RAW 1251AM is the
student radio
Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...
station at the
University of Warwick
, mottoeng = Mind moves matter
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £7.0 million (2021)
, budget = £698.2 million (2020â ...
and winner of the 2000 and 2003
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
Student Radio Association Best Station awards.
Formerly known as W963, during the years when broadcasts were conducted via an induction loop around the university campus on 963 kHz AM, RAW now broadcasts from inside the Students' Union HQ building on 1251 kHz AM to the campus and previously on FM for four weeks of the year to
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
,
Kenilworth
Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, south-west of Coventry, north of Warwick and north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a tributary of the River Sowe, which joins the ...
and surrounding areas. RAW als
streamsall its output online.
History
RAW began life as University Radio Warwick in the 1970-71 academic year by students who spent their summer vacation installing an
induction loop transmission system in the Rootes residence buildings. (One of these students was
David Davis, who would later go on to become a Conservative MP and serve as Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.) The studios consisted of a wooden hut behind Rootes M (Meriden House) and broadcast at 312 metres (963 kHz). The station was soon rebranded to URW312.
In 1977, the station was moved into the newly constructed social building (which would eventually become the
Students' Union Building).
On 30 January 1999, W963 rebranded itself as RaW and on 30 September 1999, the station began broadcasting on 1251 kHz AM, discarding the then obsolete induction loop system.
RAW moved across the University of Warwick campus to University House in the Summer of 2008 as the Students' Union was refurbished. For the subsequent year RAW dropped its FM broadcast due to inability to use the FM antenna, resuming the annual broadcast for 2010.
In the Summer of 2010, RAW returned to the Students' Union, and is now based on the second floor of SUHQ (previously known as Union North).
Activities
RAW provided a special broadcast service for the
International Children's Games
The International Children's Games (ICG) is an International Olympic Committee-sanctioned event held every year where children from cities around the world and between the ages of 12 and 15 participate in a variety of sports and cultural activitie ...
held in Coventry in July 2005, and was named the official broadcaster for this period.
In late 2005,
David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, launched his bid for the Conservative Party leadership with a visit to RAW, the station which he helped to found. Following an interview in the studio (surrounded by around 20 journalists), Davis held a press conference in the Rootes Social Building Panorama Room, which symbolised the beginning of his campaign. His interview in the studio was later syndicated by BBC Radio 4 and the trip to the station reported on a number of media outlets.
2006 saw a large amount of work done to the station
Studio 1saw the installation of a bespoke digital playout system ('Digiplay') as well as redecoration, and a new office was built in the foyer of the station allowing DJs to work undisturbed.
In 2011 four members of the station embarked on a charity fundraiser named "RAW on Tour". The tour consisted of a visit to 52
SRA affiliated student radio stations in England within one week. Over £1,000 was raised for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and the station was announced winner of the Charity Champion prize at the I Love Student Radio Awards later that year.
In May 2012 the station received recognition from notable industry website Media UK for an impressive set of audience figures which, in some areas of analysis, eclipsed a number of national radio stations, including BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2 and the Absolute Radio Network.
In 2013, RAW began its MaRaWthon Outside Broadcast that raised over £1500 for the charity Coventry Cyrenians by broadcasting for 100 hours, day and night, on the Piazza at Warwick University, as well as winning 4 Student Radio Awards for the previous years broadcasting in the categories Best Newcomer (Gold), Best Live Event (Gold), Best Speech (Silver), and Best Entertainment (Bronze).
In 2017, RAW launched a 50 Hour Broadcast in aid of
Parkinson's UK
Parkinson's UK is a Parkinson's research and support charity in the United Kingdom. In April 2010, the Parkinson's Disease Society changed its name to become Parkinson's UK. Its aims are to improve the quality of life for people affected by Park ...
. With the help of
The Cheeky Girls
The Cheeky Girls are a Romanian singing duo consisting of identical twin sisters Gabriela and Monica Irimia (both born 31 October 1982). After appearing as auditionees on '' Popstars: The Rivals'', they achieved success in the UK charts with fou ...
&
John Stapleton (patrons of the charity), as well as LBC's
Steve Allen
Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-cre ...
and Darren Adam, and BBC's
Chris Stark
Christopher Francis Stark (born 12 March 1987) is a British radio personality known for his work most recently as a co-host on the ''Scott Mills'' show on BBC Radio 1 until he departed in 2022. He currently works on Capital FM's Breakfast Show ...
they managed to raise just under £3,000 for the charity.
Awards
RAW has twice been named the
Student Radio Association's ''Station of the Year'', in 2000 and 2003, along with other gold awards in both on and off air categories.
Notable presenters
* John Bennett, sports reporter and presenter for BBC Sport
*Barry Myers aka DJ Scratchy Sound, key figure in punk, dub and ska since mid 1970s, supporting The Clash and early punk bands
*Rob Whitehouse, sports presenter, BBC Radio West Midlands and BBC Radio One producer
*Julian Druker, reporter and presenter for 5 News
*
David Davis, politician and former Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
*
George Eaton, Political Editor for the
New Statesman
The ''New Statesman'' is a British Political magazine, political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney Webb, Sidney and Beatrice ...
*
Leona Graham
Leona Graham (born 18 January 1971) is a British radio broadcaster and voiceover artist. She is currently a presenter of Absolute Radio (formerly Virgin Radio), a position she has held since 2000. She can also be heard on the digital stations ...
, Absolute Radio presenter and prominent voiceover artist
*
Ruth Jones
Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the award-winning BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019).
Jones has also appeared in various ...
, actress, writer & comedian
*
James King, BBC Radio 1's film reviewer
*
Timmy Mallett
Timothy Luke Mallett (born 18 October 1955) is an English TV presenter, broadcaster, and artist. He is known for his striking visual style, colourful glasses, loud shirts, and giant pink foam mallet, known as "Mallett's Mallet", as well as hi ...
, children's TV presenter in the 1980s and 1990s
*
Simon Mayo
Simon Andrew Hicks Mayo (born 21 September 1958) is an English radio presenter and author who worked for BBC Radio from 1982 until 2022.
Mayo has presented across three BBC stations for extended periods. From 1986 to 2001 he worked for Radio ...
, BBC Radio 2 & BBC Radio 5 Live presenter
*
Stephen Merchant
Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English comedian, actor, director, presenter and writer.
Alongside Ricky Gervais, Merchant was the co-writer and co-director of the British TV comedy series ''The Office'' (2001–2003), and ...
, Co-writer of ''The Office'' and ''Extras'', in which he also co-starred
*
Adam Mountford,
Test Match Special
''Test Match Special'' (also known as ''TMS'') is a British sports radio programme, originally, as its name implies, dealing exclusively with Test cricket matches, but currently covering any professional cricket. It broadcasts on BBC Radio 4 LW ...
(TMS) producer
*
Dave Nellist
David John Nellist (born 16 July 1952) is a British Trotskyist activist who was the MP for the constituency of Coventry South East from 1983 to 1992. Elected as a Labour MP, his support for the Militant tendency led to his eventual expulsion f ...
, British politician, National Chair of TUSC and former Labour MP for Coventry South
*
Ritula Shah, BBC radio presenter and journalist
* Quentin Rayner (Politics, c.1980-83) and Ian Woods (c.1981-84), former presenters in the 1990s of ''
East Midlands Today
''East Midlands Today'' is the BBC's regional television news programme for the East Midlands.
The programme is broadcast on BBC One from studios at the BBC's East Midlands broadcasting centre in Nottingham, also home to Radio Nottingham. Th ...
''
* Will Foster, producer of Radio 1 Breakfast with
Greg James
Gregory James Alan Milward (born 17 December 1985) is an English radio and television presenter, comedian and author. He is the host of BBC Radio 1's breakfast show, co-presenter on the cricket podcast '' Tailenders'' alongside Felix White and ...
* Russell Gowers, author of "Transforming Customer Engagement in Automotive" among other whitepapers
* Nicki Finlay, BBC radio producer and presenter, Channel One TV producer and breakfast show anchor, senior producer and presenter at Associated Press Television.
* Paul Sylvester, Content Director at Absolute Radio
* Sam Platt, FFC manager
* Adam English, presenter at Union Jack Radio Breakfast
* Phillip Stoneman,
BBC Hereford & Worcester
BBC Hereford & Worcester is the BBC's local radio station serving the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and online via BBC Sounds from studios on Hylton Road in Worcester.
According to RAJA ...
, BHBN Hospital Radio Sports presenter
* Greer Riddell, Digital Content Manager at
Eagle Radio
Eagle Radio was a local radio station in the Surrey and North East Hampshire area of England. Based in Guildford in the Guildford College campus, Eagle Radio was part of the UKRD Group of radio stations.
Launch
Peter Gordon launched 96.4 The Eag ...
, founder of January Media Production
* Henry Riley, producer at
LBC
LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadca ...
and presenter at
Radio Jackie
Radio Jackie is an Independent Local Radio station in Kingston upon Thames, England broadcasting news, popular hits, and local information to South-West London and North Surrey from its studios in Tolworth.
History
Radio Jackie began as a ...
* Amanda Lewis, editor at BBC Radio 4 News
* Phil Parry, sports presenter, BBC Radio London
References
External links
Radio Warwick websiteRaW History wiki
{{coord missing, West Midlands
Radio stations in the West Midlands (region)
University of Warwick
Student radio in the United Kingdom