Ardwick, Longsight & Levenshulme (ALL) FM |
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From the unlikely base camp of a crumbling terraced house in one of South Manchester's poorest districts has come a radio station that has captured the imagination of the local population. The vibrant, multicultural and innovative broadcasting of Ardwick, Longsight & Levenshulme FM has become a model of what community radio could offer when it is finally rolled out across the United Kingdom, with its achievements even receiving glowing mentions in Parliament.
"There was no other station in Manchester playing that variety of music," says Nadia Ali, an instant convert who enthusiastically spread the word among friends, family and neighbours. It wasn't just the diverse playlist but the distinctive local slant that hooked Nadia. "From commercial stations you would never get to find out what was happening locally, literally at the bottom of your street. A community station like ALL FM gives you all the information you need about local services and local opportunities," she says. |
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 It all began in May 2000 with a three-day
broadcast by Radio Longsight, which
Radio Regen then expanded to cover a
regeneration area known as the "A6
Corridor" encompassing neighbouring
Ardwick and Levenshulme. After two
temporary RSLs in 2001, ALL FM was
granted one of 15 Access Radio year-long
pilot licences. ALL as turned out to be a highly apt
moniker for a station that has attempted
to celebrate one of the most diverse
communities outside of London. An
impossible task? It seems not. From the
area's council estates and terraces has
come an enthusiastic team of volunteers
with a passion for learning to make radio.
The schedule is now so choc-a-block
that even the breakfast show is
presented by a different person every
day to accommodate all of the
volunteers. ALL FM celebrates
community tastes like no other station in
the land with a daytime playlist where
you might hear chart tracks interspersed
with Irish, Punjabi, Somali, Chinese, Arabic,
Nigerian or Ghanaian hits.
"We try and mix things up here as
much as possible," says Station Manager Alex Green. "Of every four tracks played
during daytime programming, one will be
a chart hit, one a golden oldie and one a
track of the presenter's choice. The
fourth will be a 'community track'."
 The evenings see specialist shows
that target either "a cultural community or
an ethnic community or a community of
interest". Tune in at random and you can
expect to hear anything from antipodean
rock to R&B to a bilingual programme in
Portuguese, French or Hindi.
ALL FM proves that it doesn't take big
budgets to achieve media firsts. The
station has Britain's only Farsi and Edo
language slots, while they're also pioneers
in training young people to make radio.
"We're developing a children's
programme presented by a five and six
year old. For those two young people it
will be incredibly empowering to do a
show broadcasting to the whole of
Manchester," says Alex.
Two of the station's other most
popular shows have been programmed
by school children. Saturday mornings'
Teenage Takeover won hosts James
Doyle and Suzi Toole 'Volunteer of the
Year' awards while a trio of 11-year-olds
known as the Cheeky Chix became
local celebrities.
Nadia says it's a good influence in an
area where crime is often the result of
teenagers with nothing to do. "The area is
renowned for gang culture and for street
crime. The station's right in the heart of
this and gives kids something to do."
Whatever their age, ALL FM volunteers
are encouraged to express their
individuality. Where else could you find a
Catholic priest choosing to intersperse his
Church Chat show with glam rock? Or a
rule-breaking show like Mohammed
Yassin's Riddim 'n' Raag where 60 minutes
of traditional Kashmiri and Indian music is
coupled with an hour of reggae.
In mixing up world's like this, ALL FM
gives a truer picture of Britain today
than you'll find almost anywhere in the
mainstream media. "I think what we do
provides a valid alternative for people
who want to explore music as well as
their local community who often find
commercial stations formulaic and the
BBC dull," says Alex.
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