Paul Golder writes for the Brentwood Gazette
We had a rare get together of most of our presenters last weekend to celebrate 18 years of Phoenix FM on FM!
The official birth date of a radio station is always given as they day they officially start regular programmes on FM, which I never understood, because we’d spent 11 years before this date broadcasting temporarily on FM, full time on the Internet and also acting as a pressure group to get Ofcom to open up the radio waves in Brentwood.
But it was on 23 March 2007 that we got together for the first time at the Baytree. Centre to start our permanent community radio service, and we haven’t switched off the transmitter since. (It blew up once, but that doesn’t really count).
Three of our line up that day – myself, Nick Field and Xanthe Bearman – were among those celebrating at Shenfield Cricket Club last week. Several others joined in the following weeks. We’ve had a stable core of members since 2007, but we’re always looking for new blood.
And in case you’re wondering who’s got a face for radio, the current line up L-R is: Chris Stagg, Richard Connelly, Andy Gardener, Rob Harvey, John Chubb, Roy Tyzack, Keith Rogers, Tony Smith, Mike Porter, Xanthe Bearman, Steve Robertson, me, Mandy Cullen, Nick Girls, Jo Bailey, Scott Ross, Beth Linnell, Daniel Gregory, Steve Roach, Vic Damhar, Andy Furneaux and Kevin Piggott.
