Student Radio Association

When starting up in student radio there are loads of things to consider. This factsheet is designed to give you an idea of some of the key areas to consider before launching your station.

It's recommended you discuss these points when coming up with an action plan for your station - don't forget to cost and budget anything, and keep minutes so your successors in student radio can keep the station going when you move on.

Here are some key areas to consider:

BASE

• Who's going to present on the station and how will you recruit presenters?
• Who's going to run the station, and coordinate all the different areas of the running of the station?
• Who has overall responsibility for your station, is it your committee, your union or your university (for example)?

BUDGET

• Where will you find funding?
• Will your station carry advertising?
• How much will it cost to run your station?
• Do you have a development plan for the station?

BRAND

• What will you name the station?
• What's your logo going to look like?
• How will your brand the station on air?
• How will you promote your station to potential listeners?
• What will be your stations unique selling point?

BROADCAST

• What equipment will you need to broadcast?
• Can any kit be begged/borrowed/stolen?
• Where will you broadcast from? Can you get space from your university or union?
• Do you have a studio?
• Will your output be mostly speech based, or will you play music?
• What's the format of the station?

The key to planning a station, and a successful launch is taking everyone's ideas into account. The more people involved in planning the station - the better the end result will be!