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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 music, 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,Although a contentious and hard to verify claim, this student society has long claimed it was the first of the UK student stations permitted a licence to actually start broadcasting. The claim of "first permanent FM student station" is a matter of interpretation. Radio Station Management reported back to society members during the negotiations that the Radio Authority believed the station to be the first to have a permanent FM licence. Oxford University later made the same claim. However, Bailrigg FM was from 1996 onwards limited to the campus of Lancaster University and broadcast initially only during term-time, whereas the colleges of Oxford University are spread across the city of Oxford, which made it the first permanent FM radio station run by students and available to the general public (and a rival to local independent radio for advertising revenue). Potentially the only way to verify any of the claims would be to access the archive of the Radio Authority (which is now a part of Ofcom). as well as being the first student station to broadcast on FM broadcasting. 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. 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 Induction loop 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, Best Station Sound and more recently Best Technical Achievement.
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 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 for four weeks. The broadcasts covered the City of Lancaster (including Morecambe),Details would appear in the minutes of the weekly society meetings, which should be in the archives of Lancaster University Student Union.Details of each FM launch were reported in the Lancaster University Student Newspaper "Scan", and should be available in their archives within Lancaster University Student Union. 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.
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.
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. Due to widespread disapproval this decision was ultimately reversed.
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.
| + !Year !Award !Content !Nominee !Result !Ref. | |||||
| 1996 | Best Student Radio Station | Bailrigg FM | rowspan="2" | ||
| 2002 | Best Student Radio Station | ||||
| 2003 | Best Website Award | Peter Price | Gold | ||
| 2004 | Best Station Sound | Bailrigg FM | |||
| 2005 | Specialist Music Programming | 'The Rachel Neilman Experience' | Rachel Neilman | ||
| 2006 | Best Journalistic Programming | 'Newsbite' | Victoria Kirby | Silver | |
| Best Comedy & Drama Programming | 'Project ComCom' | Bailrigg FM | |||
| 2007 | Best Male Presenter | Kenny Donohue | Gold | ||
| Best Journalistic Programming | ‘Travellers on campus’ | Bailrigg FM News Team | |||
| 2008 | Best Outside Broadcast | 'Roses' | Bailrigg FM | Bronze | |
| 2012 | Best Technical Achievement | 'Bailrigg FM Field Switchboard' | Gold | ||
| 2021 | 'Bailrigg FM Documentation Upgrades' | ||||
| 2023 | Best Event Programming | Battle of the Bands 2023 | |||
| 2024 | Best Interview | Hacker T Dog and Katie Thistleton Interview | Bronze |
| + !Year !Award !Content !Nominee(s) !Result !Ref. | |||||
| 2014 | Feature of the Year | 'Brainwaves' | Bailrigg FM | ||
| 2016 | Bailrigg Show of the Year | 'Later with Tom and Eden' | |||
| 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 | ||
| 'The Summerfeld Chronicles' | Jordan Summerfield | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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)' | ||||
| Best Entertainment/Lifestyle Content | 'The Noughty Sesh' | ||||
| Best Marketing | |||||
| 'Bailrigg FM's Rebrand' | 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 | |||
| Best Interview | 'The Jack Threlfall Show' | Jack Threlfall | |||
| Best Collaboration | 'Roses Tournament' | Bailrigg FM & LA1TV | |||
| 2023 | Roses Tournament | Bailrigg FM, LA1TV, & SCAN | |||
| Student Media Contributor of the Year | Riley Williams | ||||
| VP Societies & Media Award for Individual Achievement | |||||
| Media Group of the Year | Bailrigg FM | ||||
| 2024 | Best Media Feature | LUSU Election and Candidate Questions | Bailrigg FM & LA1TV | ||
| Collaboration of the Year | Battle of the Bands | ||||
| Equality and Diversity Award | Bailrigg FM | ||||
| Media Group of the Year | |||||
| Society Exec Team Award |
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