PHONIC FM

Hear previous Future Sound of Exeter Shows on Mixcloud

Phonic FM evolved from a radio station set up in 2003 to support Exeter’s annual Vibraphonic Festival and the Future Sound of Exeter was involved from day one. Paul Giblin remains one of three founding directors of Exeter’s sound alternative community radio station and FSOE events have fundraised to enable the playlist-free broadcasts on air ever since…

Originally the brainchild of David Whitlock who developed Vibraphonic festival as part of his cultural portfolio with Exeter City Council, Vibraphonic FM ran for one month each year, previewing the festival for two weeks then covering festival events for a second fortnight. In 2007, using the experience gained from our festival broadcast success, Exeter Community Radio Ltd was set up to bid for a full time licence from Ofcom which was then granted in the late Autumn of that year.

The leap from Vibraphonic to Phonic was made in early 2008 when the annual Vibraphonic Festival radio station broadcast under the new name. Phonic FM went on air on 15 February 2008 and covered the Vibraphonic Festival as usual but, instead of waking up to the lonely hiss of static at the end of that period, listeners have been able to stay tuned to Phonic FM ever since!

The station’s output is largely music, both live and recorded, with a focus on the local arts scene and giving exposure to acts unlikely to be aired on mainstream radio. The Future Sound of Exeter Show has been part of the station’s output from the outset, occupying the airwaves from 8-10pm every Tuesday. FSOE Shows have included: live unplugged studio sessions by local acts; sessions recorded in the neighbouring Sound Gallery studio; gigs such as Soft Machine broadcast live from the Phoenix auditorium; previews of releases on the Fruits de Mer and other labels; shows exploring single acts such as Frank Zappa, Ozric Tentacles et al; themed shows exploring genres such as Minimalism, space-rock, electronica prog-rock and jazz-rock; previews of The Glade Stage at Glastonbury, Beautiful Days and Kozfest; and endless Floydian slippage…

Tune in, turn on and feel free to drop off!