Rhubarb Radio
Encyclopedia
Rhubarb Radio is an internet
and community radio
station in Birmingham
, England
. It began broadcasting test transmissions in August 2008 from its studio in the Custard Factory
(see 2008 in British radio
). As of November 2009, it had a regular audience of 3,500 and its website received 34,000 unique visitors.
Following a successful relaunch of its website in December 2009, Rhubarb Radio introduced listen again services for all of its programming. Allowing users to select any show within the last ten weeks and replay it. Since the relaunch, the site has attracted over 47,000 unique visitors with listeners from all over the world.
The station features music and magazine shows, as well as streaming of live music events. As of July 2009, it was streaming from 23 live music venues in Birmingham, and had plans to increase the number to 100 over the following eighteen months.
It focuses primarily on the local creative industries
, and its contributors include artists, bloggers, musicians, poets, radio industry professionals, web designers, and others in the creative arts
. It was established in response to what was considered a lack of "localness" on BBC and commercial radio in Birmingham.
Rhubarb Radio has been nominated as one of Channel 4
's ten recommended internet radio stations, and at the 2009 Midlands Media Awards, it won the Birmingham City Council
Digital Innovation Award. The station's approach has inspired similar initiatives in Berlin
, Germany and Barcelona
, Spain. It is participating in a bmibaby
-supported "creative exchange" with other European cities such as Amsterdam
, to take place in April 2010. Rhubarb Radio also supports the Birmingham Social Media
Café.
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
and community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
station in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It began broadcasting test transmissions in August 2008 from its studio in the Custard Factory
Custard Factory
The Custard Factory is an arts and media production centre in Birmingham, England .Located on the redeveloped site of the Bird's Custard factory in the industrial district of Digbeth, it is home to a community of businesses, primarily with an artistic and media slant, but also including...
(see 2008 in British radio
2008 in British radio
This is a list of events in British radio during 2008.-Events:* 28 April - The Heart Network begins simulcasting some of its programmes from Heart 106.2 in London...
). As of November 2009, it had a regular audience of 3,500 and its website received 34,000 unique visitors.
Following a successful relaunch of its website in December 2009, Rhubarb Radio introduced listen again services for all of its programming. Allowing users to select any show within the last ten weeks and replay it. Since the relaunch, the site has attracted over 47,000 unique visitors with listeners from all over the world.
The station features music and magazine shows, as well as streaming of live music events. As of July 2009, it was streaming from 23 live music venues in Birmingham, and had plans to increase the number to 100 over the following eighteen months.
It focuses primarily on the local creative industries
Creative industries
The creative industries refers to a range of economic activities which are concerned with the generation or exploitation of knowledge and information...
, and its contributors include artists, bloggers, musicians, poets, radio industry professionals, web designers, and others in the creative arts
Creative Arts
Creative arts is the term used to describe different types of art. Specifically, to introduce fine art ideas, techniques, skills and media. It is generally used as an umbrella for Dramaturgy, Music , Graphic Arts/Cartooning, Performing Arts, Film and Publishing, Galleries and Museums and the Visual...
. It was established in response to what was considered a lack of "localness" on BBC and commercial radio in Birmingham.
Rhubarb Radio has been nominated as one of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's ten recommended internet radio stations, and at the 2009 Midlands Media Awards, it won the Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
Digital Innovation Award. The station's approach has inspired similar initiatives in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain. It is participating in a bmibaby
Bmibaby
Bmibaby Limited is a small British low-cost airline and a subsidiary of British Midland International. It flies to destinations in the UK and Europe from its bases at Belfast-City, Birmingham and East Midlands airports....
-supported "creative exchange" with other European cities such as Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, to take place in April 2010. Rhubarb Radio also supports the Birmingham Social Media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
Café.