Radio ALL FM

ALL FM is a Manchester community broadcaster made by and for the city’s communities. Its official pages describe a large volunteer team and programmes representing different backgrounds and experiences. The station’s identity is as much about who gets to speak as about any single musical format.

The broadcaster trains new people in presenting and production, creating opportunities for community groups, young and older people, carers and other voices. This gives the live schedule a wide range of perspectives. Music can sit next to discussion, information and shows made for a particular audience; one brief listen will not capture that breadth.

ALL FM is a useful choice for hearing Manchester through its contributors. Current shows should be checked on the station’s schedule, but the volunteer-led approach and its connection with local communities are enduring parts of the service.

ALL FM’s commitment to training changes who can make radio. People do not have to arrive as established broadcasting professionals before their experiences become valuable on air. A volunteer can learn production, develop a programme and introduce subjects that matter to a community which rarely sees itself reflected elsewhere. This is a practical way for a station to give Manchester a range of voices rather than simply describing the city from a distance.

That breadth also explains why no single genre can stand in for the live schedule. A programme made for carers has a different purpose from a music show, and a contributor speaking another language can address an audience in a different way again. The station connects these choices through its Manchester community remit. Listeners should use the current schedule to find a particular show, while recognising that the varied contributors are the continuing feature of the broadcaster.