The University of Salford wanted to go beyond traditional teaching. Instead of students’ hard work only being heard by lecturers, the goal was to create a real-world platform so it could be broadcast to a public audience. Utter Radio was born from this vision, becoming a speech-based station for students to showcase academic and creative content, from news and drama to comedy and poetry, all while learning the business of radio.
The 'Radio Entrepreneurs' module required students to create not just a station, but also a business plan and a website. The biggest challenge for the university was finding a broadcasting tool that wouldn't get in the way of the core learning objectives.
"We teach them for three years how to make content. We don't really have the expertise to teach them how to use HTML coding or the various different software platforms. Radio.co really just takes all that pressure from us."
Radio.co became the fundamental tool for the course, providing an accessible solution that empowered both students and lecturers. It was chosen for its ability to deliver on several key needs:
"One of my biggest concerns with my station was what do I do when I graduate? Because I will lose this amazing facility. But with Radio.co, you have the opportunity to then have that on my laptop now, so I have no worries."
By integrating Radio.co into their curriculum, the University of Salford is not just teaching radio production, it's creating a new generation of media entrepreneurs. Students are graduating with a complete skill set, from content creation to business management, and the confidence to launch their own ventures in an exciting, evolving industry.
