No Signal Radio exploded in the Spring 2020 lockdown when, in the absence of live music events, the station brought the party to Black Britain’s bedrooms. The brainchild of brothers Jojo and David Sonubi, the radio platform’s popularity blew up through its #NS10v10  gameshow, which saw contestants select 10 songs from a favoured artist or genre to compete against each other for the audience’s approval.

After internet-breaking shows including Vybz Kartel vs Wizkid and J Hus vs Kojo Funds, the 10v10 format has since been retired, with the radio station focusing on expanding its carousel of sounds so that audiences can discover fresh sounds from Ghana, New Guinea, and more.

Speaking to Dazed this year, Jojo Sonubi says, “Say No Signal is a transport network – everyone gets on at different places. Some people listen to #MorningsWithRBC, 10am to 12 – they start their day and that’s it. Some people at the office leave it on all day. Some people listen to soul music in the night-time. Some people listen to the 90s and 00s classics at 5pm. There are so many places you can get on and get off.”

Their vision has expanded beyond the radio station, too, with the launch of the NS Academy, a training scheme for young Black people to develop technical skills for careers in broadcasting and audio production, headed up by Black Ticket Project founder Tobi Kyeremateng.

Text Jason Okundaye