To redress the balance, some youth projects are setting up their own radio stations staffed mainly by young people.
Westside Radio, based in Southall, is west London's only multicultural and youth-focused community station and proves just how manageable it can be to set up a youth radio project.
The station broadcasts on 89.6 FM in west London and online via www.westsideradio.co.uk. The young people taking part host their own music shows and hold topical debates, such as the weekly BackChat programme, where mainly local college students discuss issues of relevance to them.
Dev Radia, projects co-ordinator of Westside Radio, advises having a clear idea of what is achievable before the project starts. "Make sure you know your target audience intimately and have a defined long-term strategy for funding," she says. "You need to be persistent and passionate about radio because it's not easy to do."
The station is funded by a range of agencies and supported by Ealing Council, Ealing Community Network and Brentford FC. It also sells advertising space to companies that want to reach its core audience of young people in the west London area. The young people who help run the station come from various local colleges, youth clubs, universities and Connexions.
Over in south London, Hub House Studios runs Southside Radio, an online station broadcasting from www.southsideonline.co.uk. Set up by the Christian charity the Oasis Trust, young people are given the opportunity to record three shows a week in the purpose-built studio.
Youth and community pastor Pete Brierley says it runs a range of shows from political broadcasts to local MC demonstrations. "Young people can do any kind of show they like from music slots to debates where they tackle head-on the media's perception of young people," he says. "As long as it's positive, it's a goer."
But the project isn't just about having fun and messing about with expensive equipment. Education is also important and young people are given the chance to attain qualifications from awarding bodies such as NCFE and AQA. Thanks to a partnership with the Media Trust, they can also gain sought-after placements in the media industry.
In Wiltshire, the local county council is getting in on the act too. Its Youth Development Service runs Spark Radio in conjunction with the Media Centre at Wiltshire College.
The station broadcasts over the web 24 hours a day and includes eight-and-a-half hours of live shows a week, all created by young people aged 13 to 19. It provides taster sessions for young people before moving onto full training and through to one-on-one sessions.
Lisa Lort, who manages the radio station, believes that it is important to include young people in the entire decision-making process.
"Make sure that they have a say in everything to do with the studio and form an editorial team of young people so that their voices are always heard," she says.
Find out more
For more information, visit:
- www.westsideradio.co.uk
- www.southsideonline.co.uk
- www.sparksite.co.uk
Potential funders
- Mediabox funds creative media projects for 13- to 19-year-olds in England. www.media-box.co.uk or call 0121 753 4866.
- The Big Lottery Fund offers various grants, including Awards for All and Young People's Fund 2. www.biglotteryfund.org.uk or call 0845 410 20 30.
