing a "24 Hour Takeover." During this unprecendented 24 hours of live broadcasting (including 6 hours live from the university's nightclub) students were encouraged to donate, in return they could have absoloutely anything played. Other highlights included a special programme from James Martin and Bill Bennett, the Wind Up Call Masterclass, broadcast between 2am and 4am. James had been at Flirt! in the Student's Union, which was broadcast live as part of the takeover. Upon returning to the studio James was evidently not sober, meanwhile Bill managed to drag down the then Kix 96.2 jock OJ Borg for a live interview - during which time they wound up a large number of shopping centres and radio stations in the United States!
[edit] Source Radio Awards 2006
Every year the Station manager hosts an award ceremony. In 2006 Kat Page hosted the 'Pussycat Awards.' The winners in the member voted categories where as follows:
Coolest Member: Isobel Sticklee.
Most Original Show: The Monday Night Show.
Worst music taste: James Martin.
Marlon Carr award for most elusive member: Alex Khater.
Male Rear of the year: Ben Powell.
Female Rear of the Year: Isobel Sticklee.
Most Original Feature in a show: Feed Chris (The Monday Night show).
Most influential Member: Colin Brown.
Best Karaoke performance: Jess Urwin.
Worst Kareoke Performance: Bill Bennett.
Biggest Ego: James Martin.
The Station Manager chosen award winners where:
Member of the Year: Pete White.
Lifetime service award: Colin Brown.
Most Listened Show 1st Place: The Hangover Cure.
Most Listened Show 2nd Place: The Afternoon Kickabout with Colin Brown.
Lifetime Memberships: Colin Brown, James Martin, Matt Storey, Bill Bennett
