Radio City - the 30 year history of 3RRR
Author: CBOnline | Source: CBOnline | Date: 27-11-06
Radio City describes the 30 year history of one of Melbournes cultural institutions, community radio station 3RRR-FM. An un-authorised, well-written, well-rounded account of not just the growth of a station, but also the growth of community radio in Melbourne, the trends that influenced the community radio movement and the people who made it happen.
Inspired by his long-running passion for Triple R, author Mark Phillips spent two years piecing together the previously untold story of how the station came about and developed its unique ethos and ground-breaking style. His story starts from the very beginning, when the station was known as 3RMT and broadcast out of a basement studio at Melbourne's RMIT.
Phillips' journalistic style provides a strong backbone for the stories of those that were involved throughout the years. Volunteers, station managers, presenters and musicians all came together to contribute to the creation of this book, either by granting interviews or providing photos and posters.
Six chapters detail the years from 1976 to 2006, which saw the station bloom into the successful, stable entity that it is today. But it wasn't always so. As many community radio stations experience, there have been times when it looked more like it was going to sink rather than swim. Stories of financial dramas, licensing issues and presenter 'professionalism' all threatened the stations existence. Some of these tales are entertaining, many tragic, yet all form part of a rich and varied history of personalities, programs and passion.
Radio City if officially released on December 1, 2006 through The Vulgar Press however copies are available now from 3RRR.