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For me it all started when I went in to pay a membership to a community station on the Gold Coast... they said "you have a nice voice", I said, "um... ok". They said, "Come volunteer with us", I said "Ok"... and two years later I was working full time in commercial radio. Is it what I expected. Yes and No. I must admit that I never actually planned to be in radio. It happened almost by accident. Wouldn't change a thing though.
When I was 14.....was a big fan of Brisbane's Radio 10. It amazed me these guys got paid to play music and speak on the radio. I grew up around builders and hated doing that work so I thought radio would be the ideal job since I loved music so much. It's all I've ever wanted to do since and after 20 years, I'm still going.
It was the first time I prank-called Bob Francis. It wasn't so much his reaction or the victory dance that followed but the actual moment of talking on the air when I let go of the rough guide to the joke call and the punch line I had made. It was a feeling of "being in the moment" and knowing there was no safety net ... I wanted more!
I was in High School. My best mate was studying music at the time and he had just gotten back from a school excursion at the local community radio station. After he described to me what the place was like, we both signed up to the station and scored the Thursday arvo drive shift. We continued for a few years after we graduated, and did the odd shift change. I continued on while juggling a retail job I hated. It was while I watched my fellow work collegues who quit work to move into their dream job, that's when it clicked that I wanted to get into radio. I was doing community radio for so long, I wanted to make it my profession. A 'paid hobby' is the best way I can describe it.
i used to listen tio MAd Mel and Mike Walsh on 2sm in the heydey of the beatles. Not esay as i was in Hobart and they were in Sydney. so i had to strap my POye Portaable transistor to a metal duct which ran across the ceiliung the of my bedroom to act as an aerial, and lie awke everry night till midnight listeneing. sO I blame Mad Mel, and then Gary Meadows, who was a friend of my mothers and Worked at 7HO who asked her if I was interested in being a panel op. I worked there for six months after school and at weekends until i was almost 15 and left school to go full time -- that was in 1964 and i've been in or associated with radio ever since...
Too often these days the local community service is a sad echo of 50's or 60's popular music stations, automated, motivated by a desire to please sponsors and driven by nostalgia ...or a music driven alternative to mainstream music, with no real teeth.
As the ABC moves closer to center stage, refining populist strategies and diluting serious content ..."becoming more relevant", the role of community radio in developing talented journalists and performers, representing serious issues, hardcore creative activity and genuine (not average) community cultural interests becomes a serious imperative.
It should not be marginal or the dumping ground for aspirations that should be shared by all radio ..."an outlet for contemporary Australian music". Inventive content and industrious activity can inspire and offer incentive for increased listening and uncompromising support.
I was there to help kick start 2ARM in 1975 and went on to work at 4ZZZ for nearly a decade. Community radio gave me foundation skills and production opportunities to then work in content production and management at the ABC for 20 years and now as a consultant, trainer and media academic.
Anthony is right ...and I hope he genuinely understands the importance of financially backing the sector, as it strives to develop genuine alternatives and new generations of talented broadcasters.
I've often thought a 'Best Of The Worst' Community Radio presenters CD series would be a hoot. Have heard/still hear some real shockers across the country. All with the best of intentions but often lacking in structure, creativity, voice quality & execution. I'm the first to acknowledge there are some exceptions, as some have gone on to greater heights and YES Community Radio done well DOES have its place as true grass roots, local broadcasting.
A few years back I heard a presenter back announce "Now, that's a lovely tune by Milli AND Vanilli". I nearly drove off the road in laughter. Like I said, if copyright, defamation and generally hurting some peoples feelings wasn't an issue, the CD with a possible title of BAD-FM Volume 1,2,3 etc. would be very humorous.
For the record, aside from my Commercial Radio career, I've also been a Community Radio volunteer since 1980 and am a Life Member of 2 such stations. I still enjoy the 'live & local' feel of being on-air in your own backyard, despite the inherent limitations.
Regards, IAN
Cruise1323 Adelaide.
Hi folks.........I don't usually join in on "discussions" because I'm more a "Music Man" having been in Music Radio and TV for some 54 years.
I still do a Breakfast Session 7 days a week from 5am on a Sunshine Coast Community Radio Station called Sunshine FM 104.9 (Google Graham Webb + Radio)and we mostly offer "Music Memories" from the 40's through to the 00's............BUT..........my old station 2GB is WRONG locking out the Sydney ABC from the Olympics coverage (I hope that doesn't mean ABC Australia wide).
Like Community Radio, the ABC gives a respite from endless Commercials and (especially on the Sunshine Coast) the older listeners are sick of the number of commercials currently aired on Commercial radio especially on "special occasions" like the Olympics. Just as a thought, why don't 2GB allow the ABC to join in and insist they MENTION 2GB.............
Luv' GRAHAM WEBB
P.S...........Happy listening