Loughborough Campus Radio

Originally known as URL - University Radio Loughborough, LCR - Loughborough Campus Radio - is the official student radio station for the students of Loughborough University.

It broadcasts 24 hours a day during term time on 1350AM and live on the web at www.lcr1350.co.uk. Once a year the station will broadcast on FM for up to 4 weeks.

The station provides a unique radio service for the students on the campus and gives voulenteers the chance to learn about radio.

History

LCR is one of the oldest student radio stations in the UK.
It began when some Loughborough students started pirate radiobroadcasts from a suitcase in the Hazelrigg hall of residence, during Rag Week 1970.

These illegal broadcasts were known as "Radio Mule" - "a small station with a kick". After three years, Radio Mule had become so popular that the students voted to turn it into a legitimate station. In fact, they voted in favour of having a radio station over a student magazine.

URL (University Radio Loughborough) was born, and went live on-air in 1973. The name was changed to LCR in 1983.

For almost 30 years the home of URL/LCR was a small set of studios located in the student village, next to the Purple Onion cafe. The studios were well loved and used but in the summer of 1999 LCR moved into a £1.4 million Media Centre extension in the Students Union building.

Although technically far superior to the existing premises, many who remember the old location within the heart of the student village feel the move to media centre within the union building at the edge of campus has cut many ties the station had with the students listening to it, particularly during the summer months when the central location allowed for much interaction between the broadcasters and the students themselves.

URL and LCR initially broadcast to the local university halls through induction loops placed around the campus in the roofs of each individual hall. In October 1999 the station became one of the first UK student radio stations to began broadcasting on 1350AM across the whole campus on the new free radiating Low-powered AM licence. Later that academic year it also began broadcasting across the internet.

In addition to the AM broadcasting, the station broadcasts on FM for about 4 weeks each year. With most recent FM broadcasts have been heard as far away as Nottingham.

Alumni

Many members of LCR have gone on to work in the radio industry and all are encouraged to join up to the LCR section of the ASRA website (see link below). Annual alumni training days are run and alumni who would like to take part are asked to contact the assistant station manager.

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