Stations Riding A Wave Of Popularity
Author: Emily O'Keefe | Source: The Inner Western Suburbs Courier | Date: 30-09-04
Peter Hines from 2RDJ Photo: Andrew Lee
In the mid-1980s Burwood Community Radio Station 2RDJ out rated Triple M's afternoon show by becoming the first radio station to broadcast dance music.
Around the same time Radio Skid Row, now based in Marrickville, became the official radio station of Long Bay Jail.
Requests and shout outs were taken from the otherwise isolated inmates. Breaking convention and giving a voice to minority groups is what community radio is all about.
For these reasons community radio, often run on a shoe-string budget, has never been considered to have much clout in the commercial world. But the results of a nationwide survey, released earlier this month, have now proved exactly what those in the industry have long suspected - that community radio is incredibly popular, with over 7 million regular listeners.
The results of the survey, by McNair Ingenuity Research, were in many ways not surprising, talks producer of community station 2SER, based at The University of Technology, Sydney, Mark Robinson said. "I think that for a long time the people who worked in community radio had long suspected the audience was much bigger than people gave us credit for," Mr Robinson said.
"When the commercial radio ratings come out every three months there's always a huge chunk of about 10 per cent left unaccounted for. I've always thought a good portion of that could be going to community radio." Next month will mark the silver anniversary of 2SER, which started in 1979, one year before commercial radio converted to FM.
Over the years it has provided the teething ground for future media stars including Julie McCrossin, Robbie Buck, Helen Razor, Eleanor Hall, Fenella Kernebone and Jonathan Harley. Its mix of specialist music, innovative current affairs, educational programs and special language broadcasts continues to offer listeners a genuine alternative to mainstream radio.
Likewise Radio Skid Row is targeted at young specialist audiences.
It regularly plays music and broadcasts news from countries like the Pacific Islands, Africa, Sierra Leone and Portugal. "I'm not surprised to hear that stations like ours are so popular because of the broad network and audience we have," station manager Seini Taumoepeau said. "We broadcast to and about minority groups that are otherwise starved of media space."
2RDJ treasurer John Elwell said he was hoping the survey results would encourage sponsors and advertisers to embrace community radio. "At the moment we're really struggling. It's hard to convince anyone to take you seriously when you don't have proof of just how large your audience is," Mr Elwell said.
As an indication of the kind of financial situation they were in, 2RDJ presenters were not only volunteers, they paid $5 per hour for having the privilege of broadcasting their programs on air, Mr Elwell said.
Looking ahead, 2SER has a huge challenge. Twenty-five years ago it was one of two community stations and there were no mainstream FM stations. Today there are 22 community stations and six commercial FM stations. Program manager Ian Coombe says 2SER was constantly reinventing itself to stay relevant to community needs.
"A few years ago we made a conscious departure from an activist, underground base because we found we were preaching to the converted," he said. "Our talk programs have become more challenging and considered. Not more conservative but less polemic, less soap box than they were in the early years."