City Birmingham First air date 1996 | Frequency online | |
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Broadcast area University of Birmingham | ||
BurnFM.com is the official student radio station based at the University of Birmingham. The original name - from 1996 to 2009 - was Burn FM. 'Burn' stands for 'Birmingham University Radio Network'
History
The station was founded, in this it third incarnation, in Spring 1996, and, until October 2006, it broadcast twice a year on a FM, usually in October and March for 28 days each time. It is now a term time Webcasting organisation broadcasting most of the academic year.
Founded in the 1960s as the University of Birmingham Radio Society it was re-named as the University of Birmingham Amateur radio society (Radio Soc) between 1978 and 1996. It is in its third form as BurnFM.com
BurnFM caters for a variety of musical tastes, and shows are particularly targeted at Selly Oak, where many students live. Specialist shows aim to provide distinctive playlists and fewer spoken features than mainstream shows which are partly playlisted by the station music team with the latest music and special specialist catering to more generic music tastes.
The studio is located at the University of Birmingham Guild of Students - on the main campus at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Broadcasts are from 10am daily, with transmissions ending at 11pm. Mainstream shows play out between 10am and 7pm Monday through to Saturday with evenings from 7pm and Sundays given over to the Specialist department
A planned broadcast was missed in Spring 2002 because of an administrative error. In 2008, broadcasting had to be postponed for two semesters because of a lack of air conditioning in the studio. The basement location of the studio means that it is close to the Guild of Students boiler, and so the studio and the Guild were at risk. In the summer of 2008, the studio underwent a major refurbishment in an attempt to avoid those complications recurring. In 2009 BurnFM was rebranded to BurnFM.com and went back on-air.
In August 2004, lightning struck the building, and damaged the transmission aerial. This resulted in damage, valued at £13 000, to the broadcast mixer and other equipment. An insurance payout resulted in a new studio being fitted for the Autumn 2005 broadcast. For the 2004-5 academic year, equipment had to be loaned.
It was during the Spring 2005 broadcast that BBC 6 Music came to Birmingham for a one-off, outside broadcast from the studio. The Phill Jupitus Breakfast Show on 11 March was presented from the BurnFM.com studio.
'Restricted Service Licences' - RSLs - last for 28 days, and only two can be held in one calendar year. This is stipulated by Ofcom. Therefore, an internet licence has been granted by the University for the first time; this will allow the station to broadcast for the whole semester. Before this, internet broadcasting had been offered in conjunction with FM broadcasts - a simulcast - only.
BurnFM has enjoyed something of a revival with a full station rebrand and website redesign in 2013/14. The station has been expanding year on year in terms of output and size. BurnFM has enjoyed great success particularly in the field of sports journalism with the BurnFM Sports Team winning six national awards and commendations over the last five years for both audio and written coverage of events such as the BUCS National Finals, BUCS Outdoor athletics Championships and National Karting Championships with many of their number going on to further careers in media including positions within the BBC and further study of broadcasting around the country. The station is notable for being the launch pad for media outlet "Things Can Only Get Better".