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So, what is this #Xfm1997 all about then?

You can check out these pages for more details, but essentially Xfm was an original, independent, commercial, music based radio station that was launched officially in London on 1st September, 1997.

During the 20th anniversary of Xfm winning it’s licence to broadcast from the then Radio Authority (now known as Ofcom), a celebration was hosted on social media, including the re-broadcast of the station’s first two hours of broadcasting. #Xfm1997 was used, so we have used the hashtag for this site’s address.

The station was started, some years before that and saw life as a pirate “Q102”, providing a radio service to music festivals, led by former pirate radio DJ and owner, Sammy Jacob but later, when trying to gain a legitimate status, was joined by founder of Fiction Records, Chris Parry.

Xfm was unique in its day for many reasons: it played a mixture of classic alternative music, such as Adam & The Ants, The Clash, and The Cure, along with championing artists and bands that most listeners may not have heard of. The station had almost no high profile presenters, except for Gary Crowley (B.B.C. Radio London), and Claire Sturgess (B.B.C. Radio One), the rest of the presentation staff were largely from the music newspaper, N.M.E.

While not unique then, but would be now, was there were frequent advertisements for local businesses, including music venues, and opporunity to win tickets for gigs and concerts. The news was also aired at five minutes past the hour rather than on the hour – all in all, a very unique sound!

The station ran like this for a year, was then sold to the Capital Radio Group, who after several re-brands are now known as Global Radio, and in 2015 they re-branded XFM to “Radio X” as it is today, largely playing commercially successful and established indie/rock music; the station has but one member of the original staff remaining from its Q102 and Xfm days, John Kennedy – somewhat ironically, whose late night programme continues to champion the unknown and unheard of, just like #Xfm1997 did.

This website is dedicated to remembering the attitude, spirit, and music of Xfm 1997/8; we thank you for visiting and hope you enjoy your stay.

PLEASE NOTE: XFM is a copyrighted brand owned by Global Radio, who purchased Xfm in 1998. This website is not designed to, nor has the intention of infringing upon any copyright held by Global Radio and stands as an independent tribute to the spirit, ethos, and attitude of the original station. No copyright infringement intended or warranted. Thank you for reading.