Local radio station BCfm to join the National Radio Archives

Local radio station BCfm to join the National Radio Archives

Posted on: 06 Jun 2022

The British Library, home of the nation’s radio archives, have chosen the community station to form part of its extensive and prestigious collection.

 

BCfm will soon become part of a radio archive that already comprises of around 250,000 hours of material.

 

A well-loved Bristol treasure, BCfm aims to promote community cohesion and well-being by providing an engaging and challenging audio experience through a diverse range of audio content.

 

You can listen to BCfm on 93.2FM and DAB in the Bristol area or on their website.

 

 

Despite the British Library’s extensive collection of audio, of the estimated 3 million hours of radio in the UK per year (from 700 stations), the National Radio Archives are only collating a mere 20,000 hours.

 

On top of this, it is estimated that as 92% of current UK radio is not adequately preserved with as little as 2% made available for potential use and research. 

 

As a result of the gaps in their recordings, the Archive are planning to construct a digital radio archive, thus preserving a representative proportion of ongoing radio output nationwide.

 

The first step of this ambitious project is to build a pilot radio archive that covers up to 50 stations from all over the UK with the hope that it will develop into a long-term service.

 

This is where BCfm comes in. The local community station that uses a mix of talk and music shows to inform and educate diverse and under-represented target audiences have been a staple of Bristol’s airwaves for over fifteen years.

 

 

A representative organisation to its core; BCfm presents over 60 shows a week, broadcasting 24 hours a day in a whole host of different languages including Polish, Somali and Spanish as well as English.

 

It is these feats that have earned the radio station a place in the National Radio Archives. Speaking about their inclusion, BCfm station manager Patrick Hart has said: 

 

“This is another validation of our position in the city, for over 15 years we’ve been representing and amplifying the voices of our everyday and under-served communities, I’m so proud of our team”

 

BCfm can be heard on 93.2FM and DAB in Bristol or on their website.

 

Visit the British Library website to find out more about the National Radio Archive.

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Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.