| Bailrigg FM | |
| City: | Lancaster |
| Country: | UK |
| Area: | Lancaster University, Bailrigg |
| Frequency: | FM [1] |
| Former Names: | University Radio Bailrigg (pre 1996) |
| Former Frequencies: | FM (1994–2022) AM (1973–1996) |
| Licensing Authority: | Ofcom |
| Language: | English |
| Format: | Student Radio |
| Erp: | 2W |
| Owner: | Lancaster University Students' Union |
| Sister Stations: | LA1TV (Television) |
| Webcast: | Listen Live |
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.
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.
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]
Following 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]
In 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.
In 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] [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]
The following are Student Radio Awards presented by the Student Radio Association
| 1996 | Best Student Radio Station | Bailrigg FM | |||
| 2002 | Best Student Radio Station | [18] | |||
| 2003 | Best Website Award | Peter Price | Gold | ||
| 2004 | Best Station Sound | Bailrigg FM | |||
| 2005 | Specialist Music Programming | 'The Rachel Neilman Experience' | Rachel Neilman | [19] | |
| 2006 | Best Journalistic Programming | 'Newsbite' | Victoria Kirby | Silver | [20] |
| Best Comedy & Drama Programming | 'Project ComCom' | Bailrigg FM | [21] | ||
| 2007 | Best Male Presenter | Kenny Donohue | Gold | [22] | |
| Best Journalistic Programming | ‘Travellers on campus’ | Bailrigg FM News Team | [23] | ||
| 2008 | Best Outside Broadcast | 'Roses' | Bailrigg FM | Bronze | [24] |
| 2012 | Best Technical Achievement | 'Bailrigg FM Field Switchboard' | Gold | ||
| 2021 | 'Bailrigg FM Documentation Upgrades' | [25] | |||
| 2023 | Best Event Programming | Battle of the Bands 2023 | [26] |
The following are Amplify Awards (formerly known as I Love Student Radio Awards) presented at the annual SRACon by the Student Radio Association.
| 2014 | Best Audience Initiative | Bailrigg FM | Highly Commended | [27] | |
| Most Improved Station | |||||
| Outstanding Contribution to Student Radio | Stephen Robinson | ||||
| 2018 | Sam Possible | [28] | |||
| Hero Of The Moment | Tom Pearson | Highly Commended | [29] | ||
| 2021 | Media Collaboration of the Year | Bailrigg FM | Bailrigg FM | [30] | |
| 2023 | Outstanding Contribution | Riley Williams | [31] | ||
| Best Station Culture | Bailrigg FM | [32] | |||
| Most Improved Station | [33] | ||||
| 2024 | Best Student Media Collaboration | Bailrigg FM & University Radio York | Silver | [34] | |
| Team of the Year | Bailrigg FM's Engineering Team | Bronze | [35] |
The following are awards presented by Lancaster University Students' Union.
| 2014 | Feature of the Year | 'Brainwaves' | Bailrigg FM | Bailrigg FM | [36] | |
| 2016 | Bailrigg Show of the Year | 'Later with Tom and Eden' | [37] | |||
| Mathew Gillings, Ollie Orton, Laura Wilkinson | ||||||
| 'The LUCI Improv Hour' | Lancaster University Comedy Institute | |||||
| 'Desert Island Downloads' | ||||||
| 2019 | Best Entertainment/Lifestyle Content | 'Monday Bailrigg Show' | Adam Bragan, Jonny Bentley | [38] | ||
| 'The Summerfeld Chronicles' | Jordan Summerfield | [39] | ||||
| Best Design | ||||||
| Best Marketing | ||||||
| 'Wednesday Bailrigg Show Promotional Video' | Pascal Maguet, Alex George | |||||
| Best News/Politics Content | 'Snowballing Out of Control?' | Kyle McKenzie | ||||
| Best Interview | 'Rethink Valentine's' | Max Ell | ||||
| Best Innovation | 'Rethink' | Max Ell, Luke Mader, Nick Hoffman | ||||
| 'LUCI 24 hour takeover' | Lancaster University Comedy Institute | |||||
| Best Live Coverage | 'Lancaster City FC Coverage' | Jonny Bentley | ||||
| Best Sports Content | 'Bailrigg Football Show' | |||||
| 'Kick Out @ 2' | Kyle McKenzie, Kamran Khan | |||||
| 2020 | Kamran Khan | [40] | ||||
| Best Cultural Content | 'K-Bops' | Quin Pitcher | ||||
| Best Entertainment/Lifestyle Content | 'Choose Life' | Sophie Edwards, Finn Bracegirdle | ||||
| Best News/Politics Content | 'Newsday Tuesday' | Dan Woodburn | ||||
| Best Live Coverage | 'Union Elections' | Bailrigg FM | ||||
| 'General Election Coverage' | Bailrigg FM & SCAN | [41] | ||||
| Best Innovation | 'Off Script Podcast' | Oliver Crisp | ||||
| Best Marketing & Design | 'BFM Branding, Logos & Show Banners' | Angus Warrender | ||||
| Best Lockdown Content | 'Afternoon T' | Tom Grayston | ||||
| 2021 | '9 Years Time (Parody of 5 Years Time)' | [42] | ||||
| Best Entertainment/Lifestyle Content | 'The Noughty Sesh' | |||||
| Best Marketing | ||||||
| 'Bailrigg FM's Rebrand' | Edward Nokes | Edward Nokes | ||||
| Best Social Media | 'A Queer On Camp' | Noah Katz | ||||
| Best Cultural Content | ||||||
| Best News/Politics Content | 'Newspeak' | Theo Hunt | ||||
| Theo Hunt/Lucy Whalen | ||||||
| Lucy Whalen | ||||||
| Best Podcast | ||||||
| Lancaster Film Club Podcast | ||||||
| 'Welcome to Lancaster' | Oliver Crisp | |||||
| Best Collaboration | ||||||
| 'Freshers' Fair Live' | LA1TV and Bailrigg FM | |||||
| Best Live Coverage | BFM News Team | |||||
| 'Bailrigg's Summer Celebration' | Finn Bracegirdle and LA1TV | |||||
| Finn Bracegirdle | ||||||
| Best Innovation | 'Bailrigg FM's Podcasting' | Theo Hunt/Oliver Crisp | ||||
| 2022 | 'Bailrigg FM's Live Lounge' | Bailrigg FM | [43] | |||
| Best Interview | 'The Jack Threlfall Show' | Jack Threlfall | ||||
| Best Collaboration | 'Roses' | Bailrigg FM & LA1TV | ||||
| 2023 | Roses Media Coverage | Bailrigg FM, LA1TV, & SCAN | [44] | |||
| Student Media Contributor of the Year | Riley Williams | |||||
| VP Societies & Media Award for Individual Achievement | [45] | |||||
| Media Group of the Year | Bailrigg FM | |||||
| 2024 | Best Media Feature | LUSU Election and Candidate Questions | Bailrigg FM & LA1TV | [46] | ||
| Collaboration of the Year | Battle of the Bands | |||||
| Equality and Diversity Award | Bailrigg FM | |||||
| Media Group of the Year | ||||||
| Society Exec Team Award |