Wed 24 Nov 2004

An Edinburgh radio station has been named Britain's best student station at
a national awards ceremony.

Fresh Air FM, which is run by students at Edinburgh, Napier and Heriot-Watt
universities, was handed the prestigious award by judges from the Student
Radio Association. The victory means that the group can now host a special
programme on BBC Radio One this Christmas.

Kate Lorimer, a spokeswoman for the station, said: "We are proud to announce
that we are now officially the best station of 2004, after beating off
challenges from Warwick University, De Montefort University and Southampton
University.

"This is a huge achievement for Fresh Air. After financial troubles held the
station back for two years, we are riding high on a successful broadcast in
April of this year.

"This is not only an award for the students involved, but also illustrates
to the rest of Britain how vibrant the music scene is in Edinburgh and
Scotland. We are now able to compete successfully against the major players
from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland on the radio waves, and it sets
the standard for future broadcasts."

The ceremony, which was hosted by BBC Radio One's Steve Lamacq and Jo
Whiley, was held in London last Friday night. There were twelve awards up
for grabs, and Fresh Air FM also came close in the best drama category, with
its show Bruntsfield Place coming third.

A Student Radio Association spokesman said: "Congratulations to all involved
in the station."

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ed...?id=1351152004