As part of the Quintin Hogg Trust (QHT)-funded Students as Co-Creators project, Television Production BA Honours and Film, Television and Moving Image MA students from the Westminster School of Media and Communications had the chance to step into the world of broadcast media with a visit to Riverside Radio.
The visit formed a key part of a new initiative organised by the University to create an online training course on Ofcom compliance. Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, internet, telecommunications and postal industries in the United Kingdom.
The training course is designed to support the upcoming relaunch of Westminster’s radio station Smoke Radio, and its new parent media hub Westminster Waves, which is set to launch in autumn 2025.
Thanks to a successful funding bid secured by the School of Media and Communications in partnership with the Centre for Education and Teaching Innovation (CETI), Westminster Waves is set to be 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.
The 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 Smoke Radio to ensure it continues to be a bold and innovative space for student media.
Riverside Radio will play a key role in building Westminster Waves 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 learn and apply the transferable skills they have gained across all degree programmes to their involvement in the radio station.
During their visit to Riverside Radio, students received hands-on training in broadcast regulations and compliance, gaining essential insights into the legal and ethical responsibilities of running a public-facing radio station. The experience allowed students to immerse themselves in real-world broadcasting standards while laying the groundwork for a University-wide compliance toolkit to guide student content creators at Westminster. They will now take what they have learnt and create the online course in Ofcom compliance, which will be made available to all in the autumn.
One student involved said: “Brilliant team all round. It was such a treat to visit Riverside. The training was fun and informative, and I learnt so much about radio and TV, ethics, laws and regulations that I didn't know before.”
Another added: “Learning the Ofcom guidance for broadcast was quite entertaining and insightful. Jason was a great teacher and offered many examples that were timely and relevant. I left the day feeling like I had a bank of information on things like libel and defamation, so if I ever broadcast, I can be sure to keep to British Law.”
The project responds to the growing need for legal and copyright compliance knowledge among students producing audio-visual content for coursework, including podcasts and short-form digital videos. While the University already provides strong ethical guidance, navigating legal publication rules remains a complex challenge for many. Supported by generous funding from the QHT, students will now get the chance to develop a legal compliance toolkit to be rolled out across University departments and the wider community.
One student said: “I am so excited to introduce Westminster Waves to the University. Getting everyone Ofcom compliant is essential. Creating the e-course with help from Riverside assures quality and provides a bridge into what radio is like outside a university setting.”
With the launch of Westminster Waves on the horizon, the project marks an important step towards empowering students to lead with confidence, creativity and compliance in today’s dynamic media landscape.
Through promoting education, sustainable communities and strong institutions, this project directly aligns with the University’s Being Westminster strategy as well as the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals 4: Quality Education, 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about Media and Communication courses at the University of Westminster.
Related articles
