Triple J will be 30 years old in January 2005 and the station is planning to turn back the clock during that month with archival broadcasts of some of the best of Double J and Triple J.
When Double J was launched all those years ago by the ABC, on the AM band at 1540, it was viewed as the ‘enfant terrible’ of broadcasting and upset the establishment and the older listening public. It was only the rebellious kids who loved it. Later it moved to FM and spread to become a national network.
In recent years the station has felt the pressure of competition in capital city markets and has been striving to reinvent itself, while in regional markets it is still highly valued by young listeners.
During January triple j will broadcast, across all programs, 30
Years in 30 Days, a special series of
features and segments. These will
reflect the events that have shaped
the network, music and Australian
youth culture over the last three
decades. They will also look to the
future.
Each day, an extended
feature will be included in the
network’s current affairs program,
Hack.
The ‘Inside the ABC’ newsletter reports that some of the treats in
store include Lou Reed playing records from his private collection
in 1978; a sleep-deprived Jeff
Buckley making funny voices;
Nirvana struggling to cope with
being real rock stars; and Jet before
they landed those six ARIAs or the
David Beckham commercial.
triple j’s significance will be
highlighted with mini
documentaries looking at its stand
against music censorship, its
influence on the live music scene,
its role in fostering Australian music
and the part it has played in
Australian youth culture since it
opened as 2JJ in Sydney in 1975.
In 1981 the station moved to the FM
band as 2JJJ then by 1990 had
expanded to the triple j network,
available in capital cities and
Newcastle.
By 1996 triple j could be
heard in 48 regional areas.
30 Years in 30 days
will kick off on 19
January with the
best of
the
musicians
who have been
Unearthed by
triple j in the last
few years paying
musical
homage to
those who went
before them.