Xpression FM is a campus radio station for the University of Exeter, England. Formerly known as URE , the station has been broadcasting since 1976 and is entirely run by students from the university.
History
Initiated by post-graduates, University Radio Exeter began broadcasting from Devonshire House on low power AM. Hours of broadcast were originally 5pm until 10pm with BBC Radio 1 carrying as a sustaining service. In the late 1990s it was deemed that, due to remote location, URE was allowed to use a low-power FM system. URE also became part of the Student Broadcast Network. The station was renamed "Xpression FM 87.7" at the start of 2001. University Radio Exeter was founded in 1976, under the stairs of Devonshire House on the campus of the University of Exeter. At that time, of course, the only means of broadcasting was very low power, using induction loop aerials to broadcast to Halls of residence. Initially the transmitter was installed in the studio. This meant feeding a coaxial cable, carrying the RF signal, just below ground level from Devonshire House to Lafrowda halls of residence. This probably only covered 500 people maximum but seemed to work adequately for around 6 months, until 6 months of gardeners' spade abuse had reduced the transmitter cable to shreds. A rethink resulted in the transmitters being moved to the halls of residence, with the feed from the studio to the halls using cables leased from British Telecom. In the late 1990s the rules were changed and certain parts of the country were permitted to use a low-power FM system. As an indirect result of joining the Student Broadcast Network, money became available to convert to low-power FM. Thus, at the start of 2001, the posters for "URE 963" were taken down, and replaced with brand spanking new ones, emblazoned with the logo "Xpression FM 87.7". In early 2009 the station stopped using XFM as an overnight sustaining service and now broadcasts from the Exeter studio 24 hours a day. At the 2011 Student Radio Awards, Xpression FM won their first ever gold award for Best Student Radio Chart Show. This award win was followed up by the station winning gold for Best Student Radio Chart Show once more in 2012.
Xpression FM News
Xpression FM has its very own in-house news team. They produce student-focused news in the daily bulletins which are broadcast from 10am to 6pm, 7 days a week on the station. Alongside that, the team also produces a show on Mondays called 'The Hot Seat' which features an hour-long interview of the characters that make an impact on the University's life. Past interviewees have included award-winning author Anthony Horowitz and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter Sir Steve Smith. Another show, 'The News Hour', is aired on Fridays at 6pm expanding on stories covered in the bulletins, as well as featuring exclusive interviews and longer-form reports. The team has won many awards at the University of Exeter's XMedia Awards throughout the years for their commitment and subject coverage. The Xpression FM news team have had many successful broadcast journalists as part of their team. These include the BBC's Ruth Lovell and Dan O'Brien.
Xpression FM Sport
Xpression FM also has its own team dedicated to sport. They air on average 3 shows a week covering all of the major global sports news. The Saturday Sports show, aired between 11am to 2pm on a Saturday morning has been a long stay programme as has Tuesday Night Sport, aired from 7pm to 10pm on a Tuesday evening.
Present day
Xpression broadcasts live from Devonshire House utilising three studios for simultaneous presentation, production and training. The redevelopment of Devonshire House led to a studio move for Xpression FM. Instead of broadcasting from underneath Devonshire House the studios are situated at the back of the building. The new studios include two live-to-air studios, a third studio for recording live sessions and group projects, a newsroom, a technology hub and a CD wall. The studio is linked to two transmitters using a band 1 radio link. The station can be heard via a webcast and through iTunes radio. Over the years, the committee structure has undergone various changes. In 2009/2010, the Head of Scripted Programming role was created to reflect the diversified content of the station. In 2011/2012, the Head of Sport position was added, following the growing interest in the Sports Team. A second Head of Marketing position was also introduced. In 2012/2013, the new Deputy Station Manager position was introduced to replace the Studio Administrator. The Deputy Station Manager deals with the administration and finances of the station. The new position also replaces the Programmes Controller as a Heads of Media Position.
Awards and nominations
Student Radio Awardshttp://www.xpressionfm.info/awards/
