| Type | Radio network |
|---|---|
| Country | Slovakia |
| Availability | Slovakia |
| Owner | Slovenský rozhlas |
| Key people | Dr. Dušan Vančo (Director) |
Radio_FM, the fourth channel of the Slovak Radio, is an alternative music radio, established in November 2004. The specific feature of Radio_FM is its focus on young listeners who avoid consumer musical production and are interested in marginal alternative music genres such as indie, alternative rock, urban and hip-hop, worldmusic, drum'n'bass and so on. The radio also broadcasts radio coverage from festivals, live 'unplugged' performances and concerts. Radio_FM began with the tradition of awarding Radio_Head Awards. Its listeners chose the best Slovak album, Single of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Best live act of the Year and another prize is awarded also by professional music critics made up of Radio_FM and partner media editors. Through its broadcasting it tries to discover, highlight and promote music by artists who do not receive air time on the commercial broadcasters. Radio_FM is one of the pioneers in podcasting technology and mobile phone applications on the Slovak media market and also makes strong use of the potential of social network communities such as Facebook or Twitter.