- Phoenix FM
Radio station
name = Phoenix FM
airdate =December 29 1996
frequency = 98.0 MHz
area = Brentwood andBillericay
format = Community, Contemporary
owner = Phoenix FM Ltd
website = [http://www.phoenixfm.com/ www.phoenixfm.com]Phoenix FM is a community radio station serving the areas of Brentwood and
Billericay ,England . It was formed in1996 and has broadcast twelve 28-day restricted service licence broadcasts on FM. The station's presenters include localsnooker heroSteve Davis , singer/songwriterChris T-T and formerCarter USM guitarist /songwriter Les "Fruitbat" Carter. Phoenix FM was also the first community radio station in the UK to provide a streaming internet service, in2001 .On 16 February 2006
Ofcom announced that Phoenix FM, after ten years of campaigning, had been awarded a full-time Community Radio licence. [cite web | title = Ofcom awards 21 community radio licences | publisher = Ofcom| date = February 16 2006 | url = http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2006/02/nr20060216 | accessdate = 2008-02-22] On Saturday 4 March 2006 the station started podcasting for the first time, withBrentwood's Only Alternative publishing the first show using this method.Phoenix FM moved its base of operations to the Baytree Centre in early 2007 and started broadcasting full time on 98.0FM at 7pm on Friday 23 March 2007.
The station's broadcasts have provided a valuable platform for local bands looking to gain airtime.
Inme , who were then known under the name of Drowned, were one band whose first radio play andinterview s were on the station. The station's Creative Sessions have given studio recording time to unknown and young local bands.The station includes local MP
Eric Pickles among its presenters. Pickles has been described as "the Euro-friendly MP for Brentwood and Ongar and occasional star of a chat'n'music programme on local station Phoenix FM" [cite web | last = Harris | first = John| title = It's a game of two halves as the frontbenchers go for the face-off | publisher = The Guardian| date = July 9 2007| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/jul/09/conservatives.labour | accessdate = 2008-02-22]References
External links
* [http://www.phoenixfm.com/ Phoenix FM]
* [http://www.myspace.com/phoenixfm Phoenix FM on Myspace]
* [http://www.facebook.com/people/Phoenix_FM/823389967 Phoenix FM on Facebook]
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