Once upon a time there was an independent radio station in the tiny South Eastern town of Uckfield, now they have a full time license, 24 hour broadcasting and celebrity guests and presenters. Dan Oldfield tells a true ‘zero to hero’ story.
It was back in 2003 when the very first broadcast made by Uckfield FM was aired. Back in the dark times of summer 2002 four bold men came up with an idea to bring local radio to the town. They went by the names Alan French, Paddy Rea, Gary King and Mike Skinner and brought joy to the town with their mix of music and presenting.
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| Uckfield FM |
There are literally countless radio stations in the UK. One quick Google search will throw up the traditional FM big hitters (Radio 1 et al.) but also tons of independent, generally non funded and therefore short lasting internet stations that will be run by anyone from a school media class to a teenager in their bedroom on their own.
The fact is though, that the chances of these attracting enough listeners to warrant their own funding and advertising is extremely unlikely, they are run purely out of love for music (and perhaps a tiny but of ego soothing.)
Local radio is just as common; drive into any large town, especially if there is a university, and you’ll pick up the local signal, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary, exactly why anyone outside of Uckfield will find interest in this article, but that’s exactly the reason that you should read on.
Still with me? Good, well assuming you’re based in Uckfield and reading this article, I can be pretty sure that you listen to Uckfield FM or perhaps are involved in some way.
However for the uninitiated, and without trying to sound like a flyer, it airs on 105 fm and can be heard all the way through Lewes and almost in Tunbridge Wells.
Uckfield differs from other local radio by having a diverse range of music and a range of presenters aiming to appeal to as wide an audience as possible.
However for the uninitiated, and without trying to sound like a flyer, it airs on 105 fm and can be heard all the way through Lewes and almost in Tunbridge Wells.
Uckfield differs from other local radio by having a diverse range of music and a range of presenters aiming to appeal to as wide an audience as possible.
Yes I know that sounded much to like a flyer perhaps Gary King, aforementioned founder and current head of presenting, can explain better: “We work closely with the community to have a radio station that people want to listen to, and not just because they can find out local news."
"We want to offer an alternative to the standard issue giant stations and get everyone in the town involved as much as possible because none of us here get paid, so it’s as much the public’s radio station as the presenters.”
"We want to offer an alternative to the standard issue giant stations and get everyone in the town involved as much as possible because none of us here get paid, so it’s as much the public’s radio station as the presenters.”
Yes, that was again slightly propaganda-like but at least the words came from a member of the radio station and not myself (don’t tell anyone that in fact I am a presenter please.) Maybe we should jump back to the story instead.
Ok, much better, so at first, being commercially run and with little funding and volunteers, the station aired only through June and July in the summer; alongside many events in the town like the Uckfield Festival and parades, many of which are now linked intrinsically with and sometimes organised by, Uckfield FM, and through Christmas where again it could tie in with local events.
This changed last year with the mooted idea to apply to OFCOM (the Office of Communication or basically the guys that oversee radio broadcasting to make sure signals aren’t interrupted and nothing illegal is going on) for a full time license.
This changed last year with the mooted idea to apply to OFCOM (the Office of Communication or basically the guys that oversee radio broadcasting to make sure signals aren’t interrupted and nothing illegal is going on) for a full time license.
This was a tricky process with much legal wrangling between the Uckfield management and, bizarrely, a French radio station using the same signal who complained that their transmissions would be interrupted by our south eastern town.
Says Mr King: “Yes, it was a delayed process, the OFCOM issues lasted for a few months which prevented us from building a new studio, because we weren’t sure whether we were going to be granted the license or not."
"Thankfully, everything panned out in the end once experiments were done, although our signal is now slightly less powerful than we were hoping, but it’s a negligible difference.”
Says Mr King: “Yes, it was a delayed process, the OFCOM issues lasted for a few months which prevented us from building a new studio, because we weren’t sure whether we were going to be granted the license or not."
"Thankfully, everything panned out in the end once experiments were done, although our signal is now slightly less powerful than we were hoping, but it’s a negligible difference.”
And so, as of the 1st July 2010, the station has been broadcasting for 24 hours a day, with presenter programming from seven in the morning until nine in the evening and automated music through the night.
Lottery funding has helped the station keep afloat, as has advertising most of which comes from businesses in the area, pubs, building firms, lawyers etc. And now the station has enough money to build a new studio (of which I’ll come to later) however, the management still can’t afford to pay their presenters or indeed themselves.
Lottery funding has helped the station keep afloat, as has advertising most of which comes from businesses in the area, pubs, building firms, lawyers etc. And now the station has enough money to build a new studio (of which I’ll come to later) however, the management still can’t afford to pay their presenters or indeed themselves.
This will forever remain an issue because if there aren’t enough volunteers then the station will obviously not be able to run, so reliance is placed on the shoulders on some important figures in the town who have become something of a staple on the airwaves, most of which from the part time broadcasting days.
Mike Ziolek is one such presenter. Host of the breakfast show for much of its history he is one of the stations best known presenters and whilst not what can be considered famous, he probably couldn’t go on I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here yet (although he’s probably close considering some of the recent contestants) he is able to, and don’t tell him I said this, get somewhat of a reaction when he drops prizes off to his listeners, a job I’m sure Chris Moyles doesn’t have to do himself.
So is this why he rises at 5 o’clock in the morning just to talk to a bunch of sleepy people? “Haha, I guess you could say that. No, not really, it’s purely because I love doing it, it’s been my dream since I was a teenager. In fact I used to present on Capitol Radio when I was in my late teens, but things unfortunately didn’t go my way and I didn’t end up a paid presenter but that bug and drive are still in me and I would run a station from my front room if I could present and get an audience.”
I ask him whether he wishes he was broadcasting to millions instead; “well of course yes but I think I’d probably be too nervous to even speak, and Uckfield does get into the thousands, well we hope, and it’s nice to recognise names and have more of an involvement with the listenership.”
I ask him whether he wishes he was broadcasting to millions instead; “well of course yes but I think I’d probably be too nervous to even speak, and Uckfield does get into the thousands, well we hope, and it’s nice to recognise names and have more of an involvement with the listenership.”
An interview with Dan Oldfield, the station’s youngest presenter, and a statement of intent by the management to try and appeal to the younger people of the town and definitely not the person writing this article (shhh) concurred with Mr Ziolek’s statement; “I love the rush and buzz you get from being live on the air to real people, it’s addictive definitely and one of the reasons that I went on to take journalism at university."
"But most of all I just love music and want most of all to, in a really non cliche and cheesy way, to spread the love, to introduce others to songs and artists that could change their lives or at the very least, put a smile on their face and make them can’t help but look it up on YouTube afterwards.”
"But most of all I just love music and want most of all to, in a really non cliche and cheesy way, to spread the love, to introduce others to songs and artists that could change their lives or at the very least, put a smile on their face and make them can’t help but look it up on YouTube afterwards.”
Of course, the drive could go at any moment but hopefully the station’s popularity and links to the Community College will keep people interested and involved with the radio, especially with the promise of a new studio.
Oh yes, the new studio, well after the hassle of last year the proposed facility couldn’t be built due to time, budget and planning constraints.
A new studio would obviously help with the transitions from show to show, at the moment one presenter has to pack up and leave and another set up, log in and select a track in the space of a news bulletin (approximately two minutes which is understandably nerve wracking, especially at the start of a show.)
But finally, this year, building has started with summer a likely opening date for a lively, shiny new studio just perfect for the stomach health of many of the presenters.
A new studio would obviously help with the transitions from show to show, at the moment one presenter has to pack up and leave and another set up, log in and select a track in the space of a news bulletin (approximately two minutes which is understandably nerve wracking, especially at the start of a show.)
But finally, this year, building has started with summer a likely opening date for a lively, shiny new studio just perfect for the stomach health of many of the presenters.
So the station is ever growing. New presenters are introduced each quarter and the current jockeys are growing in popularity and status.
A new studio is being built, with greater facilities and equipment, the database is consistently updated with the latest chart hits and old classics meaning, as aforementioned, the station now has a wider range of music and, of course, broadcasting is now on a 24 hour schedule.
A new studio is being built, with greater facilities and equipment, the database is consistently updated with the latest chart hits and old classics meaning, as aforementioned, the station now has a wider range of music and, of course, broadcasting is now on a 24 hour schedule.
So what else is there to say? Suffice to say, if you’re reading this as an Uckfield resident and don’t listen, give it a go and get involved most importantly. And if you do listen then I hope this article has done what the shows hope to do, make you laugh, inform, entertain and give you something in the local area that you can be proud of.
Perhaps I should leave the last word to Mike Ziolek: “Yes it’s not a rag to riches story (well it is but you see what he’s saying) and we’re not trying to say that we’re the best local radio station in the country, or even anything special at all but we’re proud of our achievements and we hope to keep the community pleased and entertained for a good long while. Also, when you wake up in the morning, put on my show.”
Typical radio DJ, offer them the last word, the defining statement and they’ll throw in an advertisement for their own show typical so I’ll take up the mantle instead. Thanks for reading, thanks for listening and hopefully they’ll be another article like this celebrating a major anniversary or something. Oh and also, listen to my show.”
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