STUDENT RADIO AWARDS 2013 BEST STUDENT RADIO STATION ENTRY This year, we set out to make Xpression FM infinitely better than it has ever been. We wanted to improve all aspects of the station: in front of the microphone, behind the scenes and beyond the studio. Xpression FM has changed vastly from previous years. We created an in-house jingle package, rather than outsourcing, to give ourselves a more flexible and relevant station sound. We completely redesigned the logo to be more exciting and visually striking, in tandem with a completely redesigned website with a new professional outlook, easily navigable both on the computer and on mobile phones. In the studio, we finally implemented the long awaited windows between our studios, allowing more interaction between presenters and producers and upgraded our computers and broadcast and production software, giving a much needed boost in productivity. Outside broadcasts are a major part of what we do at Xpression FM, and we’ve also developed new methods of hosting them, increasing quality and ease of use, making sure that the presenters can focus on what’s really important: their content. One of our main aims was to allow more members of our station to become active in what we do. From more members being presenter and producer trained to increased membership of our various content teams, we have vastly increased the amount of people that help our station be a fantastic place to make radio. Of course, being a radio station, we wanted to increase the amount of listeners that Xpression FM has, and this year we went beyond what we thought was possible for us: we not only broke our listener records, but also had an increase in our audience interaction, both of which can be attributed to the gigantic increase in the quality of our output. Our presenter training program has always been something our station has prided itself on, and this year we decided to take it a step further and have separate examiners and trainers. This ensures that everyone is up to the standards we adhere to,
but also makes sure we keep our trainers on their toes! Having this base of exceptional, newly trained presenters has allowed us to make sure that our content is superb. From news and sport to entertainment, Xpression FM offers listeners top of the range, professionally produced and enjoyable radio. The amount of work that goes into each and every show is astonishing, and it really shows. The news team has improved tremendously on the outstanding content last year, with documentary style shows such as The Exeter Lad Culture Show having an incredible listener response and sparking debates across campus. The sports team provides entertaining, up to the minute news on results on Tuesday Night Sport, interesting and thoughtful interviews with local sports stars as well as in depth analysis on local, national and international sport on the Saturday Sports Show. This really is an amazing achievement considering that Head of Sport is a newly created role on our committee this year. We had a big focus on charity this year, from our 24 hour Big Broadcast for Children in Need to the Charity Football Match in support of the ‘Adam Stansfield Foundation’. Xpression FM has raised over £3,000 for various charities this year, going on to win a Students’ Guild Award for this achievement, and we have no intention of stopping. There is so much that Xpression FM has done this year, and it would be hopeless to try and write it all in this small space, but I can without question say this: from its humble beginnings as University Radio Exeter in 1976, Xpression FM has come so much further than it would have even been possible to imagine, and this is without a doubt our best year ever! Jack Franklin Station Manager 2012/2013