Vers Libre - Radio reborn

People are passionate about radio. It’s an intimate listening experience made up of diverse and compelling content. It's personal.

Here in Norway, some of the country's largest commercial media organisations have made the transition away from FM broadcasting. We're listening to a landscape of radio transformed, whilst the rest of the world waits with bated breath wondering whether they should follow suit.

In 2017, I began looking at a new model of radio which has become popular in Europe and the US. Independent radio stations which send live content as per traditional radio but also make shows available on demand. These stations operate on very low running costs and usually broadcast on the internet. They tend not to have advertising and follow a freeform ethos whereby the hosts and DJs decide the content of their shows. There is no commercial influence or pressure to follow specific standards. It's freedom for the creative and more inclusive for those who wish to host a show.

After having spoken to some of these stations, who were more than happy to share their experiences of running a station, I decided to push ahead and establish a Norwegian based radio platform in Bergen. The aim was to typify 'freeform', to build a community around the station so those involved could feel they could have an influence.

By embracing all genres of music and content we could nurture new talent and creativity in order to inspire and surprise our listeners. Something which commercial radio struggles to do today.

Vers Libre broadcasts online so if you have access to the internet, you can listen. This could mean a worldwide audience, but initially we'll be maintaining a local and national Norwegian focus.

Thankfully, it's impossible to say precisely what listeners might expect to hear but music, interviews, live band sessions, DJ mixes, live broadcasting from local festivals or venues, poetry, audio field recordings and sound art are already strong candidates.

The name Vers Libre comes from a poetry term which means 'free verse' where you abandon too much structure. Freedom

Bergen is also the perfect location, with it's rich music legacy, cultural  heritage and close-knit creative communities. It's a city that's loves to stand up and be counted.

So there you have it. A new internet radio station broadcasting from Bergen, Norway. A hub from which to stimulate a new generation of radio listeners, and excite existing die hard radio romantics.