Fresh FM

The challenge

Fresh FM's old site was barely mobile-responsive and its branding hadn't moved on in years. The programme listings worked, but nothing about the output felt like a modern media organisation. With over 80 shows on air and growing engagement across listeners, funders and community groups, the station needed a site that could hold up to the work behind it.

The approach

Working alongside the brand team at Black Dog Collective, we shaped the UX, planned the content structure and categories, and built a site that puts the station's programmes front and centre.

The key technical piece was a custom integration with Firecrest media, the platform Fresh FM uses to manage their community radio operations. Done right, that integration meant programme data, show art, presenter info and audio could flow into the website automatically, with no double-handling for the team.

What we built

The Firecrest API pulls 80+ shows into the site with their audio, art and metadata intact. Each programme gets its own styled media player. The homepage hero constructs itself dynamically from show art, so the visual feel of the site shifts with whatever the station is broadcasting.

A searchable programme directory lets listeners filter by category, language and title to find what they're after.

We also set up and integrated Raisely, so the station can run donation drives and member campaigns from the same site, the way a community radio station should be able to.

The outcome

The site launched in 2025, and the numbers since are quietly strong. Comparing the most recent three months against the three before:

• Unique visitors up 20%

• Total visits up 21%

• Pageviews up 22%

• Time on site up 8%

We're still hosting and developing the site as Fresh FM grows.

Acknowledgements: Brand design by Black Dog Collective, the amazing mahi of Ceara from FreshFM throughout the process.