- Radio regen
Radio Regen is a charity based in
Manchester , UK, that provides training incommunity radio .Origins
Emerging from the kernel idea of radio training for unemployed people, Radio Regen was born as a non-profit organisation in April 1999, in partnership with Manchester College of Arts and Technology (Mancat).
Training is a central part of their activities and they offer several radio prodcution courses in conjunction with
Manchester College of Arts & Technology (MANCAT). These range from a 10-week Foundation in Radio for the unemployed to an NVQ3 in Radio Production lasting one year.During the first training course run by the new organisation, the desire to bring broadcasting to communities was discovered. [http://www.radioregen.org/history/index.html]
Peak-time big names, off-peak trainees
In 1999, Radio Regen joined with local listings magazine City Life, published by
GMG , to launch a two-month long temporary radio station - City Centre Life 87.7 - from the Oxfam Originals store in the city's Northern Quarter. The station was marketed as an alternative to existing radio stations, promising "Cutting edge music from Manchester's best DJs" on a station flyer.----
Schedule (as highlighted on station flyers):
10pm - 2am Monday - Friday : Matt Thompson - Predominantly known as the presenter of the Late Night Dance Soundtrack on
Kiss 102 [http://www.mdmarchive.co.uk/archive/showartefact.php?bid=4788]2pm Monday - Friday : Chris Jam - Also formerly of
Kiss 102 's Midnight Mix.9pm Monday:
Mr. Scruff
11pm Monday: Jon Da Silva
9pm Tuesday:Jah Wobble
11pm Tuesday: Twisted Nerve12.30am Wednesday: Kier 'Inch' [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=64486551]
9pm Wednesday:808 State
11pm Wednesday: Pete Robinson [http://www.mdmarchive.co.uk/archive/showartefact.php?bid=4489]6.30pm Friday: Counter Culture
8.30pm Friday: Molotov Pop
10.30pm Friday: Eric B
3pm Saturday: Steve Toon
6pm Saturday: One Tree Island1pm Sunday:
Clint Boon 3pm Sunday: Doodlebug [http://www.mdmarchive.co.uk/archive/showartefact.php?aid=1895&bid=4438]
10pm Sunday: Hewan Clarke [http://www.mdmarchive.co.uk/archive/showartefact.php?bid=4445]
11pm Sunday: Louise McKenny Wallwein
Midnight Monday: Ambient Alliance----
Behind the public face, retrained unemployed people brought their MANCAT training into reality, producing shows and presenting off-peak output on the station. [ Manchester Evening News "Radio of Hope" by Adam Moss - Monday September 20 1999 ]
The following year saw a slightly different line up return as Radio Sonic - "28 days of HIGH STRENGTH ANTIDOTE to BRAIN DEAD corporate radio" [ www.radioregen.org/sonic.htm, accessed on 8/6/00 ] , with the same mixed output.
--
Complete schedule:
Monday - Friday :
7am
Terry Christian
9.30am Ugly Mugs
Midday Jon Da Silva
2pm Chris Jam
4.30pm Fiona Bowker [http://www.switchflicker.co.uk/fiona_bowker.html]Monday:
Midnight 30 til 2am - Ambient Alliance
6.30pm til 8pm - Rob Bright
9pm til 11pm - Rob Chapman
11pm - Midnight 30 - Manchester Label SlotTuesday: Midnight 30 til 2am - Nashini
6.30 til 8.30pm - Mr. Scruff
8.30pm til 10pm - Jah Wobble
11pm til Midnight 30 - Black AngelWednesday:Midnight 30 til 2am - Tiger Lounge
6.30 til 8.30pm - Moon Boots
8.30pm til 10pm -808 State
11pm til Midnight 30 -Dave Haslam Thursday:Midnight 30 til 2am - Gesscom Feat. Skarn
6.30 til 8.30pm - Molotov Pop
8.30pm til 10pm - On The Wire Manchester
11pm til Midnight 30 - ToolshedFriday:Midnight 30 til 2am - Kier 'Inch'
6.30 til 8.30pm - Counter Culture
8.30pm til 10pm - Piccadilly Records [http://www.piccadillyrecords.com]
11pm til Midnight 30 - Graham LambertSaturday:9-11am John 'n' Jan
11am -1pm North by North West
3-6pm - Steve Toon - Local Bands
7.30-9pm - UK Garage
9-10.30pm - Eric B
10.30pm - Midnight 30 - MegatoneSunday: Midnight 30 - 2am - ILL With It
9-11am - Stevie Flys Jazz
11am-1pm - Hewan Clarke
1-3pm Clint Boon
3-5pm - Doodle Bug
6.30-8.30pm - Rainy City [http://www.rainycitymusic.com]
8-10.30pm - Twisted NerveFollowing the successful introduction of the trainees onto the air, a series of 72-hour community broadcasts was held from libraries, community centres and social clubs in Moston, Openshaw, Longsight and
Wythenshawe FM .Over To You FM greeted the launch of the Local Strategic Partnership; a three-day transmission during the inauguration of The Lowry arts centre; and Chipping FM, a temporary station set up in rural Lancashire provided support during the foot-and-mouth outbreak.
Access Radio pilots
Discussions between the government and the Radio Authority in 2002 made it clear that the Government was considering introducing a third tier of broadcasting alongside the BBC and commercial radio. From the 200 applications received by the Radio Authority, 15 were awarded one year licenses with Radio Regen winning two, ALL FM and WFM. All the stations went on air later that year, with the period of the scheme later extended for a further year until 31 December 2004.
For now, WFM and ALL FM continue to be overseen by Radio Regen, but the aim is for ownership to be transferred to residents and managed by local steering groups.
Role as community radio advisors
Radio Regen started 2004 by hosting the Community FM conference at Manchester Airport's Radisson SAS Hotel as the first step towards establishing itself as a national centre for expertise in community radio. The conference brought in the North West Development Agency into the field as sponsors.
Since 1999, it has enabled more than 6,000 residents of disadvantaged areas of Manchester, Salford and the North West to get on air. Their ground-breaking experiment in how community radio tackles disadvantage and aides regeneration has included more than 25 temporary
Restricted Service Licence (RSL) broadcasts and a number of full-time stations. These have been backed up by accredited training in radio production for local volunteers as well as art, youth and community development projects.They have also been pivotal in securing political support for the introduction of community radio across the UK. Their Community FM conferences in Manchester in 2004 and 2005 helped would-be licencees develop their station concepts and apply for licences for forthcoming start-ups.
The years 2005 and 2006 saw community radio stations gaining licences and going live across the UK. To help facilliate this, Radio Regen have launched a Professional Skills Centre, a "national centre of excellence" for community radio.
They have also compiled a handbook and training materials titled "The Community Radio Toolkit" [http://www.communityradiotoolkit.net] . All community radio practitioners are invited to use the site to share information, learn and debate about any matters affecting the sector.
Full time community stations
As well as the grown-up pilots of ALL FM and Wythenshawe FM, Radio Regen has backed the newly launched Ribble Valley Radio (from the root of Chipping FM) and
Salford City Radio .References
External links
* Radio Regen [http://www.radioregen.org]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
