Radio Warwick

{{Radio station| image= [[Image:RaW_Small_Logo_(200px).png|200px]]| name=Radio Warwick| airdate= 1970| frequency=1251 kHz [[Amplitude Modulation|AM]], [http://www.radio.warwick.ac.uk/listen Online]| area= [[University of Warwick]]| format =Contemporary| owner =Independent }} '''Radio Warwick''' or '''RaW''' is the [[student radio]] station at the [[University of Warwick]] and winner of the 2000 and 2003 [[BBC Radio 1]] [[Student Radio Association]] Best Station awards. Formerly known as W963, during the years when broadcasts were conducted via an induction loop around the university campus on 963 kHz AM, Radio Warwick now broadcasts from inside the Students' Union HQ building on 1251 kHz AM to the campus and previously on FM for four weeks of the year to [[Coventry]], [[Kenilworth]] and surrounding areas. Radio Warwick also [http://www.radio.warwick.ac.uk/listen streams] all its output online. ==History== Radio Warwick began life as '''University Radio Warwick''' in the 1970-71 academic year by students who spent their summer vacation installing an [[induction loop transmission system]] in the Rootes residence buildings. (One of these students was [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]], who would later go on to become the Shadow Home Secretary under the Conservatives.) The studios consisted of a wooden hut behind Rootes M (Meriden House) and broadcasted at 312 metres (963 kHz). The station was soon rebranded to '''URW312'''. In 1977, the station was moved into the newly constructed social building (which would eventually become the [[University of Warwick Students' Union|Students' Union]] Building). On 30 January 1999, W963 rebranded itself as '''RaW''' and on 30 September 1999, the station began broadcasting on 1251 kHz AM, discarding the then obsolete induction loop system. RaW moved across the University of Warwick campus to University House in the Summer of 2008 as the Students' Union was refurbished. For the subsequent year RaW dropped its FM broadcast due to inability to use the FM antenna, resuming the annual broadcast for 2010. In the Summer of 2010, RaW returned to the Students' Union, and is now based on the second floor of SUHQ (previously known as Union North). ==Activities== Radio Warwick provided a special broadcast service for the [[International Children's Games]] held in Coventry in July 2005, and was named the official broadcaster for this period. In late 2005, [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]], the Shadow Home Secretary, launched his bid for the Conservative Party leadership with a visit to RaW, the station which he helped to found. Following an interview in the studio (surrounded by around 20 journalists), Davis held a Press Conference in the Rootes Social Building Panorama Room, which symbolised the beginning of his campaign. His interview in the studio was later syndicated by BBC Radio 4 and the trip to the station reported on a number of media outlets. 2006 saw a large amount of work done to the station. [http://www.radio.warwick.ac.uk/watch Studio 1] saw the installation of a bespoke digital playout system ('Digiplay') as well as redecoration, and a new office was built in the foyer of the station allowing DJs to work undisturbed. In 2011 four members of the station embarked on a charity fundraiser named "RaW on Tour". The tour consisted of a visit to 52 [[UK_Student_Radio_Association|SRA]] affiliated student radio stations in England within one week. Over £1,000 was raised for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and the station was announced winner of the Charity Champion prize at the I Love Student Radio Awards later that year. ==Awards== RaW has twice been named the [[Student Radio Association|Student Radio Association's]] ''Station of the Year'', in 2000 and 2003, along with other gold awards in both on and off air categories. ==Famous alumni== *[[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]], Former [[Shadow Home Secretary]] *[[James King (film critic)|James King]], BBC Radio 1's film reviewer *[[Timmy Mallett]], Children's TV presenter in the 1980s and 1990s *[[Simon Mayo]], BBC Radio 2 & BBC Radio 5Live presenter *[[Stephen Merchant]], Co-writer of ''The Office'' and ''Extras'', in which he also co-starred *[[Leona Graham]], Absolute Radio presenter and prominent voiceover artist *[[Nicola Stanbridge]], Journalist on BBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme *[[Adam Mountford]], [[Test Match Special]] (TMS) producer *[[Ritula Shah]], BBC radio presenter and journalist *[[David Wilby]], BBC parliamentary correspondent *[[Simon Guettier]], longest serving presenter on BFBS *[[Paul Sylvester]], Executive Producer at [[Absolute Radio]] *[[Adam Wilbourn]], Presenter on BRMB *[[Ben Anderson]] aka 'Posh Ben', producer at Capital Radio in Birmingham. ==External links== *[http://www.radio.warwick.ac.uk Radio Warwick website] *[http://www.radio.warwick.ac.uk/history RaW History wiki] {{University of Warwick}} {{coord missing|West Midlands}}