radio2XS - About Us and History

Contact radio2XS \| Meet the Crew \| Sending Music? Please read and agree to this first radio2XS plays as much good New Music as we can find, mixed with our own Live Sessions and what we reckon are the 'Credible' records of the past 60 years. We're not a 'Rock' station; more a 'Rock & Roll' station. So, you will hear Classic Rock, Indie/Alternative guitar stuff, but you'll also hear Leftfield dance, Beats, Ambient, Electronica and more. And we always like to hear your suggestions and comments. This is how radio2XS all began...
In 2002, UK radio had virtually abandoned all non-chart and unsigned music with few stations committing any significant hours to such programming, so we launched radio2XS. It now became a full-time radio station and is the only onLine-only station to record its own live sessions (the Barn Sessions). Since June 2007, the station has been fully operated from Sheffield, England. If you are good enough to get played, the great news is that you don't get confined to a niche show - your track gets aired throughout our programming right alongside the big names. The team behind radio2XS has been involved in promoting New Music and non-mainstream albums for many years. Jeff Cooper was one of the original line-up when Manchester's Piccadilly Radio launched in 1974 and presented an album-rock show called 'Rokzac'. He is arguably the longest-running continuous broadcaster of New Music on UK radio. Later, when Nottingham's Radio Trent went on the air in 1975, the station committed itself to a nightly free-form programme of New Music and album tracks. In those 'pre-genre' days, everything was played: from rock to jazz, folk and country, with guests as varied as Ian Gillan, Mike Oldfield and The Chieftains. Guy Morris was also on the team as was John Peters. In 1978, Cooper moved to Glasgow and took over Radio Clyde's 'Midnight Rock', becoming the first commercial radio DJ to broadcast a then unknown Sheffield band called Heaven 17.	A similar accolade came a little later when his BBC Radio Manchester '*Fast Forward' show was the first local radio outlet for New Order. After a two-year run as 'Q-Rock' on Rock FM, Cooper renamed his show 'XS' when he moved to Sheffield's Hallam FM* in 1996, where the show was nominated for a Sony Radio Award. Mark Meadowcroft joined the team here and is still with us today. It became '*2XS' when it was broadcast on Silk FM* and later Peak 107. Grateful thanks to these folks for their encouragement over the years... Colin Walters, Piccadilly Radio Bob Snyder, Radio Trent Jimmy Gordon & John McCalman, Radio Clyde Tony Inchley, BBC Radio Manchester & BBC Radio WM Roger Wilkes, Radio City Dave Lincoln & Mark Matthews, Rock FM Dave Shearer, Hallam FM Guy Morris, 106.9 Silk FM Mark Burrows & Wayne Chadwick, Peak 107 Paul Robey, GMG Radio