Happy Birthday RadioReverb

Brighton community radio station RadioReverb 97.2 FM celebrates its first full year on air today.

For the last 365 days it has brought a diverse mix of music and speech to the city of Brighton and Hove.

Between 2003- 07 I was a presenter, producer and company director at the station and played a prominent role in its development from an occasional internet and RSL broadcaster to a full- time 24/7 FM radio station.

In April the station will be holding a special 50-hour continuous broadcast to celebrate its first anniversary on air.

I recently visited Brighton and met with some of my former colleagues still involved with the station.

It was pleasing to hear how it was beginning to find its feet in the real world.
Community radio is a relatively new sector in the UK.

Even as one of the country’s first full- time FM stations RadioReverb’s own current five year licence only became a possibility following the Community Radio Order of 2004.

Located somewhere between commercial radio and the BBC the sector is often misunderstood and sometimes even sneered upon.

Whatever my own career away from the station may hold RadioReverb will always be something I am incredibly proud of.

As with many of my colleagues our involvement took over our lives in an almost obsessional manner.

Run mainly by volunteers who are passionate about radio and giving the local community a voice the station is truly unique.

The story of RadioReverb is a much longer tale that pre- dates March 26th 2007 and I’m sure one day I’ll re- tell it warts and all.

But for now I’d simply like to wish RadioReverb 97.2 FM a ‘Happy Birthday’.

Brighton’s airwaves are a richer place because of you.

Article taken from www.stuartjamesross.blogspot.com on 26/3/08.