You would have thought that after more than 25 years of broadcasting, the Oundle pupils’ enthusiasm for OSCAR radio would have waned. Upon considering the ever-increasing number of potential free-time activities on offer here, and shifts in preference towards streaming platforms over radio, presumptions might further grow. However, to presume so would be to presume incorrectly. Thanks to the willingness of generations of Oundle pupils to share their interests and thoughts, OSCAR remains at the heart of Oundle life each time a biannual broadcast swings around. In line with changing technology, OSCAR has rejuvenated itself many times, with more focus now being placed on Instagram publicity and marketing than ever before. Shows such as OS DinoSoc and Oundle School Blind Dating even run their own Instagram accounts to boost their listening numbers – a strategy which clearly paid off!
The influence of previous managing directors’ is scattered over OSCAR’s history, a testimony to the legacy OOs have left, that we strive to uphold. The name OSCAR Radio (originally an acronym for Oundle School Community Action Radio) was chosen by Oundle’s first female Head of School, Fleur Swaney; Samantha Griffiths was the first ever managing director after funds were kindly raised by the Oundle School Foundation to purchase the necessary equipment following a campaign from Oundle pupils and teachers.
Further down the line, in 2003, the then managing director, Sandy Rowell, designed the new purpose-built studios which were to be placed in Old Dryden. Fully equipped with a computer playout system, a separate newsroom, DJ booth, an archive area and eight production workstations, this new complex functioned as a copy of the small-scale UK radio stations at the time, and was even opened by Sir Howard Stringer, an OO and Chairman of the Board of the Sony Corporation.
OSCAR’s evolution continued as it was moved to the top floor of the Gascoigne Music Department in 2014, now sharing the site with our Music Technology and Recording facilities, bringing together some of the areas currently in Mr Gardiner’s domain. A new website has just been created to further OSCAR’s trajectory of modernity; the website holds a larger importance now that all streaming is done via internet broadcasting, enabling international reach rather than the 30 square miles previously possible through FM radio transmission. Tika Capon’s (G U6) fantastic coding and design efforts have resulted in a website that’s easy to administer, navigate and understand, with the previous website being over a decade old. An additional advancement is the redesigning of the logo in what we hope to be a welcome rejuvenation for OSCAR’s brand.
Unbeknownst to many, including myself until recently, as well as there being podcasts of previous OSCAR shows on the Oundle Dashboard and OSCAR’s website, some episodes are even on SoundCloud; do have a listen if some 2020 archived shows take your fancy!
2024 brings a new team of directors heading the broadcasts; technicians, presenters, news readers, administrators and publicists will work together to produce weeks of entertainment, spanning from Live Lounge performances to comedies, and quizzes to educational episodes. The main focus for OSCAR this term for me, as a media director, was to increase the pupil body’s interest in the radio, from taking part to simply tuning in, as OSCAR’s School-wide presence had diminished following the lockdowns. Tactics such as harnessing enthusiasm from upper years, Instagram engagement, and the classic bribery with chocolate were employed to promote OSCAR, and there’s been a real increase in engagement School-wide as a result.
Whilst being a director does mean a substantial amount of your time will be dedicated to anything from supervising shows, to planning the next broadcast, to creating publicity posters and spreading the OSCAR gospel, working with the OSCAR team reaps reams of benefits – and not just those to your CV! Like any extracurricular activity, you meet a different selection of pupils – both those who work regularly with OSCAR, and those turning up once to host a show – and I think the experiences and skills gained through OSCAR have benefitted me no end. OSCAR dinners have been held in both Brew Babu and Dexters to celebrate the directors’ commitment, a highlight of the broadcasting year.
OSCAR’s constant evolution means that you, as a pupil, are always in the position to implement your suggestions for its improvement: new show ideas, publicity techniques, or music production jingles are always welcome and will contribute to the OSCAR legacy begun by pupils who now will be celebrating their 40s.
