Two presenters at the University of Salford’s student radio station, Shock Radio, will attempt to break the world record for the longest ever continuous music radio show later this week.
Currently, Dubai’s Hit 96.7FM holds the record at a total of 84 hours 15 minutes, which it achieved on 9 December 2013. Now the team at Shock Radio, Andy Cox and George Willis, are hoping to broadcast for 85 hours non-stop, giving the presenters only five minutes’ comfort break per hour.
The broadcast is set to start at 9.00am on Friday 11 April and is scheduled to end at 10.00pm on Monday 14 April. The station’s offices will be turned into bedrooms, and the programme will be broadcast from one of the student bars.
The presenters hope to raise £1,000 for leading cancer support and research charity The Christie.
The station was founded in the late 1990s, following the demise of its predecessor, Storm FM. Today Shock Radio has an audience of around 20,000 listeners, including fellow students and University staff. The output is available online via www.shockradio.co.uk and on-the-go via Apple, Android and Windows mobile apps.
BA (Hons) Television and Radio lecturer Geoff McQueen said: “Shock Radio is a shining example of why radio will continue to innovate and entertain.
“A record number of students signed up to join the station this year and they have consistently shown creativity and dedication to the world of radio. This week, as they attempt to break the world record, they are really demonstrating their ambition. To achieve this would be an utterly amazing feat. Broadcasting requires focus and makes demands on the mental energy of those involved.”
