Oxide radio

Infobox Radio station
name = Oxide Radio


area = The World
slogan= Your Sound Education
frequency = [http://www.oxideradio.co.uk Online]
airdate= Term-Time
format= Various
owner= Oxford University Student Union
website= [http://www.oxideradio.co.uk www.oxideradio.co.uk]

Oxide Radio is a student radio station run by members of Oxford University and Oxford Brookes. [cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/content/articles/2005/11/02/oxide.shtml|title=Oxide student radio goes onto FM |publisher=BBC|date=2005-11-02 |accessdate=2008-01-26] It was established in 2001 and as "Altered Radio" made brief forays onto FM in 2004 and 2005 [cite web |url=http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/oxford/media-and-press.html |title=Oxford - Media and Press |publisher=Spiritus-Temporis.com |accessdate=2008-01-26] before complications regarding FM licensing and funding forced it onto internet-only broadcast. [cite web|url=http://www.oxfordstudent.com/ht2006wk2/News/student_union_to_cut_radio_station_funding|title=Student Union to cut radio station funding|first=Jessica|last=Goodman|publisher=The Oxford Student|date=2006-01-26|accessdate=2008-01-26] It currently operates a term-time schedule with a diverse set of shows.

History

Oxide Radio was founded in 2001 [http://archive.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/2003/01/20/27115.html] following the demise of the previous student radio station, Oxygen FM. Broadcasting from 1997 to 2001, Oxygen FM was Oxford University's student radio station which broadcast full-time on FM, as well as an internet stream. Oxygen's closure came about as a result of a failure to abide by Ofcom broadcast regulations, which led to a record fine of £20,000 and a shortening of the broadcast license. [http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/rau/newsroom/news-release/99/pr128.htm] Given that the expiry of Oxygen FM's license and the subsequent dissolution of the organisation had left students without a station, a new station was formed in 2001 as Fusion FM, before becoming Oxford Student Radio approximately 10 months later. It was then rebranded as Altered Radio in 2003. [http://archive.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/2003/01/20/27115.html] Initially broadcasting from an office in Little Clarendon Street, Oxford, the station transferred ownership to OSSL (Oxford Student Services Limited, the financial arm of the University's Student Union), and was accommodated in the student union buildings in 2003. [http://www.oxfordstudent.com/ht2005wk3/News/altered_radio_in_legal_battle_over_ownership]

A third rebranding to Oxide Radio was followed shortly by crisis. In significant financial difficulties during 2006, OUSU cut Oxide's £5,700 per year budget completely and presenters were forced to pay membership dues to keep the station afloat. [http://www.oxfordstudent.com/ht2006wk2/News/student_union_to_cut_radio_station_funding] In addition, Oxide acquired sponsorship from Shirtworks, a local clothing supplier. Phil Jupitus, Radio 1 DJ, criticised the cuts:

Nick Griffin Controversy

In Hilary Term 2007, British National Party leader Nick Griffin was invited to speak on Oxide. Despite the presenters receiving death threats, [cite web|url=http://www.national-student.co.uk/national_news/hangthedj.htm|title=Hang The DJ|publisher=The National Student|date=February 2007|accessdate=2008-01-26] the broadcast was scheduled to go ahead until OUSU (the university's student union) demanded that the broadcast be cancelled as part of their "No Platform Policy". [cite web|url=http://www.oxfordstudent.com/tt2007wk1/News/students_back_ousu_in_no_platform_showdown|title=Students back OUSU in No Platform showdown|first=Rachael|last=Bennett|date=2007-04-26|accessdate=2008-01-26|publisher=The Oxford Student] [cite web|url=http://www.oxfordmail.net/news/headlines/display.var.1177185.0.students_bnp_interview_plan_prompts_death_threats.php|title=Students' BNP interview plan prompts death threats|first=Emma-Kate|last=Lidbury|date=2007-02-08|accessdate=2008-01-26|publisher=Oxford Mail] Griffin criticised the decision by saying, "Fundamentally, this is not only an attack on freedom of speech but an attack on Oxford students’ rights to hear things and make their own minds up." [cite web|url=http://www.oxfordstudent.com/ht2007wk3/News/death_threats_sent_to_oxide_dj|title=Death Threats Sent to Oxide DJs|first=Chris |last=Baraniuk|date=2007-02-01 |accessdate=2008-01-26 |publisher=The Oxford Student] Nick Griffin and David Irving, the controversial historian, were later invited to speak at the Oxford Union about free speech, the cancelled Oxide show cited as one of the reasons for the invitation being extended. [cite web |url=http://cherwell.larrytech.com/index.php?news=1444 |title=Union under fire over extremist invitations|first=David|last=Matthews |date=2007-10-12 |accessdate=2008-01-26|publisher=Cherwell 24] As a result of this controversy, Oxide Radio was granted editorial independence from OUSU and its own constitution. [cite web|url=http://cherwell.larrytech.com/index.php?news=79|title=Have you met ... Paul Arrich?|date=2007-06-01|accessdate=2008-01-26|publisher=Cherwell 24]

port Relief

In March 2008, Oxide raised £2,000 for the charity Sport Relief. This event was covered by both the Oxford Student and the Oxford Mail. [cite web|url=http://www.oxfordmail.net/search/display.var.2056599.0.students_get_active_for_sports_relief.php|title=Students get active for Sports Relief|first=Tom|last=Shepherd|publisher=Oxford Mail|accessdate=2008-05-03]

Licensing irregularities

licence, the station had not reimbursed artists for the music it had played.

As a result, OUSU ordered the station to be taken off air until October 2008, by which time it is hoped that licensing irregularities will have been sorted.

Technical Information

Oxide Radio is comparatively advanced amongst student radio stations in terms of number and diversity of streaming servers. Rather than residing on one main streaming server, Oxide streams from four, planning to stream in every possible format, including MP3, Windows Media, RealPlayer, Ogg, FLAC, and QuickTime. A number of servers were announced on the Oxide website in early 2008:
*Windows Server 2008 - MP3, Windows Media Services
*Windows Server 2003 Backup Server - MP3, Windows Media Services
*Windows Server 2008 - OGG, Relay MP3, Windows Media 9.2
*Apple Mac OS X Leopard - Darwin Server, AAC Encoder, Relay MP3

Awards

*BBC Radio 1 Student Radio Awards Bronze 2003: Newcomer of the Year [cite web|url=http://www.ukmusic.com/forum/chit-chat/the-winners-bbc-radio-1-student-radio-awards-2003-a-28672.html|title= The Winners: BBC Radio 1 Student Radio Awards 2003
publisher=BBC Radio 1|accessdate=2008-08-16]
*BBC Radio 1 Student Radio Awards Gold 2003: Best Female Presenter [cite web|url=http://www.ukmusic.com/forum/chit-chat/the-winners-bbc-radio-1-student-radio-awards-2003-a-28672.html|title= The Winners: BBC Radio 1 Student Radio Awards 2003
publisher=BBC Radio 1|accessdate=2008-08-16]
*Student Radio Awards Gold 2005: Off-Air Promotions and Imaging [cite web|url=http://www.studentradio.org.uk/awards/2005/winners.html|title=Student Radio Awards - 2005 - Winners|publisher=Student Radio Association|accessdate=2008-01-26]
*Student Radio Awards Bronze 2006: Best Specialist Music Programme [cite web|url=http://www.studentradio.org.uk/awards/2006/winners.html|title=Student Radio Awards - 2006 - Winners|publisher=Student Radio Association|accessdate=2008-01-26]
*Student Radio Awards Bronze 2007: Student Radio Newcomer of the Year [cite web|url=http://www.studentradio.org.uk/awards/2007/winners.html|title=Student Radio Awards - 2007 - Winners|publisher=Student Radio Association |accessdate=2008-01-26]

References

External links

* [http://www.oxideradio.co.uk Oxide Radio Website]
* [http://www.ousu.org Oxford University Students Union]