Subcity Radio - History

History

Subcity was founded in 1995 after the initial Glasgow University radio brand, Sweet FM, was used by former members of the team who had graduated. They encountered regulatory problems during their broadcast in 1994, leaving the Sweet FM brand tarnished and in dispute with the University student authorities over naming and logo rights. Subsequently, the official university station was rebranded as Subcity Radio.

The University's first broadcast was as Sweet FM in September 1993 for one month on an FM RSL from an un-let University flat in the Murano Street Student Village. The next broadcast was under the Ton and a Half brand in conjunction with the Glasgow School of Art who were celebrating their 150th anniversary in the Winter of 1994, with a subsequence joint venture with the School of Art in the winter of 1995 under the "Art School Radio" brand.

Its first broadcast under the new SubCity brand was in October 1995 from an unused University apartment in Park Circus on a minimal budget. As part of this inaugural broadcast the K Foundation gave their only radio interview about their burning of a million pounds on the SubCity show "Everything You Know Is Wrong" on 3 November 1995 at 6 pm

• February 1996 saw the station's second broadcast as Subcity Radio.

• Later in 1996 it was awarded Best Station at the inaugural UK Radio 1 Student Radio Awards.

• In July 1996 Subcity ran a 3 week RSL to cover that year's T in the Park festival.

• In March 1997 following the station's awards win the year before, John Peel and Steve Lamacq presented shows from the station's studio, which at the time was in a student's kitchen.

• In July 1997 it joined forces with Edinburgh's Fresh Air FM to provide RSLs in Edinburgh, Glasgow and on site for the T in The Park festival.

• In 2000 the station was able to move into a new, purpose built permanent studio on campus which allowed for year-round broadcasting and training.

• In 2002, a 5 year low-powered AM license was awarded. This allowed for permanent broadcasting to campus, rather than for just one month per year. Since 2003 the station has not broadcast on AM, but has an online web stream which performs a similar role.

• In November 2003 Subcity show 'The City Sessions' won Bronze at the Student Radio Association Student Radio Awards in the Best Specialist Music category.

• In February 2004 the station celebrated its tenth birthday with a large event at The Arches in Glasgow. The line up featured DJs from Subcity's past who had gone on to bigger things. 1800 people filled the venue - the largest crowd a student station had ever attracted to an event. It was later discovered that the station's tenth birthday would be in 2005.

• In November 2004 Subcity won the Student Radio Association Student Radio Award for Best Marketing.

• In July 2005 the station hosted a small stage on Byres Road at the West End Festival Opening Parade Street Party.

• In November 2005 Subcity show Grind Your Mind won the Student Radio Association Student Radio Award for Best Specialist Music Show, and the Stations won Silver in the Off-Air Promotions and Imaging category.

• In June 2007 and June 2008 the station hosted a stage in Lilybank Gardens for the West End Festival Opening Parade Street Party.

• Between November 2007 and June 2009 during term-time the station ran a monthly club night at the University's Hetherington Research Club.

• In Freshers' Week 2008 the station launched a new website featuring dynamically updated navigation of its listen again content based on playlist data from every show.

• In November 2008 the station won Silver at the Student Radio Association Student Radio Awards in the Best Specialist Music category for drum and bass show Armed Response.

• In February 2009 Subcity broadcast on 106.6FM across Glasgow for 28 days.

• In June 2009 the station again ran a stage at the West End Festival, this time in Kelvingrove Park.

• In September 2009 the station broadcast on 106.6FM across Glasgow during Freshers' Week.

• In October 2009 part of Subcity's website was nominated for a Technical Achievement Award at the Student Radio Awards.

• In December 2009 the station launched an archives podcast featuring highlights from sessions, events and the broadcast from the past 15 years.

• On 6 March 2010 Subcity celebrated 15 years of broadcasting with a sold out birthday party at The Arches, the first time the station had returned to the venue since the Block Party era ended in 2006.<

• On 19 March 2010 an episode of the 'Party Party' show on the station was the subject of a news story run initially by the BBC and later in the day by other news outlets including Reporting Scotland. The articles focused on a drinking game feature and the provocative language and nature of the presenters in the episode. The story was the top UK story that day on the BBC News website and made the top 5 total.

• Between April and August 2010 the station moved to temporary premises on South Park Avenue whilst the John McIntyre Building's roof was repaired.

• In September 2010 the station produced a 60 page hand illustrated guide book to Glasgow, called "Subcity's Guide to Staying Fresh 2010". The station also ran an open top bus tour of the city for freshers' of the Art School and University of Glasgow.