It is poignant that in the lead up to a celebration this weekend to mark fifty years of Double J that Arnold Frolows, so important to the set up and sound of the station, died on Sunday January 12 after only being diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer a month ago.
Marius Webb, also involved in Double J’s set up, told Radioinfo in 2005 ahead of its 30th anniversary that that Arnold was a flower delivery person when he came in for his interview with the brand new youth radio station:
“He was able to come in because he could park his van in St Peter’s Lane behind my office in William St. and take a break from delivering flowers. So the guy who perhaps more than anyone shaped the musical sound of the Jay station and who only retired as music director last year, probably fluked the job a bit like I did.
Getting Arnold and Margot (Margot Edwards) on the team as quickly as we did was one of the key factors in building the station’s early success as a proper ‘music’ station which was what Ron (Ron Moss) and I had persuaded ABC management it had to be. Within a week or so we were busy siphoning whatever we could from the ABC’s collection and re-cataloguing them for our own.
Another stroke of good fortune was that the ABC had overseas offices, and naturally London and New York were the biggest of these. ABC staff had been sending back packages of records for ABC producers, often chosen eclectically from whatever was being produced, and often on the off chance that they may be used at some time in some future program. So right from the start we were presented with a little pot of gold that would help characterise our unique musical sound.”
Stuart Matchett, also a long time colleague of Arnold’s, told the ABC:
“Arnold joined Double J before it went to air, indeed, he was one of the first of its very first employees.
He acquired much of the vinyl that made up the original music library. He programmed the music for many of the shows on Double J.”
Dan Condon, Double J’s music editor also paid tribute to Arnold on LinkedIn:
I’m sure this Sunday as this incredibly important station turns 50, a glass or two will be raised by Double J and triple j staff past and present in Arnold’s honour.
You can read the full Radioinfo interview with Marius before the 30th anniversary here: https://radioinfo.com.au/news/sad-old-men-grey-cardigans-couldnt-stop-double-jay-marius-webb-exclusive/
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo.