SURGE 1287AM

Infobox Radio station
name=Surge


area= Southampton
frequency= 1287 AM,cite web |url=http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/radiolicensing/rsls/longterm_rsls.htm|title=UK Radio Licensees - Long Term RSLs |publisher=Ofcom|accessdate=2007-12-06] 87.7 FM cite news|title=Station radio gets in tune with wider audience|work=Southern Daily Echo |url=http://archive.dailyecho.co.uk/2005/2/19/11461.html |date=2005-02-19|accessdate=2007-12-06]
airdate= 1983
format = Student Radio
power = 1 watt
class = LPAMcite web|url=http://www.dxradio.co.uk/lpam/|title=LPAM - Low Power AM|publisher=DX Radio|accessdate=2007-12-06]
callsign_meaning = Southampton University Radio from Glen Eyre
former_callsigns = Radio Glen [cite web|url=http://www.dxradio.co.uk/lpam/glen.htm|title=Surge |publisher=DX Radio|accessdate=2007-12-06]
owner = University of Southampton Students' Union
licensee = University of Southampton
webcast = [http://www.surgeradio.co.uk/onair/listen/ Surge > On-Air > Listen]
website = http://www.surgeradio.co.uk/

Surge (Southampton University Radio) is a British student radio station broadcast from the University of Southampton. The station was previously known as Radio Glen prior to Christmas 2000.

History

In its previous incarnation as Radio Glen the station was legal for about 20 years and existed in some form even before then known as Radio Heffalump. The station was broadcast by a series of antenna in every block in Glen Eyre Halls connected by bits of coaxial cable which were draped all over the place.

In 1999, the station manager David Holroyd (known to some as Wiggy) championed getting a new license being offered by the Radio Authority. This license allowed low-powered AM broadcasting over a strictly limited area: Glen Eyre Halls. This license was great for the station, which began to take news, adverts and programming from SBN to provide a source of income. The coaxial cables were rendered unnecessary, and a new age of Radio Glen was born.

In Christmas 2000, the station was renamed SURGE (an acronym of Southampton University Radio from Glen Eyre), due to the increased involvement of the station with the rest of the university and not just the Glen Eyre Halls of residence where the studio and transmitter are based.

2001 was another big year for the station, Ed Waugh worked in conjunction with the Students' union to receive the opportunity to do an FM RSL which allowed them to broadcast on FM for one month. This was across the whole of Southampton and allowed them to reach many more students and get a lot more people involved.

In 2004, following the liquidation of SBN it became a department of the Students' Union as the costs and benefits had outgrown it's Glen Eyre Halls roots. Southampton University Students' Union provided the necessary funding to continue broadcasting whilst adding to its media portfolio. At this time the station dropped the acronym from its name, as it was no longer accurate.

2005 saw the station move to a £25,000 purpose-built studio within the Union building on campus, from where it continues to broadcast on mediumwave (1287 kHz AM) and for selected one-month periods on 87.7 MHz FM. It also provides a streaming radio service from its [http://www.surgeradio.co.uk/listen website] .Guests on Surge include Phil Jupitus (who co-hosted a one-off show), The Subways and Richard Ashcroft.Source needed|date=December 2007

Awards

In recent years the station has performed well at the national Student Radio Awards, most recently winning three silver awards. In addition to these awards, the station usually picks up a number of other nominations, recognising achievement across all areas of the station - from news, to programming, to technical, to promotions. This year was the fifth in a row that Surge has been nominated for Best Technical Innovation, and the third consecutive year that Surge has received an award for it's news output.

Notable contributors

*Scott Mills (Presenter - BBC Radio 1)
*Chris Carnegy (Presenter - Original 106)
*Matt Treacy (Producer, Presenter - BBC Radio Solent)
*Alex Duffy (Presenter Chiltern FM & Gaydar Radio)
*Olly Perris (Hard Dance DJ & Producer)
*Mark Parker (Corporate & Club DJ)
*Matt Hurst (Woolworths Cashier)

References

*cite web|url=http://www.surgeradio.co.uk/about/history/|title=Surge > About > Station History|publisher=Surge|accessdate=2007-12-06

External links

* [http://www.surgeradio.co.uk/ Official Surge website]
* [http://www.susu.org/ Southampton University Students' Union]
* [http://www.studentradio.org.uk/ Student Radio Association (SRA)]
* [http://www.studentradioalumni.com/ Association of Student Radio Alumni (ASRA)]