Resonance FM
Encyclopedia
Resonance 104.4 FM is a London
based non-profit community radio
station run by the London Musicians' Collective
(LMC).
The station is staffed by four permanent staff members, including programme controller Ed Baxter and over 300 volunteer technical and production staff.
Until September 2007, ResonanceFM was based in Denmark Street
. The studios are now next to Borough High Street
, the station has a coverage area designated as a 5 kilometres (3 mi) radius from the transmitter in London Bridge.
station' with a brief to provide a radical alternative to the universal formulae of mainstream broadcasting. Resonance 104.4 fm features programmes made by musicians, artists and critics who represent the diversity of London’s arts scenes, with regular weekly contributions from nearly two hundred musicians, artists, thinkers, critics, activists and instigators; plus numerous unique broadcasts by artists on the weekday “Clear Spot”.
The station presents material ranging from a programme presented by the staff of the experimental music
magazine The Wire
to Calling All Pensionershttp://ecs.lewisham.gov.uk/dage/, which aims to inform the elderly about local events and benefits entitlement. Live music
sessions are featured on shows such as Hello Goodbye, You Are Hear, Hooting Yard on the Air, and Glass Shrimp
. Other shows include foreign-language programmes aimed at communities in London who are not served by other broadcasters.
In addition to locally produced programming, Resonance is a member of Radia
and a rebroadcaster of Democracy Now!
.
Resonance FM has received a Sony Award nomination for The Good Drugs Guide, a documentary series presented by Piers Gibbon and David McCandless and the 2009 Radio Academy
Nations and Regions station of the year for London. The station has been profiled in the pages of The Guardian
, The Independent on Sunday
, The Daily Telegraph
and the Morning Star amongst others.
at the South Bank Centre, curated by John Peel
. The station operated from the Royal Festival Hall
on a month long Restricted Service Licence
on 107.3 FM.
Phil England, an organiser of the original broadcast, described the origins of the station in a text written to accompany the printed programme. The aim, he wrote, was "to raise the specter of radio art in a country where the notion has no common currency".
Access Radio Pilot Scheme from studios on Denmark Street in the Soho
area of London's West End
.
With the trial at an end, Professor Anthony Everitt, who was appointed by Ofcom to evaluate the Access Radio Pilot Scheme - said the following: "The extraordinary range of musical genres
outspans the output of any other radio station in the United Kingdom - and very probably in the world. While maintaining a broad editorial reach, Resonance FM has uncovered a rich, little-known stratum of avant-garde
practice and made it generally accessible, without diluting the necessary ingredients of challenge, surprise, difficulty, irritation and delight. It is a genuine discovery channel."
, Southwark
; a short walk from the area where they launched in 1998.
at London Bridge
on 104.4 MHz FM. The transmission power is low compared with London's main radio stations due to the terms of its community radio licence. It can be received throughout central London
but does not cover the whole Greater London
area. Interference from local pirate radio
stations, particularly at weekends, has been and is a problem in some areas. It can also be streamed
from the station's web site.
Resonance carries broadcasts from the international Radia
network and, during the night, archival material in the form of The Nightloop. Democracy Now!
is also syndicated on Resonance FM.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based non-profit community radio
Community radio in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, Community Radio refers to a system of licensing small, micro-local, non-profit radio stations, which started in 2002. In its early days, the pilot scheme was known as Access Radio.-History:...
station run by the London Musicians' Collective
London Musicians Collective
The London Musicians' Collective is a cultural charity based in London, England devoted to the promotion of contemporary, experimental and improvised music...
(LMC).
The station is staffed by four permanent staff members, including programme controller Ed Baxter and over 300 volunteer technical and production staff.
Until September 2007, ResonanceFM was based in Denmark Street
Denmark Street
Denmark Street is a short narrow road in central London, notable for its connections with British popular music, and is known as the British Tin Pan Alley. The road connects Charing Cross Road at its western end with St Giles High Street at its eastern end. Denmark Street is in the London Borough...
. The studios are now next to Borough High Street
Borough High Street
Borough High Street is a main street in Southwark, London running south-west from London Bridge, forming part of the A3 road, which runs from London to Portsmouth.- Overview :...
, the station has a coverage area designated as a 5 kilometres (3 mi) radius from the transmitter in London Bridge.
Station ethos
ResonanceFM describes itself as 'the world’s first radio artRadio art
Radio art refers to the use of radio for art. "Radio Art implies that the artist who works in, and with, radio is not necessarily a trained DJ, programmer, producer, engineer, or personality, but one who uses sound to make art and seeks ways to transit it through radio as art...
station' with a brief to provide a radical alternative to the universal formulae of mainstream broadcasting. Resonance 104.4 fm features programmes made by musicians, artists and critics who represent the diversity of London’s arts scenes, with regular weekly contributions from nearly two hundred musicians, artists, thinkers, critics, activists and instigators; plus numerous unique broadcasts by artists on the weekday “Clear Spot”.
The station presents material ranging from a programme presented by the staff of the experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
magazine The Wire
The Wire (magazine)
The Wire is a British avant garde music magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray. The magazine initially concentrated on contemporary jazz and improvised music, but branched out in the early 1990s to various types of experimental music...
to Calling All Pensionershttp://ecs.lewisham.gov.uk/dage/, which aims to inform the elderly about local events and benefits entitlement. Live music
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
sessions are featured on shows such as Hello Goodbye, You Are Hear, Hooting Yard on the Air, and Glass Shrimp
GLASSsHRIMP
gLASSsHRiMP is a London based collective which publishes a magazine; promotes club nights and presents a weekly radio show on resonance 104.4fm which all feature independent musicians, artists, writers and performers.-External links:**...
. Other shows include foreign-language programmes aimed at communities in London who are not served by other broadcasters.
In addition to locally produced programming, Resonance is a member of Radia
Radia
Started in April 2005, the Radia network is an international informal network of community radio stations that have a common interest in producing and sharing art works for the radio. In 2010, the network gathers 17 radio stations from 15 cities across 11 countries, speaking 7 different languages....
and a rebroadcaster of Democracy Now!
Democracy Now!
Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
.
Radio Academy
The Radio Academy is a registered charity that is dedicated to 'the encouragement, recognition and promotion of excellence in UK broadcasting and audio production'....
Nations and Regions station of the year for London. The station has been profiled in the pages of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Independent on Sunday
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
and the Morning Star amongst others.
Mission statement
Beginnings
The London Musicians' Collective originally put together a four-week programme of radio art as part of 1998's Meltdown festivalMeltdown (festival)
Meltdown is an annual, English festival, held in London, featuring a mix of music, art, performance and film. Meltdown is held in June at Southbank Centre, the arts complex covering and including the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward...
at the South Bank Centre, curated by John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
. The station operated from the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
on a month long Restricted Service Licence
Restricted Service Licence
A UK Restricted Service Licence , is typically granted to radio stations and television stations broadcasting within the UK to serve a local community or a special event...
on 107.3 FM.
Phil England, an organiser of the original broadcast, described the origins of the station in a text written to accompany the printed programme. The aim, he wrote, was "to raise the specter of radio art in a country where the notion has no common currency".
Rebirth
After a four year hiatus, the station returned on 1 May 2002 as part of the OfcomOfcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
Access Radio Pilot Scheme from studios on Denmark Street in the Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
area of London's West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
.
With the trial at an end, Professor Anthony Everitt, who was appointed by Ofcom to evaluate the Access Radio Pilot Scheme - said the following: "The extraordinary range of musical genres
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
outspans the output of any other radio station in the United Kingdom - and very probably in the world. While maintaining a broad editorial reach, Resonance FM has uncovered a rich, little-known stratum of avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
practice and made it generally accessible, without diluting the necessary ingredients of challenge, surprise, difficulty, irritation and delight. It is a genuine discovery channel."
Permanent licences
Resonance was awarded a five-year Community Radio licence in December 2005, enabling the station to broadcast 24/7. Ofcom extended the station's FM broadcasting licence in July 2010.Returning to its roots
Resonance FM resumed scheduled broadcasting in September 2007 after a short hiatus whilst moving into a new studio building on Borough High StreetBorough High Street
Borough High Street is a main street in Southwark, London running south-west from London Bridge, forming part of the A3 road, which runs from London to Portsmouth.- Overview :...
, Southwark
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
; a short walk from the area where they launched in 1998.
Broadcasting
The station is broadcast from a transmitter situated on the roof of Guy's HospitalGuy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
at London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
on 104.4 MHz FM. The transmission power is low compared with London's main radio stations due to the terms of its community radio licence. It can be received throughout central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
but does not cover the whole Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
area. Interference from local pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
stations, particularly at weekends, has been and is a problem in some areas. It can also be streamed
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
from the station's web site.
Programming
The radio station is home to a wide range of independent and (somewhat) avant-garde recordings, including:- The Bike Show: a "weekly radio show […] about cycling"; broadcast in the summer and autumn months.
- Hogmaal: a programme "principally concerned with Somali culture in the UK and Somalia."
- Calling All Pensioners: recorded weekly by the Deptford Action Group for the Elderly (DAGE)
- Little AtomsLittle AtomsLittle Atoms is a radio chat show broadcast weekly from London on Resonance FM 104.4. It is hosted by Neil Denny, Richard Sanderson, Padraig Reidy, Becky Hogge and special guest presenters...
: a talk/discussion show based around ideas of enlightenmentEnlightenment (spiritual)Enlightenment in a secular context often means the "full comprehension of a situation", but in spiritual terms the word alludes to a spiritual revelation or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of all things, communication with or understanding of the mind of God, profound spiritual...
.
- "One Life LeftOne Life LeftOne Life Left is Europe's first and only dedicated videogames FM radio show. It is presented by Ste Curran, Simon Byron and Ann Scantlebury. Earlier host Robert Howells stopped appearing on the show, to be later replaced by Simon. It includes news, reviews, features, competitions and a weekly...
": a videogames FM radio show.
- Flomotion: a programme by Nick Luscombe, interviewing "emerging artists and […] established cutting-edge musicians".
- Deep Fried Planet: discussions regarding "current environmental affairs", presented in the first series by Ben Stewart and Joss Garman and, in the second series, by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Thomas_(Journalist)Pat Thomas.
- Henry Scott-Irvine presents…: an interview series broadcast on Sunday afternoons, with Scott-Irvine hosting.
- sicknotes (typeset in lowercase): a teenager-targeted production venturing into London's underground music scene
- Atlantic Waves: a exploratory world music programme, produced and presented by Miguel Santos
Resonance carries broadcasts from the international Radia
Radia
Started in April 2005, the Radia network is an international informal network of community radio stations that have a common interest in producing and sharing art works for the radio. In 2010, the network gathers 17 radio stations from 15 cities across 11 countries, speaking 7 different languages....
network and, during the night, archival material in the form of The Nightloop. Democracy Now!
Democracy Now!
Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
is also syndicated on Resonance FM.
External links
- It's radio, but not as we know it, 19 September 2002, BBC CollectiveCollective (BBC)Collective was an "interactive culture magazine" hosted by the BBC's website, bbc.co.uk. Collective was launched in May 2002, becoming interactive in September of the same year. Collective editors included Rowan Kerek, Jonathan Carter, Alastair Lee, James Cowdery and Matt Walton who had the...
- Get A Haircut And Disappear: The London Musicians’ Collective 1975-2008, 23 July 2008, The WireThe Wire (magazine)The Wire is a British avant garde music magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray. The magazine initially concentrated on contemporary jazz and improvised music, but branched out in the early 1990s to various types of experimental music...