In celebration of Croydon FM's 2 year anniversary I caught up with Founder Clive Campbell and Station Manager Phoebe Herschdorfer, who you may know better as Mister C from 'The Eurythmic Show' and Phoebe Aurelia from 'The Lovely Natured Show', to discuss their favourite memories so far and reflect on how far the station has come since its launch 2 years ago today.
What are you most proud of about the station?
Clive: "I’m most proud of our members, never too busy to offer support when needed, always making new members feel comfortable, going the extra mile to ensure each show is conducted professionally, our WhatsApp group is always going off, we have a real sense of community and we work together to push the station to new heights."
Phoebe: "As cliche as it sounds Croydon FM is more than a radio station, it’s a family. Everyone supports and encourages each other to strive to be the best they can be. Croydon FM currently has 40 members from different backgrounds and all walks of life, we’ve become united together through our love of music, radio and Croydon. And to be honest I think it’s magical!"
What is the best part of doing your live show?
Clive: "Thats an easy one, it’s got to be interacting with the audience especially when introducing new music, a new Artist or having an on-air discussion - CFM supporters are fully involved."
Phoebe: "It allows me to be authentic to how I’m feeling that day/week. I don’t script my show in advance, so this allows me to speak honestly on how I’m feeling and explain what has happened during my week. For example if I’ve had a stressful week I’ll mention it on my show, I’ll share my tips of how I got through the week and play music that calms and uplifts my mood. I hope that if someone has had a similar week, they’ll be able to relate and feel better during my 2 hour show."
What is your funniest memory?
Clive: "To be fair there have been quite a few funny moments, but one that springs to mind is being sat around the restaurant table during the 2019 CFM Christmas dinner and having everyone at the table crying with laughter as I explained the story of my hair thinning and using a number of hair treatments to stimulate growth - I’ve since learned to accept my baldness.
Phoebe: "My funniest moments are usually with Clive at HQ, we’re sometimes running on minimal energy with lots of work to do and sometimes that means I’ll come out with some utter nonsense. Usually Clive will just look at me and burst out laughing. I also have a habit of falling asleep during our CFM parties. We had a party last year at HQ with CFM members and family. I'm a bit of a Grandma so once it turned 11pm I fell asleep on the sofa in the office. Throughout the night a number of people came into the office to laugh at me as they couldn’t believe someone could fall asleep during the peak of a party….well guys, I can!"
What is one moment that you will never forget?
Clive: "Our launch day 24th of June 2018, we decided to bring out the big boy Sound System to Croydon’s Food and Music Festival. We were posted just outside of Tree House, the sun was shining, England just beat Croatia in the world cup and Croydon came out to party with us - everything was in alinement the vibes were nice!"
Phoebe: "My unforgettable moment would have to be the moment we found out we were awarded the FM licence from Ofcom. Clive and I were in the car when the email came through, Clive was so excited we had to pull over in a petrol station to fully take in the information. We just kept smiling at each other, I felt so proud. The journey as a whole has been a challenge to say the least, so many doors slammed in our faces and support from the local authority has been non existent so to be recognised by Ofcom for our hard work was an amazing moment. It made everything worth it."
In your eyes what makes Croydon FM unique and stand out from other stations?
Clive: "For me this is about living in purpose and building a legacy, when the story of Croydon’s music scene appears in the history books, there’s reference to Croydon FM. Croydon FM is Croydon’s first official community-led radio station. We’ve worked extremely hard to get to where we have in such a short space of time - We take pride in representing the sound of the culture, providing a platform for the community to have their voices heard and offering a service for local people to be proud of, and to think, it’s only been 2 years. I look forward for what is yet to come, a special shout out to my Mum and all of my family for their encouragement along the way, a massive shout out to the CFM family for believing in me as a Leader and trusting my vision for Croydon FM. Anyone following our journey or who has an idea they want to bring to life, go for it, theres no better time than now."
Phoebe: "I believe Croydon FM is a true reflection of the Croydon/South London community. The station represents different races, ethnicities, nationalities, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds and it’s truly beautiful to witness the growth. We’re also a fully independent station so we have the ability to have full control of the direction Croydon FM is heading towards - Just watch this space... "
It's safe to say that in the short time Croydon FM has been running it has already achieved so much and seen so many successes but this is only the start of their journey and as they delve into their next chapter with the FM licence ready to go we can only expect great things for the many years to come.
A huge congratulations is in order to all the team at Croydon FM and a massive thank you to all of the listeners, old and new, because without your support the radio station wouldn't be where it is today.