Forge Media

Last updated

Forge Media Combined Logo Forge Media Logo.jpg
Forge Media Combined Logo

Forge Media is the student-run organization at the University of Sheffield which has overseen Forge Radio, Forge TV and Forge Press since 2008. On 4 July 2012, Forge Media was named Best Student Media at the NUS Awards.[ citation needed ] The award recognised the many hours of hard work put in by the members of the Forge Press, Forge Radio and Forge TV teams, as individual teams and as one fully converged media package, displaying a wide range of multimedia skills and including hundreds of members of the student body, and reaching large audiences.

Contents

Forge Radio

Forge Radio
Programming
Language(s)English
Format Music
Affiliations
History
First air date
1995
Former names
Sure Radio
Links
Webcast p.onlineradiobox.com/uk/forge/player/?played=1&cs=uk.forge

Forge Radio (formerly named Sure Radio) is the student radio station of the University of Sheffield. It broadcasts during term time on the Internet and throughout the Students' Union, catering for a varied taste in music and general interest with programming produced by other university societies.

Forge Radio was founded (under the name of Sure Radio) in 1995 as a student society at Sheffield Union by Helen Grimes, with Jenny Thornton as Head of Music. The station followed in the footsteps of Forge FM; a station jointly run by students and the local community broadcasting from University House, which moved out of the students' union to become an independent organisation in 1994. The original aim of Sure Radio was to broadcast 4-week FM "RSL" broadcasts twice a year, and to become a self-sufficient organisation. It broadcast to the city of Sheffield, and to travellers driving along a small stretch of the M1.

In 2000, Sure FM was awarded Student Radio Station of the Year by College Music Update, with Dan Morfitt also being nominated as Best Head of Music. Later that year, Dan also received a nomination at the Student Radio Awards. Sure then made the national news in February 2001, including ITN's News at Ten and BBC Radio One's Newsbeat, for being banned from playing any music by Eminem by the University of Sheffield Union of Students. [1] Although not broadcasting at the time of the controversy, Sure took the unilateral step of breaking the ban during its next broadcast on FM, for which it was duly fined by the Union.

Forge Radio Logo Forge Radio.png
Forge Radio Logo

In association with the Students' Union, Sure moved into a new media hub built for the three divisions of media: Sure Radio, The Steel Press and Sheffield Base in 2008.

In June 2009, Forge Radio as a part of Forge Media were the runners up in the category of Student Media of the Year at the NUS Awards 2009. [2] In October 2009, Jen Carr (Head of Music 2008/09, Station Manager 2009/10) was nominated for Best Female Presenter at the Student Radio Awards, in the process gaining the station's first nomination at the awards since Oli Q back in 2005. A year later, the station received two nominations with Dale Wetter gaining a nomination for Best Male Presenter and Sam Moir for Best Specialist Music Programming.

The success of this year was recognised on several occasions; the station was awarded 'Best Working Committee' by the Students' Union, [3] as well as receiving a nomination in the category of Best Student Radio Chart Show at the Student Radio Awards. Furthermore, Forge Media as a whole won the award for Best Student Media at the 2012 National Union of Students Awards. [4] Forge Radio won two SRA awards in 2023; Connor Begley won The Joe Lyons Award for Best Producer Gold Award, Jake Kalender won the award for Best Technical Achievement. [5]

Forge TV

Forge TV
Country United Kingdom
Broadcast areaYoutube
Affiliates University of Sheffield
Sheffield Students' Union
NaSTA
History
LaunchedSeptember 2009 (2009-09)
Links
Website www.youtube.com/@ForgeTelevision

Forge TV is the Student television station of the University of Sheffield. It now broadcasts live on YouTube during Varsity and SU elections alongside other sports broadcasts such as Sheffield Hatters Basketball. Forge TV also produce one of specials such as their adaptation of Taskmaster. It used to broadcast during term time on the Internet and throughout the Students' Union, catering for a varied taste in music, sport, culture and student programming.

Forge TV won the award for Most Improved Committee at the Sheffield SU's 2023 Societies and Activities awards.

Forge Press

Forge Press
TypeMonthly newspaper
Format Tabloid
Owner(s) University of Sheffield
EditorCharles Fenton
Founded1950 (as DARTS)
HeadquartersUniversity of Sheffield Union of Students, Western Bank, S10 2TG.
Website forgepress.org

Forge Press is the University of Sheffield's student newspaper. Published monthly during term-time by a team of up to 100 student volunteers, the paper has a circulation of 2,500 and is distributed free across campus and the surrounding student area to a projected readership of 15,000–20,000. Since 2003 the University of Sheffield Union of Students has employed a non-student in a support role which holds no editorial power and is designed to aid the day-to-day running of the organisation. In 2006 this role was expanded, retitled to 'Media Development Officer', to support all student media and any student or society who wants to use the Media Hub facilities.

The University of Sheffield has a history of student journalism that predates its inception as a university when it received its charter in 1905. Following the Second World War, a new newspaper was set up at the university called Darts, The name stemmed from a sister arts publication, Arrows, which had been around since the 1930s, with the new venture seen as a smaller entity than its sibling – a dart being a sort of miniature arrow. (The paper was ultimately to outlive its brethren, which closed in the late 1980s.) In the 1997/98 academic year a new editorial team took charge of Darts and decided to change the name. In the present day, Darts is the name of the part of the Comment section which provides a satirical and comical take on recent news stories and events.

On 28 November 1997 the newly rebranded Steel Press was unveiled. In style the paper was not particularly different from what had come before, yet over the following nine years underwent many changes. Ranging in appearance from something not dissimilar to the Daily Express to its eventual appearance as the Daily Mirror of student publications, the Sheffield Steel Press as it was known (Sheffield Steel as it appeared on the cover) continued to provide a proving ground for young journalists hoping for a career in the media or simply looking for an interesting diversion during their time at the University of Sheffield. In 2008, Sheffield Steel Press merged with Sure Radio and the website to make a fully converged student media called Forge Media. This consists of the newspaper Forge Press, Forge Radio and ForgeToday.com, as well as the more recent Forge TV.

In 2022, Forge Press was shortlisted for Best Publication at the 2022 Student Publication Association National Conference, which they hosted along with the Student Publication Association. The eventual winner of the award was the University of Manchester's, The Mancunion.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cam FM</span> Student-run radio station at the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University

Cam FM is a student-run radio station at the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University. The station broadcasts online and has an FM frequency of 97.2 MHz. The station opened studios at Anglia Ruskin University and Fitzwilliam College and started broadcasting in 2012 from these locations after having spent its first 32 years located in Churchill College. Cam FM once held the world record for the longest team broadcast marathon, at 76 hours, and following the significant technical overhaul as a result of the two new studios in 2012, provided the first-ever broadcast media coverage of the Oxford vs Cambridge Women's Boat Race from Dorney Lake, as well as live outside broadcasts from Newmarket Races and the Varsity Ski Trip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAW 1251AM</span> Student radio station at the University of Warwick

RAW 1251AM 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University Radio York</span> Radio station in York, England

University Radio York is a University Radio station covering the campuses of the University of York. It was the first legal independent radio station in the United Kingdom. Broadcasting from Vanbrugh College on the University's west campus, URY has won a number of awards from various organisations including the Student Radio Association of which it is a member.

<i>Nouse</i> University of Yorks student newspaper and website

Nouse is a student newspaper and website at the University of York. It is the oldest registered society of, and funded by, the University of York Students' Union. Nouse was founded in 1964 by student Nigel Fountain, some twenty years before its rival York Vision. The newspaper is printed three times in each of the Autumn and Spring terms, and twice in the Summer term, with frequent website updates in between print runs. As of June 2022, Nouse has printed 500 editions.

Demon FM is a student radio station based at De Montfort University in Leicester, England. The station broadcasts online during term time. It was established in 1995 by the Communications Officer of the time, Rob Martin. The first licensed broadcast was on 106.4 FM from 29 September 1995 to 26 October 1995 and the second broadcast was on 106.2 FM from 22 April 1996 to 19 May 1996. Demon FM continued to broadcast on Restricted Service Licences until 2008 with the last of the RSL broadcasts taking place on 97.5FM. Demon FM finished their 26th and final RSL on 30 November 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Sheffield Students' Union</span> Representative body of students at the University of Sheffield

Sheffield Students' Union, officially known as the University of Sheffield Students' Union, is the representative body of students at the University of Sheffield. It is run by a team of thirteen elected officers.

Bailrigg FM (formerly known as University Radio Bailrigg (URB) and Radio Bailrigg) is a student radio station at Lancaster University. It operates in a music format predominantly featuring pop, but also broadcasts news, drama, comedy, and entertainment. During evening and weekend hours, programming moves to specialist content where presenters are free (within reason) to play whatever they wish.

<i>The Boar</i> (newspaper) University of Warwick student newspaper

The Boar is the student newspaper of the University of Warwick. Founded in 1973, the paper is published thrice a term, and the website is continually updated. Whilst it is affiliated to the university's Students' Union, the paper is editorially independent. It consists of 16 sections, including News, Sports, and Podcasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surge Radio</span> Student radio station of the University of Southampton

Surge Radio is an English student radio station based at the University of Southampton. Founded in 1976 as Radio Heffalump, the station was renamed Radio Glen the following year and originally broadcast from the university's Glen Eyre Halls complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CFMU-FM</span> Radio station at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario

CFMU-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 93.3 FM in Hamilton, Ontario. It is a campus/community radio station owned and operated by the McMaster Students Union at McMaster University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPSC-FM</span> Radio station at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey

WPSC-FM – branded Brave New Radio – is William Paterson University's non-commercial radio station, broadcasting an alternative hip hop format. Licensed to Wayne, New Jersey, the station serves the north Jersey and western New York City area. In 2012, 2013, 2017 and, most recently, March 2018, the station was named Best College Radio Station by the Intercollegiate Broadcast System. Brave New Radio serves as the founding headquarters for World College Radio Day, an annual event created by the station's former general manager. In 2011, WPSC was one of the top 25 stations nominated for the mtvU Woodie Award for Best College Radio Station.

<i>Palatinate</i> (newspaper) Durham University student newspaper

Palatinate is the student newspaper of Durham University. One of Britain's oldest student publications, Palatinate is frequently ranked as one of the leading student outlets in the UK and Ireland, winning Best Publication in the Student Publication Association's 2018 and 2021 national awards. In the same year Palatinate was Highly Commended in the Best Publication category of the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme's Student Journalism Awards. Several of its editors have gone on to gain national recognition in journalism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BurnFM.com</span> Student radio station of the University of Birmingham

Burn FM is the official student radio station based at the University of Birmingham. The original name was BurnFM.com. 'Burn' stands for 'Birmingham University Radio Network'. Burn FM also regularly review many songs and celebrities such as AJ Tracey, Eminem and NSG.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Radio</span> Radio station

Queen's Radio is a student radio station, broadcasting a wide variety of shows, based at Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, currently broadcasting via online stream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLVR-FM</span> Radio station in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

WLVR-FM is a non-commercial FM radio station in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and is owned by Lehigh University, and co-operated, with the university, by Lehigh Valley Public Media, licensee and operator of PBS affiliate WLVT-TV. WLVR-FM is supported in part by listener donations. With a focus on local news coverage, WLVR features Lehigh Valley Public Media’s Reporter Corps®, a team of multimedia journalists who cover the Lehigh Valley with in-depth local reporting. Overseeing the station is Christine Dempsey, Senior VP of Radio. Christine has over 30 years of experience in radio and is a current member of the Public Radio Program Directors Association’s board of directors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Student television in the United Kingdom</span>

Student television in the United Kingdom is the act of students from universities and colleges around the United Kingdom producing and publishing video content independently, operating in a similar fashion to a small television station. Student television stations exist all around the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forge FM</span>

Forge FM was a youth-led community radio station and educational charity in Sheffield in the 1990s. Run by volunteers, the station brought together a wide range of specialist music shows and speech-based programming with the aim of involving all members of the community, the first of its kind in the city.

Canterbury Student Radio (CSR FM) is a membership based student and community radio station based in Canterbury, England. It is currently funded by Kent Union based at the University of Kent. When actively broadcasting, the radio station airs a mixture of live and pre-recorded programming from Studio Red based in the Student Media Centre on the main campus 24 hours a day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuse FM</span> Radio station in UK - National Internet , Manchester FM

Fuse FM is a student radio station broadcasting every day during term time from Manchester Students' Union at the University of Manchester.

Pure FM is an official student-led radio station broadcast by student members at the University of Portsmouth.

References

  1. "Student ban for Eminem". BBC News. 1 February 2001.
  2. "NUS Awards 2016". Nusawards.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  3. "Sheffield Students' Union". shef.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  4. Archived 2 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "All the winners from the Student Radio Awards 2023". RadioToday. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.