Setting Up A Student Radio Station -
April 2001

There are a number of ways a station can be broadcast:

1. Hard wire (Closed Circuit) Broadcast within a building through an internal speaker system.

2. Induction loop A cable is laid around a building and listeners can tune in on AM within approximately 10 metres from the cable. This is outdated and very expensive.

3. FM Restricted Service Licence (RSL) As the name suggests it is restricted to a local area (2-3 mile radius technically, 10 miles realistically depending on aerial location) and to 28 days. Longer FM RSL's are available if you live in sparsely populated areas and have good reason to be on longer. These are the most popular types of broadcast with student stations but are expensive.

4. AM RSL Same as above only on AM.

5. Low Powered AM/Free-Radiating AM (LPAM/FRAM) The latest licence to be made available for student stations. This is also a form of RSL and is restricted to a site specific broadcast area. That is a site that has a clear boundary. The power rating is 1 watt and will carry your signal approximately 1 mile. Although transmission equipment is expensive (£10,000), broadcasting is cheap with total licence costs at approximately £1,200 per year. Licences are for 5 years and can be renewed.

6. LPFM Same as AM only on FM. These licences are limited to parts of Wales, the South West and Scotland i.e. the least populated areas of the UK.

You need to find the system that is best suited for you and then cost it.

Prices and Costing The SRA does not recommend a single company to provide your equipment so the equipment prices listed here could vary in your area. Please do not take these equipment and price listings as locked in stone as it is pretty much up to you as to what you think your studio will need. The list is based on Insanity's equipment and running costs at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Prices DO NOT include VAT. If your funding body has charity status you may be exempt from paying this - check with them.

Licence Cost

Radio Authority (R.A.) & Wireless and Telegraphy Act (W.T.A.) licences £2,240

Application Fee for above £200

PPL License £1,151.50

PRS License £840.84

Necessary Equipment and Expenditure Approximate Cost

Transmitter and aerial (Hired) £800

Telephone Balancing Unit (Puts callers on air) (Hired from Sonifex) £80

Publicity (200 posters and 5000 flyers) £800

Miscellaneous Costs (Phone bill, administration, photocopying) £300

Equipment Approximate Cost & Quantity

On air microphone (Beyer M201 from Camford Audio) £179.00 x 1

Guest Microphones (Audio Technica ATM33A from Camford Audio) £43.00 x 2

Longplay Stereo Video Player (to record output) £260 x 1

CD Players (Denon) £400 x 2

Minidisc players/recorders (Denon) £700 x 2

Broadcast Desk £4000 x 1

Amplifier £150 x 1 Speakers (JPWML310 from Richer Sounds) (Price per pair) £89.95 x 1

Disco Mixer £150 x 1

Technics 1210 Record Decks £350 x 2

Prices are each.

The licence costs may change and are worth checking with the companies involved. To carry out one month on FM you will need all of the licences listed above. It is worth contacting the Radio Authority and Radica Broadcast to find out costs for other methods of broadcast. Obviously the equipment list is by no way complete. Additional costs could include microphone stands, telephones, tape recorders and portable minidisk recorders for outside recording. It really is up to you to go out and get a complete list from your local suppliers.

What to do now?

1. Get support Think about setting up a radio club or society to gain interest. You are not going to get a radio station without man/woman power so start now. Remember to join the Student Radio Association if you have not already. They will provide you with advice and support as well as inviting you to conferences where you can meet stations from around the country.

2. Plan Show people you are serious by developing a plan of action. A good idea is to draw up a five-year plan. Put in it what you are going to do by the end of each year and how you are going to achieve it. Once you have planned your way - get moving.

3. Politics Play the politics game if necessary. Have a look how your Union publication was set up. Can you get the radio station in your Students' Union constitution. Represent your station at every meeting you can.

4. Go! So, you have got members and you know what you are going to do - don't hang about. Get a licence application form from the Radio Authority and get moving. The longer you have to plan the better.

5. Still stuck? Check out the training factsheets@www.studentradio.org.uk

6. Do the best broadcast . . . ever! Programming policy, music policy, speech policy - get them decided and enact them. Get contacts with music pluggers and promotion companies. Think about a sustaining service. Produce posters and flyers.

7. Good luck. For a list of contacts, see the contacts section of the Website

Oh, and...

Remember to join the Student Radio Association. Call the Skills Development Officer at The Radio Academy on 0207 255 2010.