The United Kingdom’s broadcast regulator has awarded four more community radio licenses, and one of them goes to the Funky Academy, aka Funky SX.
Ofcom says that the school will (government-speak alert) “provide a rhythmic-based music service to young people,” defined as under 35, in the Southend-on-Sea borough. That’s basically the northern half of the entrance to the River Thames, which is part of the county of Essex (or “SX” in funk shorthand).
Funky SX hangs its hat at the The Westborough Primary School. It started as an Internet radio stream in 2009 and quickly gained listeners, in large part because the three deejays associated with the project already had huge followings. It then launched “Funky Live” nightclub events that are still popular around Essex and London, followed by workshops on how to deejay. Next the Academy won a £50,000 lottery grant. Now it has received this Ofcom community radio license, which will partner with a soon to be completed training academy in Southend.
The operation offers courses on how to deejay and how school teachers can integrate deejaying into their curriculum, how to write and produce music, plus a “Funky Fun DJ Course for Children.”
The other three licenses go to signals that will serve Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, the town of Wivenhoe, near Colchester, and the city of Chelmsford, which is the county town of Essex. There are now more than 200 community radio stations broadcasting to the UK.
