Pioneer online DJs find success

Nearly a year after the founding of online radio station United DJs, its director and former Radio Luxembourg DJ Tony Prince has reflected on its success.

United DJs, based near Burnham, broadcasts 24 hours a day online and was launched in April.

It plays a range of specialist shows from what Tony calls ‘personality DJs’, who have full control over their own playlists.

Tony, who lives in Bray, started his career on Radio Caroline before becoming the programme controller and DJ known as The Royal Ruler at Radio Luxembourg in the early Seventies.

He also founded the clubbing magazine Mixmag.

He says United DJs is leading the way for the new face of radio and sees FM as an obsolete format.

“We’re not doing FM, we’re trying to pioneer a new form of radio,” he said.

Tony says that, while online listener figures are hard to gauge, the station has about 100,000 people tuning in on a regular basis from around the world.

The station is planning an American breakfast show at 2pm to 4pm in UK time for United DJs’ transatlantic listeners, playing classics from artists such as Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton. 

Tony places part of United DJs’ success on its 30 DJs’ passion for what they do and their individuality.

He said: “We know we’ve got something special here. There’s nothing like it, there’s nothing quite as exciting.

“We don’t have any problems, we’ve never had to pull up anyone on what they say. They’re all doing such a fabulous job.

“They’re all putting their heart into it and they’re all hoping that they might earn money from it eventually,” he added.

“It’s going to take some time,” said Tony, who says online radio streaming could become more mainstream in the future, as American car manufacturers have begun fitting in technology for it in new models.

Visit www.uniteddj.com to listen.