Deal Radio

What Deal Radio does

Deal Radio is a community internet radio station founded in 2016 in Deal, Kent, UK, by Marc Carey (Mr. C) with co-director Dave Parker. It brands itself as 'Streetside Radio' — a model inspired by Soho Radio that pairs a global online broadcast with a strong local community presence. The core product is a 24/7 streamed radio service presenting volunteer-hosted shows across jazz, soul, rock, punk, electronic, blues, Motown, world music, pop, and community/talk formats, distributed through its own website player, Mixcloud on-demand, TuneIn, and smart speakers, with selected shows syndicated to 50–200+ partner stations across the UK, Europe, North America, Australia, and parts of Asia. In March 2023 the company extended into physical retail with HQ Space at 69A High Street Deal, a combined broadcast studio, record store (vinyl, CDs, band merch), and community hangout co-founded with Evolution Music and Roulette Records; complementary products include the Airplay 40 airplay chart aggregating data from 40+ English-speaking stations.

The business model is a community-radio hybrid. There are no direct listener subscription fees; revenue is generated from sponsorship by roughly nine named local businesses and councils (Wellingtons, Dover District Council, Deal Town Council, Deal Rental Bureau, GHR Network, Walmer Batteries, Aspen Waite, Deal Community Ads, Love Local), small individual donations via a 'Buy Me a Coffee' page, and ancillary retail/event income from HQ Space. The 11–50 headcount figure is dominated by approximately 34 volunteer DJs and presenters, materially suppressing cash operating costs. The customer base is split across three primary segments: local Kent/South East England listeners (community engagement), independent and unsigned artists seeking airplay (Submissions show, music plugging), and international listeners consuming the eclectic programming online — with B2B 'customers' being the small pool of local sponsors rather than listeners. No AI, proprietary models, patents, or external funding are disclosed.

Name

Deal Radio

Legal name

Deal Radio

Website

https://dealradio.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Deal Radio is a community internet radio station based in Deal, Kent, founded 2016, broadcasting 24/7 volunteer-hosted eclectic music programming to a global online audience and serving local Kent listeners, independent artists, and local business sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ), Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Internet radio streaming
• Music radio programming
• Independent artist promotion
• Radio show syndication

Headquarters

HQ city

Deal

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship: Local business and organizational sponsors provide financial support in exchange for branding and promotional mentions on air. Sponsors include restaurants, estate agents, local businesses, and town councils.
2. Donations and Support: Listener donations through 'Buy me a coffee' platform and similar community support mechanisms.
3. Volunteer-Driven Operations: Station operates with volunteer presenters and staff, reducing operational labor costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Deal Radio is a community internet radio station that broadcasts 24/7 with eclectic music and talk programming across genres including jazz, rock, electronic, soul, blues, world music, punk, and Motown, presented by volunteer DJs. The broadcast is distributed globally via the station's website player, TuneIn app, smart speakers, and Mixcloud on-demand, with selected shows syndicated to partner stations across the UK, USA, Europe, Australia, and beyond. The station supplements its audio broadcast with a physical HQ Space in Deal, Kent that operates as a combined broadcast studio, record store, and community gathering venue, plus the Airplay 40 chart tracking radio airplay across 40+ English-speaking stations.

Product overview

Deal Radio is a community internet radio station based in Deal, Kent, operating as a single unified platform offering 24/7 broadcast programming. The core offering consists of live radio shows spanning diverse genres (jazz, rock, electronic, soul, blues, world music, punk, pop, and talk) presented by volunteer DJs and presenters. Content distribution occurs through the website player, TuneIn, and Mixcloud. A complementary physical offering is the HQ Space retail/store at 69A High Street, which combines a broadcast studio, record store, and community gathering space operated in partnership with Evolution Music and Roulette Records. The Airplay 40 chart provides a data-driven supplementary product tracking national radio airplay across global stations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Deal Radio Broadcast 24/7 community internet radio broadcast featuring diverse music and talk programming across jazz, rock, electronic, soul, blues, world music, punk, and Motown, presented by volunteer DJs and accessible globally via the website player, TuneIn app, smart speakers, and Mixcloud on-demand.
• HQ Space Physical venue at 69A High Street Deal combining a broadcast studio, record store selling vinyl, CDs, and band merchandise, and a community hangout space with a broadcast pod for live sessions and community events, operated in partnership with Evolution Music and Roulette Records.
• Airplay 40 Chart Top 40 singles chart compiled from station airplay data on over 40 English-speaking radio stations globally, updated regularly as a data-driven supplementary product tracking national radio airplay.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wellingtons RestaurantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWellingtons Restaurant sponsors Jazz On The Beach and Blues Beach radio shows. The sponsorship helps support jazz and blues programming and includes cross-promotion with Wellingtons' Welly Bean coffee brand.
• Dover District CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor of Deal Radio, providing local government support for community radio broadcasting.
• Deal Town CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor of Deal Radio, providing local municipal support for community radio operations.
• Deal Rental BureauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor of Deal Radio.
• GHR NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Deal Radio with conservation and environmental focus.
• Walmer BatteriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor of Deal Radio.
• Aspen WaiteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness services company sponsor of Deal Radio.
• Deal Community AdsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity advertising platform sponsor supporting Deal Radio.
• Love LocalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal community support initiative sponsor of Deal Radio.
• Evolution MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of HQ Space - the combined broadcast studio, record store, and community space. Partner in physical station location at 69A High Street Deal.
• Roulette RecordscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of HQ Space and partner in the new venue/store location. Associated with label services and artist promotion.
• The Astor TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal arts organization that partnered with Deal Radio during initial station establishment for community programming.
• Smugglers RecordsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal record store and music retailer partnered with Deal Radio during initial community engagement phase.
• Creative Writing GroupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community creative group partnered with Deal Radio for programming and community engagement.
• Soho RadiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDan Gray's Soho Radio inspired the Streetside Radio concept. The model was adapted for Deal based on Soho Radio's community radio approach.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KEXP: Seattle-based non-commercial community radio station with global streaming reach and deep roots in independent/alternative music. Comparable as an established community radio with worldwide digital audience and indie-music mission.
• BBC Radio 6 Music: UK public-service radio station dedicated to alternative, indie, and eclectic music. Comparable in eclectic, alternative-music programming ethos but vastly larger and publicly funded.

Direct peers

• Rinse FM: UK-based community and underground music radio station operating across internet, FM, and DAB with strong independent artist focus. Comparable as a grassroots-music community broadcaster mixing local roots with global streaming.
• Foundation FM: London community internet radio station following a similar 'streetside/community + global digital' template with volunteer presenters and eclectic indie programming.
• Reprezent Radio: London-based community radio station focused on underground and youth-led music with global streaming reach. Comparable in volunteer-driven operations, independent-artist focus, and eclectic programming ethos.
• Amazing Radio: UK-based radio station dedicated to new and unsigned music discovery, distributed via internet, DAB, and FM. Highly comparable in mission (grassroots artist promotion) and community-led ethos.
• NTS Radio: Global internet radio platform with community-driven, eclectic programming across multiple studios. Comparable in genre diversity, volunteer/DJ-led model, and global digital distribution with local physical touchpoints.
• Soho Radio: London-based community/streetside internet radio station that directly inspired Deal Radio's model. Operates a similar hybrid physical-studio-plus-global-internet-streaming concept with volunteer presenters and eclectic programming.

Emerging players

• Netil Radio: East London community internet radio station with eclectic underground programming and volunteer-led ethos. Comparable in scale, volunteer model, and community-plus-digital positioning to Deal Radio.

Regional players

• BRIC Radio: Brooklyn-based community radio station with eclectic local programming and global streaming. Comparable in mission and volunteer-driven community model but operating in a different geography (US vs UK).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DealRadio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClrySO_CT9AAAGNcXEGIyiA
• Facebookfacebook.com/dealradiostation
• Instagraminstagram.com/dealradio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Deal Radio