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The studio, yesterday.

Rare FM is the student radio station for University College London, part of UCL Union. It was set up in 1998 (the first broadcast took place on the 28th of September) with the help of a grant from the Friends Trust. Depending on who you believe, Rare FM is either the first or the third radio station to have existed at UCL! Already it has proved to have been the most successful, now in its ninth year. It's alumni include MTV presenter Alex Zane!

The original 1998 station logo.

The station is run entirely by students, many of who give up lots (and in some cases excessive amounts) of time to support the station.

Because of the cost and licencing restrictions we can only broadcast on FM for (upto) one month a year. To support this broadcast, Rare FM must seek sponsors and means of funding.

During most of the rest of the year, Rare FM broadcasts on the internet and within the UCL Union Bars during lunchtimes, with a computerised sustaining service when no-one's in the studio.

Get Involved!

Any student at UCL can become involved with Rare FM - for more information please see the FAQ below and the 'contact us' page. We also welcome contact from companies and organisations who wish to work with us or support us in any way.

FAQs

Some frequently asked questions about Rare FM.

1. When do you broadcast?
2. I'm coming to UCL, how can I get involved?
3. What can I do with Rare FM?
4. I can't get the internet stream to work!
5. Why don't you support Real/WMA/AAC streaming?
6. Will you play my band's demo?

1. When do you broadcast?

   Rare FM broadcasts on FM to Central London once a year for a period of around 28 days - this is usually in January/February. The rest of the year we broadcast over the internet and into the student union bars. The Union broadcasts should be 12.30pm-2:30pm every weekday in the 2nd and 3rd floor bars of the Gordon Street Union building. If you can't hear us there at these times and would like to, why not pester the staff? However, as the station is run by students, there tend to be fewer live shows over the summer, Easter and Christmas holidays. When there are no live shows we broadcast continuous music.

2. I'm coming to UCL, how can I get involved?

   The best way to get involved is to make sure you come along to the Freshers' Fayre (you will receive info about this from UCL Union). Come and find our stall at the Fayre, introduce yourself, and we'll give you info about introductory meetings and so on. If you miss the fayre, or lose contact, then make sure you get back in touch by sending us an e-mail. See contact page for our e-mail addresses.

3. What can I do with Rare FM?
   • Are you interested in being a DJ? Traditionally most of Rare FM's output has been of a music radio format, so there are lots of opportunities for anyone who wants to have a go, whether you're a master of the decks or more into pushing the play button on a CD player. Absolutely no experience is necessary and we'll provide you with training.
   • Interested in non-music radio? We're always looking to diversify our output - maybe you're interested in producing documentary, drama or comedy? Although recording facilities are currently limited we're looking for ways to improve this, and if we have a reason to allocate more of our resources towards it we will.
   • Perhaps you're interested in a more behind the scenes role? Whether you're interested in the technical side of FM and internet radio or want to get involved with the marketing side of things, there are plenty of opportunities.


4. I can't get the internet stream to work!

   This could be for a number of reasons. Either it's broken our end (which happens more often than it should), or there's something wrong with your internet connection or browser. Make sure you're using an mp3 streaming compatible player (e.g. Winamp for Windows users, iTunes for Mac or Xmms for Linux). If you're still having problems, you can try inputting the streaming address (http://stream.rarefm.ucl.ac.uk:8000/low.m3u) straight into your mp3 player of choice.

5. Why don't you support Real/WMA/AAC streaming?

   We currently don't have the resources to provide any other formats for our internet streaming. However, this situation may change in the future. Our current streams are widely supported by major media player software. And Windows Media Player is bloody rubbish and if you don't shut about iTunes I'll hit you with this stick.

6. Will you play my band's demo?

   Yes, if it's any good! We welcome demos from all bands, whether signed or not. All CDs are listened to, and the best ones do get airplay. Send your demo on CD format to the head of music (see contact page for details).

About This Site

This site is managed by the Rare FM Exec Team. It is built using Moveable Type. It is maintained by Matthew Rimmer.

The site was designed by Joe Myerscough with additional assistance and coding by Tim Baldock, Jeremy Harris, Ed Craske and Matthew Rimmer.