Subcity Radio (formerly Sub City and SubCity) is a non-profit freeform radio station, arts collective and events promoter based at the University of Glasgow which is run by volunteers from the University and local community with the aim of providing an alternative to commercial and mainstream radio providers.[1][2] It currently broadcasts online year round and until September 2009 also on temporary short-term FM Restricted Service Licence broadcasts.[3][4][5][6] The station also hosts a large catalogue of audio for on-demand listening and podcasting, including recordings of the live stream, sessions, interviews, news and live recordings. Off-air, Subcity runs various events and club nights throughout the year, with previous venues including the Sub Club, Art School, Research Club, Stereo, and The Arches.[7][8][9]
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| Programming | |
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| Format | Student Radio |
| Affiliations |
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| History | |
First air date | 1995 |
| Links | |
| Webcast |
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| Website | subcity |
Subcity is run by volunteers and has over 200 weekly contributors from all over the city. Contributors include current students and staff of the university, students from other institutions, former students and others from the local community. Many previous contributors have gone on to jobs at commercial and BBC radio stations most notably: Laura Sayers (BBC Radio 1),[10][11][12] Dougal Perman (Radio Magnetic),[13] Annie McGuire (BBC Scotland)[14] and Adam Uytman (XFM).[15] In addition to those who have gone on to high-profile careers in radio, many Subcity contributors already had or went on to achieve fame in other areas most notably: Hudson Mohawke,[16][17][18] Optimo, Boom Monk Ben, Slam (band) as well as many other Glasgow clubs and DJs.
Subcity has no playlist, instead each show is largely autonomous from station management and presenters have full choice in what music they play as well as the format sound and branding of their shows.[1] The station broadcasts all year round, and from November 2015, the show application process was changed from being a twice yearly window to being open indefinitely.[19] Applicants are invited to submit proposals for a radio show with an outline of what music would be played and what style and format the show would take. Musical specialism, non-mainstream music and under-represented musical styles are encouraged. This contributor autonomy is extended to most areas of the station's output including podcasts, reviews, design, photography, comedy and current affairs output.
It is a part of, and partially funded by, Glasgow University Students' Representative Council. It is one of four student media organisations who receive support from the SRC,[20] who provide both a service and opportunities to students at the University and to the wider community. Subcity is also a former member of the Student Radio Association.[21]
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.[22][23]
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.
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One of Britain's most musically rich cities can be proud to have a station as edgy as Glasgow's Subcity. Although no longer on AM (people sharing the building with the station kept getting the station playing down their phones), Subcity uses its FM broadcast to cement its position as a genuinely left-field broadcaster. There are specialist grime and hip-hop shows, alongside music from Thelonious Monk to Echo and the Bunnymen to DJ Format. Although let down by its single-minded focus on music, Subcity, which funds itself through its own club nights, is adventurous and stylish and, more importantly, successful.
1996 – University of London Union, presented by Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq * Best Station: SubCity, University of Glasgow
Just in case you've been a bad boy or girl this year and Santa gives you a dingy, for the 12 days of Christmas (they start on the 25th by the way) Subcity will be delivering a new daily "from the archives" podcast to make you feel better. The team have been digging through dusty boxes of DATs, VHS tapes and MiniDiscs picking out the highlights from the last 15 years of broadcasts and events. Finds so far have included everything from our 2004 Franz Ferdinand session to a cassette of a fabled interview with the KLF from 1996.
Right last night was ridiculous. 1300 people squeezed into The Arches, danced to 15 acts over two rooms and 4 hours on a massive sound system. It was epic.
55°52′20″N 4°17′20″W / 55.8722°N 4.2888°W / 55.8722; -4.2888