Source Radio is a radio station operating from Coventry, England. It is a division of the Coventry University Students' Union, and broadcast to the Campus and beyond, online. It occasionally operated for short periods on FM and AM, complemented by a near CD-quality version of the output via the Internet.
Known as "Source FM" from 2001 to 2005, and "Phoenix Radio" before that, the station changed its name as part of a rebrand to eliminate confusion over the fact that broadcasts on FM were very occasional, and that the station was available on other platforms.
History
The rebrand came about as the station rarely broadcast on FM, and with the (later-fulfilled) possibility of an AM licence on the way it was felt it was time to strengthen the brand.
Around the same time youth station Kix 96.2 closed down in the city, and flipped to an adult contemporary station, Touch Radio, which made it part of a network of stations in the Midlands. Source Radio, took this opportunity to fill the gap left, and although Radio 1 became the number one station in the city, Source Radio's placing and status offered a distinctive opportunity.
The station launched to the city on 1431AM on Monday, 5 March 2007 under the management of Kat Page, with a special programme presented live from the Students' Union nightclub, FiftyFour.
The AM launch coincided with the launch of 3G Smart Phones which could stream radio via apps such as TuneIn. This provided a means of listening on the move in a far better quality than AM. The young target audience are generally also quite "AM-resistant" and as a result, the 1431AM service never reached a particularly sizeable audience. The decision was taken to discontinue the AM service in 2009.
Flirt! and Source Radio
During the 2000s, Students Unions across the country participated in a national event called "Flirt!", a franchise for an evening entertainment event. CUSU became the first union in the country to have its radio station simulcast the event live on its radio station throughout the 2004–05 academic year.
Phoenix Radio CU
In 2019, Coventry University launched a new station under the name Phoenix Radio CUSU, with the name being changed to Phoenix Radio CU in September 2022, Coventry's Biggest Student Station, playing all the biggest hits and throwbacks around the world. This station is run by students from Coventry University who have a variety of shows that run 24/7 which you can listen to via the Phoenix Radio CU App on all devices. Phoenix Radio CUSU has been involved in a short space of time such as The 24-Hour 1 Year Anniversary and Phoenix Radio's Children in Need which won a Bronze Amplify Award for Best Fundraising Initiative. Different shows include Indie, Techno, Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B, Neo-Soul, and podcast-style radio, all hosted by the students at the University.
Over the last few years, the presenters and team have taken part in many different events, such as the First Anniversary where special guest Wynter Black performed and co-hosted, the 24-Hour Broadcast with Matt Jenkins, Phoenix Radio's Children in Need, Phoenix Radio's Commonwealth Games and Phoenix Radio's Special Broadcast for the announcement of Boris Johnson leaving 10 Downing Street which was aired the day of the initial announcement, lead by Jude Avery and Maddy Griffiths, Kristof Kiss, Phoebe Lewin, and Jay Willz. Phoenix Radio also hosted a special broadcast regarding The FIFA 2022 World Cup Win, hosted by Jude Avery, Ellianna Skye, Ryan Kinnerlsey, Jay Willz, and Phoenix Radio CU Veteran Jake Barker.
In May 2023, it was announced that Jude Avery, Jacob Day, Ryan Kinnersley, Yinka Shokunbi, Jasmine Siddon, and Ellianna Skye would all be leaving Phoenix Radio CU. Jude Avery, Jacob Day, and Ryan Kinnersley were the longest-serving presenters at Phoenix Radio CU. In June 2023, Phoenix Radio CU announced that Ollie Green would be taking over from Ellianna Skye on the Award Nominated Phoenix Breakfast Show, Sam Clawley would be taking over from Jude Avery on the Award Winning Show, Phoenix Radio Unplugged and Katie Light would be taking over from Ryan Kinnersley on The Phoenix Radio Chart Show.
Current Presenters
Gisa Arumagarasa, Eddie Chadwick, Sam Clawley, Ollie Green, Maddy Griffiths, Mai, Harris, Didi Jitoboh, Phoebe Lewin, Katie Light, Rishi Pu, Haydar Rahman, Princess Sarker, Brandon Weir, Jay Willz, Jack Woolf