Sydney Writers on Digital Radio

A digital radio channel for the Sydney Writers Festival will be the next special event broadcast offered on digital radio by the ABC. The broadcast, from 20 – 23 May, will take the event to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, and will also be heard in Sydney.

During the Festival, the broadcast will comprise Festival sessions, highlights, interviews and behind-the-scenes glimpses of what’s happening in around Sydney for the Festival.
 
702 ABC Sydney (Conversations with Richard Fidler) and ABC Radio National (The Book Show with Ramona Koval) will also present live broadcasts from the Sydney Writers’ Festival that will be available on analogue and digital radio.
 
ABC Director Radio Kate Dundas says: “ABC Sydney Writers is our most ambitious project using the digital extra channel and it will be a treat for Australian lovers of books and writing. Our small production team, on-site at the Sydney Wharf precinct over the four biggest days of the event, will create radio that captures the excitement and wealth of diverse conversation that the Festival encourages.”

While the ABC is reluctant to commit more money to digital radio infrastructure at this time (see other story), it has been very active in popping up event channels. ABC special event digital radio has already revisited the historic Apollo 11 moon landing mission and has taken listeners on a musical trip back to Woodstock. It also broadcast the 2009 Melbourne International Arts Festival; marked the 10th Anniversary of East Timor’s independence referendum; celebrated Australian music month by highlighting triple j’s Unearthed artists;  gave listeners the perfect Christmas holiday soundtrack with Classic Season; commemorated the Beatles and celebrated new music at the ISCM World New Music Days Festival.

ABC Sydney Writers is another example of the unique content and specialised programming that can be offered by the ABC through digital radio. Audiences with a digital radio should retune to find ABCSydneyWriters on their radio’s screen.  ABC Sydney Writers is also available as an audio stream at abc.net.au/sydneywriters