The story of 209radio's FM broadcast started (for all intents and purposes) with the actual building of the studio, with materials supplied by a local building trade firm free of charge.

This was done in record time in about two days at the Cambridge Artworks gallery room (Artspace), on Greens Road off Victoria Road, including equipping the studio space with mikes, decks, mixers, lights etc...and the all important FM transmitter.

Parked outside the studio was the 209radio Taxi, which was used as a recording booth for interviews, as well as being used for a previous RSL (Restricted Service License) broadcast in the guise of 'Radio Taxi' (details via 209radio website).

The programming of the station itself, was incredibly adventurous and varied, comprising the likes of sound art, music shows, community life based programmes, live debates (some of these headed up by Cambridge Action Network), a breakfast show, and even station head honcho Karl Hartland wandering around Cambridge, doing live audio feeds with a transmitter on his back and a microphone in his hand!!

As well as the station going out live on FM, it was also streaming via their website, with a 30 second (approx) time lag.

Many of the shows that were broadcast are due to be archived on the website sometime in the next couple of weeks - after the 209radio crew have had some well earned rest!

Anyone who is anyone in town was involved, including DJ Skunk (funky World Music), Beatnik (Jazz, Funk, Soul), Revelation Sound System (Roots/Dub and Dancehall Reggae), Badger Attack (Techno), many local sound artists, and much much more besides, including music documentaries and programmes about country walks around local villages.

Overall, it was a true showcase of the diversity and vibrance of our city's culture.

As with anything that happens in real time, they had their technical glitches, which is to be expected, but, on the whole, the output was of an extremely high and interesting standard. It must have been, as I rarely moved my FM dial the whole week from 103.5FM, the bandwidth they were on.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and the night of the switch off came around far too soon.

The studio was packed to the rafters with about 40 people, all of whom had 'Got Involved' in one form or other, most of them clutching a beer in their hand, and celebrating a job well done.

When the moment of the switch off came, everyone in the room cheered, and a party ensued, with DJs playing some tasty selections on the decks, and people dancing as the station went off air.

The next day, despite a few people I'm sure nursing hangovers, work proceeded at a rapid pace on dismantling the studio, to clear the gallery space for an exhibition, due to start setting up just two days later.

Phew!

They don't mess about at Cambridge Artworks, that's for sure!

To Summarise, this has been for me and I'm sure for everyone else involved a truly inspiring and life changing project to be a part of, and I for one will never listen to radio in quite the same way again.

After all, I can't imagine Radio 1 or Q103 playing Musique Concrete, or a Jazz documentary made by a homeless man in the middle of the afternoon anytime in our lifetimes!

209radio currently has an application in for a permanent, five year FM Community Radio License.

We should all hope that they get it, as now more than ever in this formatted, playlisted, sponsor-pleasing world we live in, we need projects like this whom are willing to take artistic risks, as well as representing the true voices of our communities, and not just the edited highlights, as filtered through some imposed-from-on-high editorial policy.

And remember people, 209radio is still going to be around via their website, and is still looking for volunteers to help make programmes in and around Cambridge, so, as they all say, GET INVOLVED!!