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Bristol University's Radio Station (Burst) is a radio station run by students of the
BBC (3 May 2003). The station was initially known as ‘BURST FM’, but this name was dropped as the station no longer broadcasts on FM frequencies. The station is off air during university vacations.
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a Red brick university, red brick Russell Group research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Society of Merchant Venturers, Merchant Venturers' sc ...
, UK. Its studios are located within the University of Bristol Students’ Union building and it broadcasts online.Clubs and gigs in Bristol – Burst goes onlineBBC (3 May 2003). The station was initially known as ‘BURST FM’, but this name was dropped as the station no longer broadcasts on FM frequencies. The station is off air during university vacations.
History
In 1995, students from Bristol University and the University of the West of England (UWE) co-operated to run Fresh FM. When Fresh FM closed, Burst FM was started by Bristol University students in 1997, awarded a one-month licence to broadcast on 106.6 FM awarded for March 1998. However, the unavailability of further FM licences, due to the launch of a new full-time station The Eagle (now renamedStar
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth make ...
), prevented further broadcasts. In early 2000 speakers were installed in the Bristol Union (now the University of Bristol Student Union) building, and broadcasts mounted during ‘Fresh’ (Bristol University's Freshers' Week) 2000. A grant from Bristol University's Alumni Foundation and fundraising through advertising and sponsorship allowed Burst to build new studios inside the Union, and to stream programming online.
An application was made for a further FM licence in Autumn 2000, giving Burst the rights to 106.6 FM with a Restricted Service Licence
A UK Restricted Service Licence (often called an RSL), is typically granted to radio stations and television stations broadcasting within the UK to serve a local community or a special event. Licences are granted by the broadcasting authority Ofc ...
. An application was made for another one-month licence in Summer 2001. This licence was also awarded, as well as a subsequent licence in November 2001, promoted by club nights and coverage in student and local press. In 2003, Burst began broadcasting via the internet on a permanent basis.
In 2005, talks began to start using an AM signal. Broadcasting on 1134 AM commenced in October 2007 via a transmitter in Stoke Bishop. The start of AM broadcasting coincided with new management and re-branding of the station. Burst went from an orange/blue logo to a new orange/red/white colour scheme. This was replaced by a 'headphones' style logo and, in 2010/2011, the colours of Burst were changed again to red and white.
In September 2007, the station updated its systems in preparation for the AM launch. Under the flag of ‘Project Excalibur’, the on-air studio was refurbished and new equipment installed. This culminated in a live broadcast with BBC Radio 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available on ...
. In December 2007, Burst's production studio was also updated, bringing it in line with the changes in the on-air studio.
In 2008, Burst launched the first ever student radio soap, ‘The Arches’, in collaboration with Epigram (newspaper), the student newspaper. A new Union show was also launched. This was, however, cut short after a multiple computer breakdown in 2008.
Burst recommenced broadcasting in 2010, airing every day during term time. In 2019, specialist programming was combined with dedicated ‘Breakfast’ and ‘Hangover Brunch’ slots on weekdays, and 10am-12pm ‘Brunch’ shows at weekends. It fazed out overnight music at the end of 2019, with an hour's early music on 14 December. On 1 November 2021, off-schedule broadcasting returned during term times, with the station now joining BCfm overnight.
On 25 February 2018, Burst hosted the Student Radio Association
The Student Radio Association (SRA) is a representative body which supports and acts on behalf of the UK student radio community, comprising radio stations that are associated with or linked to a place of education. It is a not-for-profit organ ...
’s ‘Student Chart Show’.
In September 2019, Oscar Edmondson and Rhiannon Du Cann took over as Station Manager and Operations Manager, implementing a podcast recording schedule to run in parallel with live shows.
The station went off air when the University of Bristol closed to manage the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
, but on 9 April 2020 it broadcast ‘The Bristol University Singalong’ for one hour over pop-up station Burst Radio Quarantine. It then offered a slimmed-down schedule the following term, returning to usual scheduling in September 2021 alongside a visual relaunch spearheaded by Station Manager George Ruskin, Operations Manager Fergal Maguire and Head of Commercial Octavia Hutchings.
Current Position
From 2019, news bulletins broadcast hourly from an external newsroom. Travel, sport and weather reports also recur during ‘Breakfast’, ‘Brunch’ and ‘Hangover Brunch‘ programmes. Burst's shows are all in-house, though some podcast series are independent student productions. The station does not carry advertising but may accept sponsorship deals. The station's facilities consist of an on-air studio, from which most live programmes are presented, and a production studio, used for recording and editing. Additionally, music sessions may be recorded in the ‘Burst Music Room’, located on another floor of the Student Union building. As of 2022, the Burst leadership team consists of Matt Knight (station manager), Flora Guildford (head of operations) and Sophie Linehan (head of commercial).https://www.burstradio.org/teamAlumni
Notable former broadcasters include the comediansMarcus Brigstocke
Marcus Alexander Brigstocke (born 8 May 1973) is a British comedian, actor and satirist. He has worked in stand-up comedy, television, radio and musical theatre. He has appeared on many BBC television and radio shows.
Early life
Brigstocke is ...
and Danny Robins, magician Chris Cox, presenter Paris Troy and footballer Theofanis Gekas
Theofanis "Fanis" Gekas ( el, Θεοφάνης "Φάνης" Γκέκας; born 23 May 1980) is a Greek professional football official, coach and a former player, who played as a striker. He is the manager of Turkish fourth-tier TFF Third League ...
.
References
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