How Gen X Radio Built a Professional Local Station Online

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Founded by veteran broadcaster James Hazel, Gen X Radio launched in Suffolk, UK in 2022 with a clear goal: deliver high-quality live, local radio online. Using Radio.co, the station built a professional-grade operation capable of competing with established broadcasters and attracting local advertisers.

Founded January 2022

12 hours of live broadcasting daily

Remote presenters broadcasting from home studios

Growing local advertiser base

See how Gen X Radio uses Radio.co

Challenge.

Competing with Established Broadcasters

With 35+ years of radio experience, founder James Hazel understood what makes a station credible.

Launching independently meant needing:

Broadcast-quality audio
Reliable 24/7 uptime
Remote presenter capability
Listener analytics to attract advertisers
A platform that felt commercially serious

To win local trust, the station had to sound as good as — or better than — legacy broadcasters.

Solution.

A Professional-Grade Online Infrastructure

Radio.co provided the tools needed to operate as a serious commercial station.

Key capabilities included:

High-quality streaming infrastructure
24/7 automation between live segments
Remote broadcasting for presenters working from home studios
Detailed listener statistics and analytics
Reliable service with responsive support

This allowed Gen X Radio to deliver 12 hours of live programming daily, supplemented by automated scheduling overnight.

The station operates lean, without traditional studio overheads.

Results.

A Thriving, Advertiser-Backed Local Station

Gen X Radio has:

Built a growing local audience
Secured interest and investment from local businesses
Delivered consistent live programming
Demonstrated that online local radio can compete commercially

The station shows that experienced broadcasters can launch independent, advertiser-ready operations without legacy infrastructure.

People want a friend, they want company. And if you do it right, you can get an audience.

Station Director

Over a decade of supporting broadcasters large and small.

Radio.co provides enterprise-grade broadcast management built for teams. Centralised control, predictable performance, and flexible scheduling give marketing, operations, and content teams the tools to run audio with confidence.