Bailrigg FM (formerly known as University Radio Bailrigg (URB) and Radio Bailrigg) is a student radio station at Lancaster University. It operates in a music format predominantly featuring pop, but also broadcasts news, drama, comedy, and entertainment. During evening and weekend hours, programming moves to specialist content where presenters are free (within reason) to play whatever they wish.
 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Lancaster University, Bailrigg |
| Frequency | FM 95.3 MHz[1] |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format | Student Radio |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Lancaster University Students' Union |
| LA1TV (Television) | |
| History | |
First air date | January 19, 1996 |
Former names | University Radio Bailrigg (pre 1996) |
Former frequencies | FM 87.7 MHz (1994–2022) AM 963 kHz (1973–1996) |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | Ofcom |
| ERP | 2W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | bailriggfm |
Bailrigg is one of the oldest student radio stations in the country,[2] as well as being the first student station to broadcast on FM.[2] It airs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round. Bailrigg first broadcast on FM as part of a one-month, 25W Restricted Service Licence in March 1994 under the directorship of Paul Dale.[3] It had previously applied for a licence in September 1993 but was turned down by the Radio Authority due to the launch of The Bay in March of that year.[citation needed]
It originally broadcast to the university on 312m Medium Wave using an inductive loop aerial system around the various halls of residence. Now listeners can tune in on campus on 95.3 MHz, or listen anywhere in the world using the station's live webstream. Bailrigg FM holds several large events throughout the year, including a seven-day Freshers' Week outside broadcast and coverage of the Lancaster University Students' Union (LUSU) sabbatical elections. During the Roses Tournament the station joins with University Radio York (URY) to provide programming across both campuses.
The station has received several national Student Radio Awards over the years, including Best Website,[4] Best Station Sound[5] and more recently Best Technical Achievement.[6]
History
editPirate Radio at Lancaster University
editFollowing students at the University of York getting permission to test-transmit programs on medium wave in 1968, a couple of Lancaster University physics students started negotiations with the university to start a similar project. However, progress of the project was pushed back after an over-eager student started his own pirate radio station called Radio 220.[7]
University Radio Bailrigg (1969–1996)
editIn the summer of 1969, following permission from the university, a small loop aerial and a low power transmitter was built to test the feasibility of a student radio project at Lancaster. After multiple bids for funding, University Radio Bailrigg (URB) received £1,000 funding from the student union and was able to install studio equipment in January 1971. Test transmission began in the March of that year.
The Government of the United Kingdom forced URB off air due to the station broadcasting without a full license in November 1972. However, after being issued a license, it returned to air in 1973 with new transmission equipment. URB would broadcast on 963 kHz on AM. By 1974, URB had received £2,000 in funding from the university[8] which meant that twin studios were able to be built in Fylde College.
Bailrigg FM (1994–present)
editIn 1994, URB became the first student radio station to be issued an FM Restricted Service License, to broadcast on 87.7 MHz (under the name Bailrigg FM) for 4 weeks. The broadcasts covered the City of Lancaster (including Morecambe),[9][10] with reception reported as far afield as Preston, Blackpool and Barrow-in-Furness. A second four-week FM licence is received in 1995, again broadcasting on 87.7 MHz.
Due to high repair costs of the medium wave loop induction system, URB opted to start broadcasting permanently on FM on 19 January 1996, and rebranded to 'Bailrigg FM'.[11][2][9][10][12]
In 2004 Bailrigg FM was awarded an extended licence to transmit across Lancaster and Morecambe for a week as part of the university's 40th anniversary celebrations. Bailrigg FM moved into its current studios in Furness College in 2006. As part of the university's Alumni Fund, it received £8,500 in funding to purchase outside broadcast equipment.[13]
In 2013 Bailrigg FM was awarded £65,000 in Capex funds from LUSU in order to renovate their studios.
It was announced by LUSU that Bailrigg FM would be stripped of funding for its license due to "organisation sustainability" plans.[14][15] Due to widespread disapproval this decision was ultimately reversed.[16]
On 7 December 2022, after almost 17 years of broadcasting on 87.7 MHz, Bailrigg FM's FM license was amended, changing its frequency to 95.3 MHz.[17]
Awards
editStudent Radio Awards
editThe following are Student Radio Awards presented by the Student Radio Association
| Year | Award | Content | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Best Student Radio Station[citation needed] | Bailrigg FM | Nominated | ||
| 2002 | Best Student Radio Station | [18] | |||
| 2003 | Best Website Award | Peter Price | Gold | [4] | |
| 2004 | Best Station Sound | Bailrigg FM | [5] | ||
| 2005 | Specialist Music Programming | 'The Rachel Neilman Experience' | Rachel Neilman | Nominated | [19] |
| 2006 | Best Journalistic Programming | 'Newsbite' | Victoria Kirby | Silver | [20] |
| Best Comedy & Drama Programming | 'Project ComCom' | Bailrigg FM | Nominated | [21] | |
| 2007 | Best Male Presenter | Kenny Donohue | Gold | [22] | |
| Best Journalistic Programming | ‘Travellers on campus’ | Bailrigg FM News Team | Nominated | [23] | |
| 2008 | Best Outside Broadcast | 'Roses' | Bailrigg FM | Bronze | [24] |
| 2012 | Best Technical Achievement | 'Bailrigg FM Field Switchboard' | Gold | [6] | |
| 2021 | 'Bailrigg FM Documentation Upgrades' | Nominated | [25] | ||
| 2023 | Best Event Programming | Battle of the Bands 2023 | Nominated | [26] | |
| 2024 | Best Interview | Hacker T Dog and Katie Thistleton Interview | Bronze | [27] |
Amplify Awards
editThe following are Amplify Awards (formerly known as I Love Student Radio Awards) presented at the annual SRACon by the Student Radio Association.
| Year | Award | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Best Audience Initiative | Bailrigg FM | Highly Commended | [28] |
| Most Improved Station | Won | |||
| Outstanding Contribution to Student Radio | Stephen Robinson | Won | ||
| 2018 | Sam Possible | Nominated | [29] | |
| Hero Of The Moment | Tom Pearson | Highly Commended | [30] | |
| 2021 | Media Collaboration of the Year | Bailrigg FM | Nominated | [31] |
| 2023 | Outstanding Contribution | Riley Williams | Nominated | [32] |
| Best Station Culture | Bailrigg FM | Nominated | [33] | |
| Most Improved Station | Nominated | [34] | ||
| 2024 | Best Student Media Collaboration | Bailrigg FM & University Radio York | Silver | [35] |
| Team of the Year | Bailrigg FM's Engineering Team | Bronze | [36] |
Lancaster University Students' Union Awards
editThe following are awards presented by Lancaster University Students' Union.
| Year | Award | Content | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Feature of the Year | 'Brainwaves' | Bailrigg FM | Won | [37] |
| 2016 | Bailrigg Show of the Year | 'Later with Tom and Eden' | Nominated | [38] | |
| Mathew Gillings, Ollie Orton, Laura Wilkinson | Nominated | ||||
| 'The LUCI Improv Hour' | Lancaster University Comedy Institute | Won | |||
| 'Desert Island Downloads' | Nominated | ||||
| 2019 | Best Entertainment/Lifestyle Content | 'Monday Bailrigg Show' | Adam Bragan, Jonny Bentley | Nominated | [39] |
| 'The Summerfeld Chronicles' | Jordan Summerfield | Won | [40] | ||
| Best Design | Nominated | [39] | |||
| Best Marketing | Nominated | ||||
| 'Wednesday Bailrigg Show Promotional Video' | Pascal Maguet, Alex George | Won | [40] | ||
| Best News/Politics Content | 'Snowballing Out of Control?' | Kyle McKenzie | Won | ||
| Best Interview | 'Rethink Valentine's' | Max Ell | Won | ||
| Best Innovation | 'Rethink' | Max Ell, Luke Mader, Nick Hoffman | Won | ||
| 'LUCI 24 hour takeover' | Lancaster University Comedy Institute | Nominated | [39] | ||
| Best Live Coverage | 'Lancaster City FC Coverage' | Jonny Bentley | Nominated | ||
| Best Sports Content | 'Bailrigg Football Show' | Nominated | |||
| 'Kick Out @ 2' | Kyle McKenzie, Kamran Khan | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Kamran Khan | Nominated | [41] | ||
| Best Cultural Content | 'K-Bops' | Quin Pitcher | Nominated | ||
| Best Entertainment/Lifestyle Content | 'Choose Life' | Sophie Edwards, Finn Bracegirdle | Nominated | ||
| Best News/Politics Content | 'Newsday Tuesday' | Dan Woodburn | Nominated | ||
| Best Live Coverage | 'Union Elections' | Bailrigg FM | Nominated | ||
| 'General Election Coverage' | Bailrigg FM & SCAN | Won | [42] | ||
| Best Innovation | 'Off Script Podcast' | Oliver Crisp | Nominated | [41] | |
| Best Marketing & Design | 'BFM Branding, Logos & Show Banners' | Angus Warrender | Nominated | ||
| Best Lockdown Content | 'Afternoon T' | Tom Grayston | Won | [42] | |
| 2021 | '9 Years Time (Parody of 5 Years Time)' | Nominated | [43] | ||
| Best Entertainment/Lifestyle Content | 'The Noughty Sesh' | Won | |||
| Best Marketing | Nominated | ||||
| 'Bailrigg FM's Rebrand' | Edward Nokes | Won | |||
| Best Social Media | 'A Queer On Camp' | Noah Katz | Nominated | ||
| Best Cultural Content | Won | ||||
| Best News/Politics Content | 'Newspeak' | Theo Hunt | Won | ||
| Theo Hunt/Lucy Whalen | Nominated | ||||
| Lucy Whalen | Nominated | ||||
| Best Podcast | Nominated | ||||
| Lancaster Film Club Podcast | Nominated | ||||
| 'Welcome to Lancaster' | Oliver Crisp | Won | |||
| Best Collaboration | Nominated | ||||
| 'Freshers' Fair Live' | LA1TV and Bailrigg FM | Won | |||
| Best Live Coverage | BFM News Team | Nominated | |||
| 'Bailrigg's Summer Celebration' | Finn Bracegirdle and LA1TV | Nominated | |||
| Finn Bracegirdle | Nominated | ||||
| Best Innovation | 'Bailrigg FM's Podcasting' | Theo Hunt/Oliver Crisp | Won | ||
| 2022 | 'Bailrigg FM's Live Lounge' | Bailrigg FM | Won | [44] | |
| Best Interview | 'The Jack Threlfall Show' | Jack Threlfall | Won | ||
| Best Collaboration | 'Roses' | Bailrigg FM & LA1TV | Won | ||
| 2023 | Roses Media Coverage | Bailrigg FM, LA1TV, & SCAN | Won | [45] | |
| Student Media Contributor of the Year | Riley Williams | Won | |||
| VP Societies & Media Award for Individual Achievement | Nominated | [46] | |||
| Media Group of the Year | Bailrigg FM | Nominated | |||
| 2024 | Best Media Feature | LUSU Election and Candidate Questions | Bailrigg FM & LA1TV | [47] | |
| Collaboration of the Year | Battle of the Bands | ||||
| Equality and Diversity Award | Bailrigg FM | ||||
| Media Group of the Year | |||||
| Society Exec Team Award |
Notable alumni
editReferences
edit- ^ "Bailrigg FM RSL License". Ofcom. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ a b c Although a contentious and hard to verify claim, this student society has long claimed it was the first of the UK student stations permitted a licence to actually start broadcasting. The claim of "first permanent FM student station" is a matter of interpretation. Radio Station Management reported back to society members during the negotiations that the Radio Authority believed the station to be the first to have a permanent FM licence. Oxford University later made the same claim. However, Bailrigg FM was from 1996 onwards limited to the campus of Lancaster University and broadcast initially only during term-time, whereas the colleges of Oxford University are spread across the city of Oxford, which made it the first permanent FM radio station run by students and available to the general public (and a rival to local independent radio for advertising revenue). Potentially the only way to verify any of the claims would be to access the archive of the Radio Authority (which is now a part of Ofcom).
- ^ "Paul Dale is ITV CTO". Broadband TV News. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ^ a b "BBC Radio 1 presents Student Radio Awards 2003". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Bailrigg Triumph at Student Radio Awards". SCAN. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Winners announced for Student Radio Awards". RadioToday. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "87.7 Bailrigg FM [ Across Lancaster University]". www.users.globalnet.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 May 2001. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ Visual Education. NCAVAE. 1974.
- ^ a b Details would appear in the minutes of the weekly society meetings, which should be in the archives of Lancaster University Student Union.
- ^ a b Details of each FM launch were reported in the Lancaster University Student Newspaper "Scan", and should be available in their archives within Lancaster University Student Union.
- ^ Singh, Ranvir (20 February 1997). "Radio Times". SCAN. Archived from the original on 4 May 2001. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ The preparations and launch of the permanent FM station in 1996 were captured in a video documentary entitled "Listening To Images" which was created by undergraduate students as a module towards a degree. This is available to watch via Bailrigg FM's Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvnMU2aJlnc
- ^ a b c d "Bailrigg Calling: from 45 RPM Records to iPads". Lancaster University. 15 May 2013. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ Hardman, Matthew (15 April 2019). "Bailrigg FM to lose broadcast licence in Lancaster". Radio Today. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
- ^ Moffitt, Dominic (11 April 2019). ""It feels insulting": Radio boss speaks as station to be taken off air". LancsLive. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ "Bailrigg FM To Continue Broadcasting On The Airwaves". Lancaster University Students' Union. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ "Bailrigg FM RSL License". Ofcom. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ "Student Radio Awards 2002". Student Radio Association. 16 October 2002. Archived from the original on 8 February 2003. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "Student Radio Awards - 2005 - Nominations". Student Radio Association. Archived from the original on 27 November 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "The Student Radio Awards - 2006 - Winners". Student Radio Association. Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "The Student Radio Awards - 2006 - Nominations". Student Radio Association. Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "Student Radio Awards 2007 - Winners". Student Radio Association. Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "The Student Radio Awards - 2007". Student Radio Association. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "Student Radio Awards 2008". Student Radio Association. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "Nominations out for the Student Radio Awards 2021". RadioToday. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ "Student Radio Awards 2023 Nominations – Student Radio Association". 21 October 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
- ^ "Student Radio Association on X". 20 November 2024.
- ^ "Winners for I Love Student Radio Awards". RadioToday. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "The nominations for the I Love Student Radio Awards 2018 supported by Communicorp UK". Student Radio Association. 13 March 2018. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ "The I Love Student Radio Awards 2018 WINNERS". Student Radio Association. 5 April 2018. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "Student Radio Association on Twitter: Media Collaboration Of The Year". Twitter. 7 July 2021. Archived from the original on 7 July 2021.
- ^ "Student Radio Association on Twitter: Outstanding Contribution Nominations". Twitter. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "SRA on Twitter: Best Station Culture Nominations". Twitter. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "SRA on Twitter: Most Improved Station Nomination". Twitter. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "Student Radio Association on X". X. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Student Radio Association on X". X. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "LUSU Awards 2014". Lancaster University Students' Union. 19 June 2014. Archived from the original on 27 June 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Student Media Award Winners". Lancaster University Students' Union. 17 June 2016. Archived from the original on 20 June 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ a b c "Student Media Awards 2019". Lancaster University Students' Union. 14 June 2020. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Lancaster University Students' Union". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Student Media Awards 2020 Shortlist". Lancaster University Students' Union. 3 June 2020. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Student Media Awards 2020 Winners". Lancaster University Students' Union. 23 June 2020. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "Student Media Awards 2021". 30 June 2021. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021.
- ^ "Lights, Camera, Action! It's The Student Media Awards!". Lancaster University Students' Union. 23 June 2022. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
- ^ "Societies and Media Awards 2023 Winners". Lancaster SU. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ @lancastersu (16 June 2023). "Lancaster SU Instagram" – via Instagram.
- ^ "Lancaster University Students' Union announces nominees for the 2024 Society Awards". Lancaster University. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Andy Serkis lands role as Alfred in new Batman film". Lancashire Evening Post. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ Masterton, 🍉🐝James (11 April 2019). "No Static At All?". Medium. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ^ "Paul Dale is ITV CTO". Broadband TV News. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ Perry, Jack (14 November 2014). "A conversation with Louis Barfe". SCAN. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ^ "A Place To Grow". Steps Lancaster Alumni Magazine. Lancaster University: Philanthropy, Alumni and Supporter Engagement. 2021. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 3 June 2023.