Until the 2012 National Student Radio Conference in Bradford
Bradford University
RamAir is the University of Bradford Student Radio Station. Established in 1980, RamAir is the longest running continuously broadcasting student radio...
The Varsity series between Nottingham University and Nottingham Trent is the highlight of the sporting calendar for both Universities. For the first time in its five-year history Nottingham Uni came away victorious and URN were there throughout. With 26 teams comprising of hundreds of students taking part, not to mention the thousands of fans, it was a great chance for URN to really make an impact on our listeners’ experience of the series. We brought those who couldn’t make it to the venues the pulsating atmosphere live from the four biggest fixtures in our multi-platform OBs as well as pre- and post-match coverage of the 9 other events on our weekly Sports Shows and website.
The centrepiece of our extensive coverage was four live OBs from some of Nottingham’s most prestigious sports venues including the National Ice Centre and Meadow Lane, covering the Ice Hockey, Football, Rugby Union and Cricket. At each OB we had a studio team comprising of a lead presenter, two Sports Show members to provide analysis and a third to operate a live update and text service for the website, keeping the show interactive. A two-strong commentary team were complemented with an expert summariser, and around the ground two roving reporters interviewed coaches and players and gauged crowd reactions to get the atmosphere of the event across to the audience.
We knew URN were the only source of information before, during and after the fixtures, so we wanted to keep our audience and involved and informed as possible. Packages recorded beforehand with key members of the teams built the anticipation and provided great talking points before the match. The live updates online meant listeners could keep in touch with what had happened in the game and text in their thoughts from around the globe, as parents did from Arizona and Canada. We also had our webcam broadcasting live pictures of our team online.
Promotion was also important in attracting listeners in the first place. We used trailers on air and posters around campus to advertise our coverage, we also advertised on Athletic Union Facebook groups and their website- every student would know how to listen in. This gained us listeners for the events and in the future.
Overall, URN not only brought the tension and excitement of the Varsity series to listeners around the world, we helped contribute to the atmosphere on the night.