Case study
Vibe FM
Vibe FM is a Maltese radio station operated by Capital Communications Ltd, broadcasting across Malta and Gozo on FM, DAB+, online and smart speakers. M7Alpha designed and built the Vibe FM website, built a custom internal system for the station, and hosts and maintains the site.
The project
Vibe FM is a Maltese radio station, operated by Capital Communications Ltd, that listeners can tune into across Malta and Gozo on FM, DAB+ digital radio, online and on smart speakers. M7Alpha designed and built the Vibe FM website, built a custom internal system for the station, and hosts and maintains the site. This case study looks at how a website keeps pace with a station whose content changes by the hour.
What makes a radio station website hard to get right?
Its content never stands still: the show on air, the chart, the competitions and the events all change constantly, and the website has to keep up.
Most business websites change a few times a year. A station like Vibe FM has a daily line-up of shows, a weekly chart, competitions with their own terms, news stories and an events calendar, all on top of the live stream. The site needed a structure that could hold all of that without feeling cluttered, while still letting people do the one thing most of them came for: listen.
How does the site put the live stream first?
A play button for the live stream sits at the top of the site, beside the station name and its line “It’s Everywhere!”, so listening is always one tap away.
Directly below, the homepage shows The Vibe Lineup: the shows coming up next, with their presenters and times. A visitor can see what is on now, what is on later and start listening without opening another page. Further down, podcasts and a “What’s Hot?” feed of news stories give people a reason to stay after pressing play.
How is so much content kept easy to find?
We gave each type of content its own home, reached from a short menu of plain labels.
| Section | What listeners find there |
|---|---|
| Chart | The Chart Show countdown, with a play button for each track |
| Schedule | The weekly programme, day by day, with show times |
| Win | Current competitions and their terms and conditions |
| Read | News and stories from around Malta |
| Events | Featured events in Malta, with dates and details |
| Show pages | The Morning Vibe, Ten To Twelve with Jan & Kya, The Drive Vibe, The Weekend Morning Vibe and The Chart Show |
Loud & Local and the Hot 100 sit in the same menu, so every recurring feature of the station has a permanent address that listeners, and search engines, can return to.
Why build a custom internal system alongside the website?
Because a busy station needs tools that fit the way its team works, rather than bending its routine around generic software.
Alongside the public website, M7Alpha built a custom internal system for Vibe FM. Its details are the station’s own, so we do not describe them here, but the principle applies to any media business that publishes a lot of fast-changing content: when the tools behind the scenes match the workflow, the public site is easier to keep current. Our article on custom software vs off-the-shelf explains how to decide when a custom build is worth it. Because M7Alpha also hosts and maintains the site, the website and the system are looked after by the same team.
How does the website serve advertisers and the station itself?
The footer and secondary pages handle the business side of the station: advertising, recruitment and contact.
Advertise With Us and Work With Us pages sit beside About Us and Contact Us, and the contact page separates the office line, the studio and competitions line and a general enquiries email, so callers reach the right person. The Win section keeps competition terms public and easy to find, which matters when prizes and personal data are involved.
What can other media brands take from this project?
That a media website should be organised around recurring content, with the live product always in reach.
- Keep the live stream one tap away on every page.
- Give each recurring feature, such as the chart, schedule and competitions, its own section.
- Show what is on now and next on the homepage.
- Publish competition terms openly.
- Make it easy for advertisers and job seekers to find the right page.
How M7Alpha helps radio stations and media companies
M7Alpha designs and builds websites and custom systems for media and entertainment brands in Malta with a fully in-house team. If your station or publication needs a site that keeps up with its content, see our internal systems service or talk to us about your project.
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the Vibe FM website?
M7Alpha Creative Studios, a web design, development and branding agency in Żurrieq, Malta, designed and built the Vibe FM website. M7Alpha also built a custom internal system for the station and hosts and maintains the site.
How can I listen to Vibe FM?
Vibe FM broadcasts across Malta and Gozo on FM and DAB+ digital radio. Listeners can also tune in online through the station’s website and on smart speakers.
What should a radio station website include?
A live stream that is easy to start from any page, the schedule and show pages, the chart, competitions with their terms, news and events, and clear contact details for listeners and advertisers. Each recurring feature works best with its own section.
When does a media company need a custom internal system?
When its team publishes a lot of fast-changing content and generic tools force awkward workarounds. A system built around the team’s own workflow can make it quicker to keep the public website current.
