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Explainer: Why is community radio under threat and what are the wider impacts?

8May

By Sophie JarvisNo Comments

Reports

Explainer: Why is community radio under threat and what are the wider impacts?

Community radio stations across the UK are facing pressures to survive. From hospital broadcasters to small-town FM stations, many outputs struggle with rising bills, fewer grants, and changes in how audiences listen to radio. This comes as part of wider challenges facing local media, with regional newspapers increasingly closing their doors. So why are community stations under threat, and why are they important? Radio Tyneside's current base which has been sold due to soaring maintenance costs. Image Credits: Sophie Jarvis What does community radio do? Community radio stations, often not-for-profit and volunteer-run, serve local audiences by providing news, entertainment, and support. They focus on programming that reflects the needs and interests of the people who live in the a...

Radio Tyneside Finds New Home in Newcastle University Students’ Union

Radio Tyneside will be moving to Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) this summer after their longtime NHS-provided studio was sold due to rising maintenance costs. The award-winning hospital station’s new base will be located on the third floor of the Students’ Union building, just above Newcastle University’s student radio station, NSR. The move provides Radio Tyneside with a private studio and access to modern broadcast facilities. The relocation was proposed by NUSU’s Director of Communications, Friday Cordingley, and Commercial Director, Graham Hatton, following Radio Tyneside’s urgent appeal for new premises in February. It ensures continuity of broadcast for the station, which reaches over 20,000 listeners across Newcastle and Gateshead. The third floor of the Studen...

Student Creates Global Platform after Funding Special Needs Education for Girl in Kenya

Keiti and Cynthia. Image Credits: Keiti Corcoran A University of Stirling student has created a global platform after funding special needs education for a deaf 9-year-old girl in Kenya. Keiti Corcoran, a 23 -year-old Criminology and Sociology student from Stirling, Scotland, has founded KeitiConnects, a platform committed to humanitarian work. The company highlights the importance of occupational therapy and raises awareness on the extreme poverty in Kenya. Keiti’s first company trip will take place over Christmas and New Year, where she’ll be travelling back to Kenya as part of a 3-week programme consisting of 8 humanitarian projects. Keiti said: “KeitiConnects is about empowering change and having a part in raising awareness of global issues, especially issues i...