Oxide Radio
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| Broadcast area | The World |
|---|---|
| Slogan | Your Sound Education |
| Frequency | Online |
| First air date | Term-time |
| Format | Various |
| Owner | Oxford University Student Union |
| Website | www.oxideradio.co.uk |
Oxide Radio is a student radio station run by members of Oxford University in Oxford, England. It was established in 2001 and as Altered Radio made brief forays onto FM in 2004 and 2005 before complications regarding FM licensing and funding forced it onto internet-only broadcast. It features a wide range of different shows that broadcast throughout the Oxford term: music shows of all genres, from indie tracks to Nordic tunes; chat shows featuring student agony aunts, or discussing the latest celebrity news; and plenty of news and sport for good measure too covering stories in Oxford and further afield. Despite its very limited central University funding, since 2009 Oxide Radio has allowed any students to get involved with the society, without any subscription charges or fees, giving students the opportunity to share their passions and voice with a global audience.
Oxide Radio was founded in 2001 spearheaded by Simon Demetriou, following the demise of the previous student radio station, Oxygen FM. Broadcasting from 1997 to 2001, Oxygen FM was Oxford University's student radio station which broadcast full-time on FM, as well as an internet stream. Oxygen's closure came about as a result of fabricating a whole day’s programming in an attempt to deceive the Radio Authority, which led to a record fine of £20,000 and a shortening of the broadcast licence by two years, the most serious sanctions the Authority had ever imposed.
Given that the expiry of Oxygen FM's licence and the subsequent dissolution of the organisation had left students without a station, a new station was formed in 2001 as Fusion FM, before becoming Oxford Student Radio approximately 10 months later. It was then rebranded as Altered Radio in 2003. Initially broadcasting from an office in Little Clarendon Street, Oxford, the station transferred ownership to OSSL (Oxford Student Services Limited, the financial arm of the University's Student Union), and was accommodated in the student union buildings in 2003.
A third rebranding to Oxide Radio was shortly followed by the impact of a Student Union financial crisis. In significant monetary difficulties during 2006, OUSU cut Oxide's £5,700 per year budget completely and presenters were forced to pay membership dues to keep the station afloat. Fortunately, this no longer takes place. but the cuts did see an increased move towards the application for sponsorship.
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