Smoke Radio is the University of Westminster’s award-winning, student-run radio station, broadcasting from dedicated studios on our Harrow campus. More than just a platform for live shows, it offers students the chance to amplify their voices, share their views, and spark conversations that reach across campus and into the wider community. It’s also a powerful tool for student-led campaigning and creative expression.
Involvement in Smoke Radio goes far beyond being behind the mic. Students gain hands-on experience with industry-standard equipment, learning technical and creative skills in audio and video production, podcasting, event organising, social media content creation, and more, all of which enhance employability in the media and creative industries. Thanks to a successful £130,000 funding bid secured by the School of Media and Communications in partnership with CETI (Centre for Education and Teaching Innovation), Smoke Radio is entering a new era. Led by Senior Lecturer Eleanor Roseblade and co-created with students, the bid combined written and video elements to capture the collaborative energy driving the station’s revival.
This transformative two-year development plan includes paid student internships, the appointment of a professional Station Manager, and an ambitious relaunch of Westminster’s flagship student station — ensuring Smoke Radio continues to be a bold and innovative space for student media.
Smoke Radio: A Respected Legacy Reimagined
Smoke Radio, originally launched by Rev. Matthew Linfoot (Principal Lecturer), built a legacy of excellence, winning over 20 national Student Radio Awards and twice claiming the title of Best Student Radio Station in the UK. While the pandemic caused a temporary pause, the revival of this celebrated station is now underway, bringing with it a new parent name, a new vision, and new potential.
Enter Westminster Waves, a next-generation digital station with the infrastructure to grow into a DAB-licensed broadcaster with potential reach of over two million people across West London. Having recently secured rights on City West Digital’s (CWD) multiplex network, an Ofcom Community Licence application is now in development.
Quentin Hogg Trust funding provided by a Trading Places initiative being run through CETI will enable the full refurbishment of the Smoke Radio studio in Harrow’s Forum. This professional-grade facility will serve as the nerve centre of Westminster Waves, providing broadcast-quality equipment and a home for broadcast content creation across all university campuses.
With the launch of Zone 29 next academic year, providing a space for podcast training and recording in their new digital suite, Westminster Waves will offer opportunities for Westminster students to develop and showcase their media and production skills, supported by training in Ofcom compliance and digital communication.
As part of a second QHT initiative, students from BA Television Production, MA Film, Television and Moving Image, BA Digital Media Production, and BA Music Production are already deeply involved in the preparation for the station’s launch. The team recently visited Riverside Radio, an award-winning community station in Battersea, where they received hands-on training in Ofcom compliance and community radio operations. A subsequent visit to the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park, home of the WWII codebreakers, brought the project team together to explore the science of radio communications.
Riverside Radio will play a key role in building Westminster Waves next year as their involvement will continue throughout the next academic year, providing coaching and guidance to students via the Smoke Radio Student Union Society. This collaboration will help students synthesise and apply the transferable skills they’ve gained across all degree programmes (regardless of subject) to their involvement in the radio station. With student co-creators over this summer, they will create an online course in Ofcom compliance, which will be made available to all in the autumn.
The station isn’t just about radio. It’s about creating a digital community and launchpad for storytelling, education, and cultural exchange. Collaborations are already in motion: a pilot podcast programme with Migrant Voice (a UK-wide charity amplifying the voices of migrants) will take place this June; students from the MA Film Television and Moving Image are working with staff to deliver this two-day course.
This project aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
About University of Westminster
As one of the most diverse universities in the UK, we are a global university with London energy, with more than 19,000 students from 169 countries. To find out more about our Media and Communication courses, visit our website.
