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Personal Radio Consultancy

Radio Consultancy

Straight-talking, hands-on radio consultancy from someone who has founded a station, launched others, and run programming at network level, not just written reports about it.

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35 Years — In radio, start to finish 6 Stations — Founded, launched or turned around 2 Continents — UK and Middle East radio markets
About Darren Shortt

Radio guy. Web geek. 35 years in the industry.

I founded The Mediasite because I got tired of watching good stations get let down by bad infrastructure and worse advice. Before that, I spent decades on the other side of the desk — presenting, programming, launching, and running stations from Oman to the south coast of England.

I was the founder and station manager of Hi FM Oman, part of the launch team that brought BBC World Service into the Omani market, Head of Radio at Oasis FM, and Launch Manager at Palm 105.5 in Torquay. More recently I was Programme Manager and a regular presenter at Silk 106.9 in Cheshire, before founding The Mediasite UK in 2018.

That is the difference between me and a lot of radio consultants: I have actually launched stations, hired and trained presenters, built programming schedules that worked, and dealt with the regulatory and technical headaches that come with all of it. Consultancy from me is not theory, it is what I would do if it were my own station.

Darren Shortt, founder of The Mediasite UK, in the studio
What I Offer

Full end-to-end radio consultancy

Whether you are launching a new station, fixing one that has lost its way, or just need a second opinion from someone who has actually done it, this is personal, hands-on consultancy, not a template report.

Station Launch & Strategy

From licence application to on-air day one. I have done this from a standing start more than once, including building Hi FM Oman as founder.

Programming & Music Policy

Format design, music scheduling, and a programming philosophy built on what actually keeps people listening, not theory.

Presenter Recruitment & Coaching

Finding, training, and coaching on-air talent, from first-time presenters to established names, drawing on hands-on experience at BBC World Service level.

Technical & Infrastructure Audits

Streaming, transmission, studio build and cloud playout, reviewed by someone who has specced and run all of it, not just consulted on it.

Licensing & Regulatory Guidance

Ofcom applications, franchise renewals, and the regulatory maze that catches out stations who try to navigate it alone.

Turnaround & Growth Consultancy

Underperforming station? I have taken stations from struggling to thriving before, on-air and on the balance sheet.

Career at a Glance

35 years, six stations, two continents

Founder & Station Manager — Hi FM Oman Built and launched an FM station in the Middle East from the ground up, licensing through to on-air.
Launch Team — BBC World Service, Oman Part of the launch team bringing BBC World Service programming to a new market.
Head of Radio — Oasis FM Ran programming and station strategy at network level.
Launch Manager — Palm 105.5, Torquay Led the station from launch through to establishing itself in the local market.
Programme Manager & Presenter — Silk FM / Silk 106.9, Cheshire Programming leadership alongside a regular on-air presenting slot.
Founder & Managing Director — The Mediasite UK Since 2018 — cloud broadcast infrastructure now trusted by hundreds of stations across the UK.

Thinking about a launch, a relaunch, or just need honest advice?

Get in touch and let's talk about your station, no obligation, no jargon.

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