I Hear Dead People - the latest new radio format

By James Cridland for media.info
Posted 16 March 2016, 8.52am edt

TV and radio presenter Steve Penk has launched his third new radio station: a brand new format that just features... dead people.

It launched today on TuneIn: a "joyous" radio station, says Penk, that honours and showcases a unique collection of artists. As the station says: "They may be gone, but their music lives on".

You can listen to Radio Dead on media.info's directory page.

The playlist will be continually updated and currently includes David Bowie, George Martin, Glenn Frey, Paul Kantner's Jefferson Airplane, and Maurice White's Earth Wind and Fire, to name just a few from 2016.

The station does not have live presenters.

Press release

For the first time ever a 24hr radio station has launched in the UK playing.........ONLY dead people.

The radio station available from today via live streaming on @Tunein radio is the first radio station of this type/format in the world and is the brainchild of Steve Penk.

Penk says 'perception and reality are often 2 completely different things'

Immediate perception of this radio station before listening might be that it's in bad taste, but the reality is a joyous radio station celebrating the music of so many brilliant artists who are sadly no longer with us.

They may be gone, but their music lives on.

Every artist you hear on Radio Dead.......is Dead.

You will hear artists on Radio Dead and perhaps not realise they're actually dead, that alone makes it a fascinating and interesting listen.

I want listeners to enjoy and remember the incredible music these artists have left behind, it's a great positive listen.

Radio Dead brings together a unique collection of amazing artists, and we're not just featuring solo artists or the lead singer of a famous band, Radio Dead will honour the unsung heroes of so many bands (guitar players, drummers, keyboard players, backing singers) who are no longer with us.

Radio Dead is a celebration of great music featuring artists from David Bowie to Frank Sinatra.

No music snobbery on this radio station, the variety of music and artists is truly amazing.

If you love music, you will love Radio Dead.

Penky says 'The idea came to me at the start of this year when in January we lost so many wonderful recording artists. As is the case when a major music star dies, music radio stations will have a quick burst of activity for a few days, playing a few of their songs, quickly followed by nothing, as they return to playing Justin Bieber every 10 minutes.

I saw a gap in the radio market for a radio station of this type, a radio station that plays, honours and celebrates music stars who have left behind a wealth of great music, but in certain cases get very little or worse, zero radio AirPlay.

When I sat down to put the radio station together I was amazed at the list I was slowly building of dead music stars, and so many of them never get played on the radio anymore, how sad, what a tragedy.

I toyed with the idea of calling the radio station by a different name, but then thought, why?

I could have called it something sugary and predictable, but then thought Radio Dead is a great name, it cuts through, it is what it is.

Some people find the very mention of the word dead or the subject of death a no go zone, especially on radio where most of the time it's like listening to Disneyland employees, everything is smiley wonderful and the thought of ever saying or doing anything slightly controversial is a definite no go zone.

Death is an eventuality, it will happen to us all.

Radio Dead is what it says on the tin, a radio station that only plays dead people, nothing wrong with that in my opinion, it's just that nobody has ever done it before.

There is nothing negative or depressing about Radio Dead, it's a positive, joyous celebration of amazing artists who've all left behind wonderful music, let's not forget the great music they gave us.

Listen and judge for yourself.

I have loved music all my life, I hope others feel the same and will enjoy the daily tribute to all these Music stars on Radio Dead.

Radio Dead......they may be gone, but their music lives on.