New Leeds independent station, alto radio, launches crowdfunder for studio

A new independent radio station based in Leeds, alto radio, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for a studio site. 

To date, all shows broadcast on the platform have been recorded remotely, and the aim now is to establish a fixed location in the northern English city for artists and the team to work from. 

“Like a lot of recent projects, alto radio is the product of lockdown. Founded by friends Owen and Tom, we had thrown the idea around for some time but managed to have a serious think about how this could become a reality during the summer of 2020. We managed to set the station up using freeware, an old laptop and an inconsistent North Leeds broadband connection,” the JustGiving page reads. 

“We are a long way into achieving our goal already, as we have secured a space at Testbed,” the statement continues. “We have a space in the offices at the front of what will become a new, large-scale event space for Leeds. Our challenge is to turn said space into a sustainable, accessible, fully-functioning studio. This means fitting out the room with all necessary equipment, furniture, fixings, branding, and a new station computer.” 

Alto radio launched in October 2020, and aims to raise £3,500 through the campaign. Testbed is a new venue from the team behind nearby Sheaf St. The space held its first event on 3rd September with Michael Upson, PBR Streetgang, and DJ Paulette on the lineup.