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Purple Radio

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Coordinates: 54°46′24″N 1°34′18″W / 54.77333°N 1.57167°W / 54.77333; -1.57167
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This article is about a student radio station in Durham. For the gay and lesbian radio station, see Purple Radio (London).

54°46′24″N 1°34′18″W / 54.77333°N 1.57167°W / 54.77333; -1.57167

Durham Radio
Broadcast areaUnited Kingdom
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatContemporary Hit Radio, News
Ownership
OwnerDurham Students' Union
Links
Websitewww.purpleradio.co.uk

Purple Radio is Durham University's Official Student Radio Station.[1] Purple broadcasts online 24 hours a day during term time, from October until June each year.[2][3]

History

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Purple FM (1996 - 2005)

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Purple Radio was previously known as Purple FM and later Purple 107.[4] The station launched in 1996 and has been located variously within Dunelm House; in the College of St Hild and St Bede (1997–1999) and a small studio at Van Mildert College (1999–2002). Traditionally during this time the station aimed to run for two four-week RSL FM broadcasts per academic year. The station initially broadcast on frequencies around 105.4 FM, though later a frequency of 107 FM was retained. During the November 1999 broadcast pioneering use was made of outside broadcast equipment that utilised the University's internal telephone network to send transmissions from remote locations to the studio. During 2000 Purple FM was simulcast over the internet for the first time; however this service was only available from 7am to 11pm as the equipment required to run the service was sited in a student's bedroom.

The Purple FM studio when it was based in Hild Bede in March 1998.

In the summer of 2002 the station moved into Dunelm House, the home of Durham Students Union. This move was made to the make the station more accessible and open to students from all parts of the university. The first broadcast to be made from the new studio was another four-week FM broadcast in October of that year on the same frequency as previous licences. A further such FM broadcast followed in November to December 2003. The move back to Dunelm house saw Purple Radio return to the exact same suite of rooms used by the station prior to its move to Hild Bede college in the 1990s.

Purple Radio (2005 - 2016)

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Purple Radio Logo post 2005–2010.
Purple Radio Logo 2005–2016.

The station re-branded itself as Purple Radio in late 2004 in order to launch a 24-hour internet service via its website;[5] this decision was taken due to the increasing popularity of the internet as a broadcast medium for student radio, the very high costs of broadcasting on FM, and the infeasibility of broadcasting on AM in Durham. In addition the award of a local FM licence to the new Durham FM that was preparing to launch in 2005 made it difficult for the station to successfully apply for RSL licences.

Purple Radio Studio in Dunelm House in 2012
Purple Radio Studio in Dunelm House in 2012

The first internet-based broadcast began on the first day of Epiphany term 2005, but was forced off air in late February after heavy snow storms leaked into the studio and damaged much of the station's equipment. After a studio re-build and a change of executive, the station was re-launched a year later on 16 January 2006 and successfully completed its longest period of continuous broadcasting on Friday 23 June. Since this time, Purple Radio has been broadcasting 24 hours a day during term time, except in exceptional circumstances.

Rebrand (2016–present)

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Beginning 3 October 2016, Purple Radio launched its complete overhaul to include a brand new logo, website, and the introduction of Purple Radio on Demand. Work began on 17 March with the design of the new logo completed by the end of May. The website was then designed over the Summer.

September 2016 marked the acquisition of additional space, allowing Purple Radio to expand its office and begin plans for a second permanent studio.

Its recent and continuing 'Videotape' series has interviewed notable figures, including Gabby Logan, Peter Hitchens, Dehenna Davison, Harold Ellis (surgeon), Owen Bennett-Jones and Tom Mustill.

Awards

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Purple Radio has been nominated and won various Student Radio Awards (SRA) and I Love Student Radio Awards.

Year SRA Nominations SRA Wins I Love Student Radio Nominations I Love Student Radio Wins
2007
  • Best Specialist Music Programming - Jacob Niedzwiecki[6]
  • Best Specialist Music Programming - Jacob Niedzwiecki (Bronze)[6]
 - -
2010 - -
  • Outstanding Contribution to a Student Station - Amy Collins[7]
  • Outstanding Contribution to a Student Station - Amy Collins[7]
2013
  • Best Marketing and Sound[8]
 - - -
2014
  • Best Technical Achievement - Studio in a box
  • Best Marketing & Station Sound
  • Best Student Radio Station[9]
  • Best Technical Achievement - Studio in a box (Silver)
  • Best Marketing & Station Sound (Bronze)[10]
  • Best Audience Initiative
  • Most Committed Committee Member - Rosie Kyrke-Smith
  • Most Improved Station
  • Best Audience Initiative
  • Most Committed Committee Member - Rosie Kyrke-Smith
  • Most Improved Station (Highly Commended)[11]
2016 - -
  • Best Audience Initiative[12]
  • Best Audience Initiative (Highly Commended)[12]
2017
  • Best Live Event or Outside Broadcast - Jam by the Lake 2017
  • Best Station Branding
  • Best Newcomer - Matthew Calvert[13]
  • Best Newcomer - Matthew Calvert (Bronze)[14]
  • Most Improved Station[15]

-

2019
  • Best Journalistic Programming - Housing Crisis Investigation
  • Best Sport Programming - Sportsfeed[16]
  • Best Journalistic Programming - Housing Crisis Investigation (Gold)
  • Best Sport Programming - Sportsfeed (Silver)[17]
  • Outstanding Contribution to a Student Radio Station - Jess Dunning
  • Student Radio Team of the Year - Sport Team[18]
 -
2020
  • Best Station Branding[19]
  • Best Student Radio Station[20]
 Best Station Branding

Notable alumni

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Durham Students' Union Society Page". DSU Society Page. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Durham University Term Dates". Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  3. ^ "DSU Intranet Purple Radio Report 6 November 2007". Archived from the original on 18 July 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  4. ^ "DSU Intranet Purple Radio Report 2 November 2003".[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ "DSU Intranet Union Meetings Motion". DSU Intranet Union Meetings - Read Motion. Archived from the original on 18 July 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Durham Students' Union | DSU Durham Student Union - Home Page". www.dsu.org.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  7. ^ a b "SRA Launches the First I Love Student Radio Awards | Student Radio Association". studentradio.org.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Nominations for Student Radio Awards 2013". RadioToday. 10 October 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Student Radio Awards 2014 – the nominees". RadioToday. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  10. ^ "2014 Award Winners | Student Radio Association". 4 February 2020. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Winners for I Love Student Radio Awards". RadioToday. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  12. ^ a b "The I Love Student Radio Awards winners 2016 | Student Radio Association". www.studentradio.org.uk. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Student Radio Awards 2017 – the nominations". RadioToday. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  14. ^ "Student Radio Awards 2017 THE WINNERS! | Student Radio Association". www.studentradio.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  15. ^ "Nominees: The I Love Student Radio Awards 2017 | Student Radio Association". www.studentradio.org.uk. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  16. ^ "Nominations revealed for the Student Radio Awards 2019". RadioToday. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  17. ^ "The Winners of the Student Radio Awards 2019 supported by BBC Radio 1 and Global | Student Radio Association". www.studentradio.org.uk. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  18. ^ "Nominations for the I Love Student Radio Awards 2019 supported by Communicorp UK | Student Radio Association". 3 August 2019. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  19. ^ Student Radio Association [@SRA] (22 October 2020). "💻 BEST STATION BRANDING 💻 The nominees are… @DemonFM, @ThisIsLSR, @ThisIsNSR, @PurpleRadioUK, @URN1350, @XpressRadio #SRAs @BBCSounds @global https://t.co/CPiuCbx5U6" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ Student Radio Association [@SRA] (22 October 2020). "📻 BEST STUDENT RADIO STATION supported by @global 📻 The nominees are… ✨ @DemonFM ✨ @ThisIsLSR ✨ @PurpleRadioUK ✨ @URY1350 ✨ @URN1350 ✨ @XpressRadio #SRAs @BBCSounds @global https://t.co/zhaI9uFALv" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 January 2021 – via Twitter.
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