Worldwide FM

Worldwide FM was launched in September 2016 by Gilles Peterson in partnership with Thris Tian (Thristian Richards) of Boiler Room and WeTransfer as an extension of Peterson's Worldwide brand.{{Cite web|date=2016-09-06|title=GILLES PETERSON'S WORLDWIDE FM LAUNCHES|url=https://djmag.com/news/gilles-peterson%E2%80%99s-worldwide-fm-launches|access-date=2021-03-18|website=DJMag.com}} Test broadcasts took place earlier in 2016.{{Cite web|date=2016-03-31|title=WorldwideFM|url=http://worldwidefm.net:80/|access-date=2021-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331022728/http://worldwidefm.net:80/|archive-date=31 March 2016}} In 2017, Peterson and Worldwide FM were awarded the Jazz FM Award for Digital Initiative of the Year.{{Cite web|title=Jazz FM Awards 2017 winners revealed|url=https://www.prsformusic.com/m-magazine/news/jazz-fm-awards-2017-winners-revealed/|access-date=2021-03-18|website=www.prsformusic.com|language=en}}

Worldwide FM is part of an ecosystem of Peterson-led projects, many under the umbrella of Brownswood Music Ltd.; Worldwide FM is managed by Brownswood's content production company Mistral Productions.{{Cite web|last=Gunther|first=Nick|date=February 5, 2019|title=SIMON GOFFE OF LONDON BASED BROWNSWOOD RECORDINGS – THE UK'S ECLECTIC RESOURCE|url=https://glidemagazine.com/219686/simon-goffe-of-london-based-brownswood-recordings-the-uks-eclectic-resource-interview/|access-date=2021-03-18|website=glidemagazine.com}}{{Cite web|title=Mistral Productions — Who We Are|url=http://www.mistralproductions.com/whoweare2|access-date=2021-03-18|website=Mistral Productions|language=en-GB}} The platform works in collaboration with Peterson's Brownswood Recordings and Future Bubblers initiative with Arts Council England.{{Cite web|title=Brownswood Recordings – Worldwide FM|url=https://worldwidefm.net/series/brownswoodrecordings/|access-date=2021-03-18|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|title=Future Bubblers|url=https://futurebubblers.com/|access-date=2021-03-18|website=Future Bubblers|language=en-GB}} It has also been a digital venue of the Worldwide Awards and worked with the Worldwide Festival.{{Cite web|title=Worldwide Awards 2020 – The Winners – Worldwide FM|url=https://worldwidefm.net/20467-2/|access-date=2021-03-18|language=en-GB}} Worldwide FM is directed by the Brownswood Music team of Peterson, Simon Goffe, and Dan Moss, with co-founder Thristian Richards.{{Cite web|title=About Worldwide FM – Worldwide FM|url=https://worldwidefm.net/about-worldwide-fm/|access-date=2021-03-18|language=en-GB}}

Of note, the platform shares the name of the Peterson-curated in-game radio station in Grand Theft Auto V, which was released in 2013.{{Cite web|last=Andy|title=Worldwide FM {{!}} GTA V Music & Radio Stations {{!}} Grand Theft Auto V|url=https://www.gtabase.com/grand-theft-auto-v/soundtrack-radio-stations/worldwide-fm|access-date=2021-03-18|website=GTA Base|language=en-gb}} The station was updated in 2014, to coincide with the release of the Enhanced Edition of GTA V for the eighth generation of video game consoles.{{Cite web|last=Goble |first=Corban |date=2014-11-14|title=Grand Theft Auto V Reveals Expanded Radio Station Tracklists for Game Relaunch|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/57496-grand-theft-auto-v-reveals-expanded-radio-station-tracklists-for-game-relaunch/|access-date=2022-12-23|website=Pitchfork|language=en-US}} It was updated for a second time in 2021 for Grand Theft Auto Online, and included multiple exclusive tracks including the final MF DOOM track, a collaboration with BADBADNOTGOOD.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-17|title=GTA Online: All New Radio Stations Coming To Los Santos Explained|url=https://screenrant.com/gta-online-new-radio-stations-cayo-perico-heist/|access-date=2021-03-18|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2021-03-04|title=Gilles Peterson: "My Kids Discovered Me Through Grand Theft Auto!"|url=https://www.beatportal.com/features/gilles-peterson-my-kids-discovered-me-through-grand-theft-auto/|access-date=2021-03-18|website=Beatportal|language=en-US}}

As of 2021, the station regularly broadcasts from studios in London (WWFM's headquarters), New York, Mumbai, Seoul, Johannesburg, Brussels, Kyoto, Berlin, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Detroit, Tokyo, and Istanbul, among other cities.

In 2019, the company began a new round of funding through CrowdCube. In 2022, the station announced a pause in normal operations beginning November 2022 due to a need to find new financing options; Peterson remains as the sole host.{{Cite web |last=Monroe |first=Jazz |date=2022-09-12 |title=Gilles Peterson's Worldwide FM to Pause Operations After 6 Years |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/gilles-petersons-worldwide-fm-to-pause-operations-after-6-years/ |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Pritchard |first=Will |date=2022-09-16 |title='It feels harder than ever': independent radio stations under threat from rising bills |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/sep/16/it-feels-harder-than-ever-independent-radio-stations-under-threat-from-rising-bills |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}

After launching in 2016, the station had 130,000 listeners a month.{{Cite web|title=Record of the Day - In tune. Informed. Indispensable|url=https://www.recordoftheday.com/on-the-move/news-press/award-winning-platform-worldwide-fm-approaches-100-increase-in-listening-figures-since-uk-lockdown|access-date=2021-03-18|website=www.recordoftheday.com}} In January 2019, Worldwide FM reported 365,000 monthly listeners, of which 34% are based in the UK, 11% in Japan, 11% in the US, 7% in France and 7% Germany. A year later, this number had grown to over 400,000 listeners. Worldwide FM experienced a sharp rise in listenership during COVID-19 lockdowns, leading to about one million listeners in April 2020.

• 2017: Jazz FM Award for Digital Initiative of the Year
• 2017: ARIA for Best Online Radio Station
• 2020: ARIA for Best Commercial Promotion (nominee){{Cite web|title=2020 ARIAS|url=https://www.radioacademy.org/arias/2020-arias/|access-date=2021-03-22|website=Radio Academy}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://worldwidefm.net/ Official website]
• [https://www.mixcloud.com/worldwidefm/select/ Mixcloud Select channel]

Category:Internet radio in the United Kingdom

Category:Internet radio stations

Category:World music radio stations

Category:Radio stations in London

Category:Brownswood Recordings