When we started EHFM in 2018, our plan was to build a radio station to house Edinburgh’s overspill in musical talent: a digital venue free from the threat of closure that could also join the dots between the city’s various creative worlds in a way that a traditional bricks-and-mortar venue isn’t as able to do. 

Five years on, the result is something I can’t quite fathom. The station has grown arms and legs; it’s become an umbrella under which so many of the creative souls of Edinburgh and beyond can gather under. We’re a place for newcomers to find like-minded people, we’ve helped kickstart the careers of numerous DJs and musicians in the city, and our existence has also forged countless collaborations.

Perhaps naively, what we didn’t expect was the value we’d end up having as an independent media outlet. Over the years we’ve given space to artists and collectives to promote their work when nobody else would cover it. We’ve worked with youth groups across the city and hosted workshops with high-school media-studies classes; often these groups turn to us having had no success even getting an answer from the country’s established broadcasters.

Outlets like ourselves, our Glasgow counterparts (Radio Buena Vida, Clyde Built Radio) and free street press (like the one you’re reading now) exist as part of a creative ecosystem. Grassroots artists rely on our coverage to sell tickets and build an audience, not to mention for the dreaded post-project impact reports. But it seems that while there is funding for artists, there is little thought put into the rest of the infrastructure which holds that work up. 

The independent press also acts as an incubator for individuals making their start in journalism and broadcasting. However, due to the nature of funding, these are often unpaid roles. I am keenly aware that because of this, the stories we tell and the people telling those stories are not as diverse as we want them to be. Including the most marginalised people in a meaningful way often takes time and money that outlets like ours don’t have. Who, then, becomes the next BBC reporter and Guardian editor if this is how they make their starts?

I am really hopeful for the station’s future, and going forward we want EHFM to properly represent the plurality of voices in Scotland’s capital, creating a city we can all be proud of. To do that, however, we need stable sources of funding. If the last five years have taught me anything, it’s that there is a seemingly endless supply of talented, hungry young people who want to make their voices heard, and we want to be able to provide a viable future for them. 

EHFM broadcasts 24 hours a day on ehfm.live.