RaW Radio Warwick is the student-run radio station for the University of Warwick, in the West Midlands area of England.

It is a professional-sounding station run by students for students, and offers any student at the university the opportunity to get involved, have a show, and generally fiddle around with expensive and sexy pieces of kit.

RaW broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the year. Students only do the 8am - midnight shift, and, keeping the station independent from any other radio organisation, Miss Sue Stamp¹ takes over for the graveyard shift, playing music solidly through the night.

The station is open to members of the university's Students Union and its associate members, who can become involved in any department: News, Music, Breakfast Crew, Production, Sport, Programming, Engineering, Features and the Webteam.

Recruitment is done traditionally during the first three weeks of the new academic year when new members are shown how to use the desks and equipment; this has the unnecessarily scary title of 'audition', but students can join at any time.

This year RaW equalled its highest membership ever, with over 300 students getting involved.

Award Winning Student Radio

RaW is the UK's official No 1 student radio station, and that's because of the station's winning streak at the national Student Radio Awards in November 2000, winning three out of a possible ten awards, six categories of which contained RaW Nominees. This was more than any other station that year.

RaW won the coveted Best Station award and with it a one hour broadcast on BBC Radio 1. The Saturday night dance programme, The RaW Dance Selector (RDS), won Best Show and a spell at Wise Bhuddah records. Student radio newcomer Catherine Nicholson was awarded with the title of Best Female Presenter after an amazing three months of on-air experience, winning a placement at BBC Radio 1.

The RaW Dance Selector can be heard on Saturday evenings during term time between 8:30 and 10:30pm, where you can hear the sheer class of Pat Scullion, Simon Lumb, Georgios Seragos and Dan Page that won them the award.

Catherine Nicholson can be heard Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on The Show at 4-5pm, along with her new show team. The Show is hotly tipped to follow in the footsteps of the RDS at the next awards.

Broadcast Coverage

RaW can only be picked up over the campus of the university, but during February RaW broadcasts on FM, on 107.5FM and broadcasts to Coventry, Kenilworth and beyond, and in case you're wondering, 'beyond' has been defined as the field on the other side of the A46 on the way to Leamington Spa. It has turnips in it... apparently. If you're not lucky enough to be at Warwick University, then you can listen to RaW 1251am on the Web.

Dedication's What You Need

RaW 1251 is the UK's official No 1 student radio station, and it really shows. The Executive Committee (sounds grander than it should) put in a huge amount of work each week, and the 300-strong membership put in a greatly varied schedule, including Chinese and Greek language programmes, which reflects the international make-up of the students at Warwick University. Students can play any music they like within the Radio Authority Guidelines, and students listen, because the music is chosen, sooner or later, by other students with similar tastes.

RaW is continuing to expand, and with prospects of inclusion on the West Midlands digital radio multiplex and ever-increasing member involvement, the future is so bright, they've taken to wearing shades!