Community Radio in Higher Education

A search along the radio dial reveals that the UK airwaves are largely dominated by BBC and commercial radio. While these stations variously demonstrate a commitment to the local community through their programming, it wasn’t until the introduction of a 3rd tier of radio licence in 2001 that community radio came into its own in the UK. One of the earliest licence holders was the University of Glamorgan, in partnership with GTFM Radio in the South Wales valleys. As the first University in the UK to be awarded a community radio licence, Glamorgan has had the opportunity to develop an understanding of how an education provider can engage with community radio. Glamorgan’s experience provides an interesting case study and a potential model for collaboration between education providers and community radio stations.