BurnFM.com

Burn FM (sometimes stylised as BurnFM.com, BurnFM, or BURN FM) is the official student radio station based at the University of Birmingham.[1] The original name was BurnFM.com. 'Burn' stands for 'Birmingham University Radio Network'. Burn FM also regularly review many songs and celebrities such as AJ Tracey, Eminem and NSG.

Burn FM
Broadcast areaUniversity of Birmingham
FrequencyOnline
History
First air date
1996 - 1998
Links
Webcastplayer
Websitewww.burnfm.com

History

Founded in the 1960s as the University of Birmingham Radio Society by a small group of radio amateurs including G3OAD, G3PLS, G3PLP, G3LJR and G3PJT, it was renamed as the University of Birmingham Amateur radio society (Radio Soc) between 1978 and 1996. The first record of the use of 'BURN FM' with regards to the radio society was in 1998.[2]

The station was founded in this, its third incarnation, in Spring 1996 and, until October 2006, it broadcast twice a year on an FM, usually in October and March for 28 days each time. It is now a term time Webcasting organisation broadcasting most of the academic year.

Burn FM caters for a variety of musical tastes, and shows are particularly targeted at Selly Oak, where many students live. Specialist shows aim to provide distinctive playlists and fewer spoken features than mainstream shows which are partly playlisted by the station music team with the latest music and special specialist catering to more generic music tastes.

Burn FM's logo prior to early 2019.

The studio is located at the University of Birmingham Guild of Students - on the main campus at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Broadcasts are from 9 am daily, with transmissions ending at 11 pm. Mainstream shows play out between 12 pm and 6 pm Monday through to Friday with evenings from 6 pm. Weekend broadcasts begin at 10am and end at 11pm.

A planned broadcast was missed in Spring 2002 because of an administrative error. In 2008, broadcasting had to be postponed for two semesters because of a lack of air conditioning in the studio. The basement location of the studio means that it is close to the Guild of Students boiler, and so the studio and the Guild were at risk. In the summer of 2008, the studio underwent a major refurbishment in an attempt to avoid those complications recurring. In 2009, BurnFM was rebranded to BurnFM.com and went back on-air.

In August 2004, lightning struck the building, and damaged the transmission aerial. This resulted in damage, valued at £13 000, to the broadcast mixer and other equipment. An insurance payout resulted in a new studio being fitted for the Autumn 2005 broadcast. For the 2004-05 academic year, equipment had to be loaned.

It was during the Spring 2005 broadcast that BBC 6 Music came to Birmingham for a one-off, outside broadcast from the studio. The Phill Jupitus Breakfast Show on 11 March was presented from the Burn FM studio.

An image of the newly installed studio hardware in the Luscombe Studio in late March 2018. The previous desk - a Sonifex S2 - took up far more space than the newer S0 model.

'Restricted Service Licences' - RSLs - last for 28 days, and only two can be held in one calendar year. This is stipulated by Ofcom. Therefore, an internet licence has been granted by the University for the first time; this will allow the station to broadcast for the whole semester. Before this, internet broadcasting had been offered in conjunction with FM broadcasts - a simulcast - only.

Burn FM has enjoyed great success particularly in the field of sports journalism. The Burn FM Sports Team won six national awards between 2008 and 2014 for coverage of events such as the BUCS National Finals, BUCS Outdoor athletics Championships and National Karting Championships with many of their number going on to further careers in media including positions within the BBC and further study of broadcasting around the country. In January 2020, Burn FM covered the British National Track Championships at the National Cycling Centre for the first time.[3][4]

The station is notable for being the launch pad for media outlet "Things Can Only Get Better".

Burn FM underwent a full station re-brand and website redesign in 2013-14. Another website redesign accompanied a full technical overhaul in Spring 2018, which included the installation of over £15,000 worth of new hardware and software in the Luscombe (main) Studio, the Selly (production) studio, and the server room.[5]

Station Managers

Information correct as of June 2023.

NameFromTo
Beatrice Lancet March 2023 March 2024
Jasmine Sandhar March 2022 March 2023
Dylan Clarke March 2021 March 2022
Emma Sherry[6]March 2020March 2021
Emily Youlton[7][8]March 2018March 2020
Dan Wootton[9]March 2017March 2018
Katie Packer[10]March 2016March 2017
Niall Flynn March 2015 March 2016
Joe McDowell March 2014 March 2015
Will Hazelton March 2013 March 2014
Nick Williams March 2012 March 2013

Head of Sport

Information correct as of November 2021.

Name From To
Aidan Clarke March 2023 March 2024
Bella Sheperd-Evans March 2022 March 2023
Seth Nobes March 2021 March 2022
Emily Marshall March 2019 March 2021
Ben Henley-Washford March 2018 March 2019

Head of Music (Internal)

Information correct as of September 2023.

Name From To
Luke Grindlay March 2023 March 2024
Beatrice Lancet March 2022 March 2023
Sadie Iddenden March 2021 March 2022
Sandra Ny March 2020 March 2021

Head of Music (External)

Information correct as of September 2023.

Name From To
Tom Wykes March 2023 March 2024
Olivia Wilson March 2022 March 2023
Jasmine Sandhar March 2021 March 2022
Ed Baidya March 2020 March 2021

Awards

Information correct as of November 2020.

YearAwards EventCategoryResultRef
2022 SRA Amplify Awards Student Radio Moment of the Year Won
2020I Love Student Radio AwardsBest Audience InitiativeWon[11][12]
2020I Love Student Radio AwardsCollaboration of the YearShortlisted[13]
2020I Love Student Radio AwardsMost ImprovedShortlisted[14]
2020I Love Student Radio AwardsBest Outreach ProjectShortlisted[15]
2020Student Radio AwardsBest Sports ProgrammingBronze[16][17]

See also

References
  1. "BURNFM".
  2. Student Groups [@Guild_Groups] (2 December 2017). "@Burn_FM First record we have of a radio society is in a list for 1967-68 academic year (so may have started during '66-67); first mention of switching to BURN FM name is 1998), but records are patchy so that might not be spot on" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  3. "Preview: National Track Championships 2020". 22 January 2020.
  4. BurnFM Sport [@BurnFM_Sport] (30 January 2020). "What a weekend! Burn FM Sport covered a great few days of racing at the @BritishCycling #TrackChamps last weekend - here are some of our favourite bits 🚴🏅 📸: @elliot_k4 t.co/CoyftC0k3R" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  5. Burn FM [@Burn_FM] (23 March 2018). "We have a brand new studio! Freshly installed by Lee from @BroadcastRad we're well set for the future! Thanks to everyone who has been a part of making this happen for future generations of Burn FMers! #BurnLove 💜 t.co/qZh3nH8EHd" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  6. Burn FM [@Burn_FM] (12 March 2020). "Congratulations to @emmamegansherry who is the new Head of Station!! Emma was previously one of the Heads of Music and has done Burn since first year!" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  7. Burn FM [@Burn_FM] (19 March 2019). "STATION MANAGER: @EmilyJYoulton is the Station Manager for 2019/20" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  8. Burn FM [@Burn_FM] (2 March 2018). "Head of Station for 2018/19 is @EmilyJYoulton!" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  9. Decembers are for Dans [@WoottonDaniel] (4 March 2017). "So excited to be the next burn_fm Head of Station!!! Looking forward… t.co/qWWuKBQnBv" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  10. "Burn FM on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022.
  11. "Student Radio Association".
  12. Student Radio Association [@SRA] (29 May 2020). "And @Burn_FM - Open Day OB's are our first winner of the night! 🏆 #ILSR ❤️ t.co/tqk98daLot" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  13. Student Radio Association [@SRA] (29 May 2020). "👉 Our shortlisted entries are… @Burn_FM with Redbrick and Guild TV @DemonFM - Halloween Hunt with DemonTV @ThisisLSR x LSTV x The Gryphon take #GE2019 @SurgeRadio and SUSUTV @urfofficial's BBC Debate @urfofficial's Guest Slot #ILSR ❤️ t.co/bCaCbw4Rpv" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  14. Student Radio Association [@SRA] (29 May 2020). "✨Our Shortlisted entries… @burn_fm @demonfm @jamradiohull @thisisnsr @radiosonar @utter_radio #ILSR ❤️ t.co/NxuvX84YYK" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  15. Student Radio Association [@SRA] (29 May 2020). "✨ Our Shortlisted entries are… @Burn_FM Charity Single @DemonFM's Halloween Hunt @DemonFM - Leicester Comedy Festival @DemonFM - Rebuilding a Local High School Radio Station @PlayFlyLive - Fly Through The Night @RadioSonar - #UpTheSonar24 Broadcast #ILSR ❤️ t.co/d7Etf4ebq1" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  16. Student Radio Association [@SRA] (22 October 2020). "⚽ BEST SPORTS PROGRAMMING ⚽ The nominees are… @Burn_FM, @ThisIsNSR, @OMGstaffs, @PurpleRadioUK, @UniRadioBath, @URN1350 #SRAs @BBCSounds @global t.co/tLk3h2O40r" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  17. Student Radio Association [@SRA] (6 November 2020). "Our Best Sports Programming runner-ups are… 🥉 Bronze: The @Burn_FM Sports Show 🥈 Silver: The Thursday Sports Show (@URN1350) @BBCSounds @global #SRAs t.co/BQlI3eUmpH" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 December 2020 – via Twitter.
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