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Australian
Community
Radio
- 1961
- University of NSW licensed to broadcast, under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, postgraduate education courses, with no music, just off the AM band on VL2UV. First non-commercial, non-ABC radio station in Australia.
- 1961
- Community on Norfolk Island licensed to broadcast, under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, on VL2NI.
- 1962
- RMIT Campus station 3ST, run by students and funded by Union & SRC. This station did not need a licence because it was on cable only at the campus.
- 1965
- Radio Disc Jockey (RDJ) was set up, originally to make tapes of music to be played in Old People's Homes, but when one of the group had a brother conscripted to fight in the Vietnam War the group changed its plans and sent taped programmes to cheer up the troops fighting in Vietnam. This group later started Sydney suburban station 2RDJ-FM.
- April 1970
- Radio UNE Campus Radio Armidale, by SRC on a closed circuit. This station did not need a licence because it was on cable only at the campus.
- 1971
- 3DR Radio Draft Resister set up at Melbourne Uni. but ILLEGAL. This station was jammed by the government and removed because it was broadcasting on the air-waves without a licence. (The government also didn't like its programming but that was not the legal reason for getting rid of the station.)
- 1971
- 3PR People's Radio set up at Monash Uni. but ILLEGAL. This station was jammed by the government and removed because it was broadcasting on the air-waves without a licence. (The government also didn't like its programming but that was not the legal reason for getting rid of the station.)
- June, 1972
- University of Adelaide Department of Continuing Education commenced broadcasting (licence originally granted in 1970) under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, continuing education material, restricted to 12 hours per week with no music, just off the AM band on VL5UV. Both Jim Warburton, head of the Department of Continuing Education and Keith Conlon, the manager of VL5UV wanted to expand the station's programming to something more akin to public/community broadcasting, but they were not licensed to do so. Dr Gunn, a South Australian MP even asked in Parliament why the station should not be expanded to be allowed to play music. However, until the approval was given for some of the restrictions to be lifted, it could not really be described as a public/community broadcaster. It did not have community access or ethnic programs.
- October, 1972
- The government accepted the principle of public/community broadcasting in parliament, when it accepted the 'Red Report' prepared by the Australian Broadcasting Control Board. The Broadcasting and Television Act did not cater for this innovation so no stations could be established.
- 1 December, 1973
- The Salvation Army in Coffs Harbour commenced broadcasting, having received approval for a subscription cable radio station (which did not need to comply with the Broadcasting and Television Act), Dynamic Radio CHY, which was licensed to give high school students the experience of producing community programming, both for the benefit of the students as an activity and also to provide a much needed local service for Coffs Harbour, where there had previously been no radio Now we are accepting a 'technology neutral' approach to the sector, it is about time that CHY was acknowledged as the first to produce legal community programming. This service was so popular, since it was the only service in Coffs Harbour, that their sponsorship announcements were fully booked up.
- 23 September, 1974
- Cabinet gave approval for the first experimental FM licences under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, with restrictions, for fine music stations, 2MBS-FM and 3MBS-FM in Sydney and Melbourne. At the same time it gave approval for VL5UV to be moved onto the AM band, renamed 5UV, and given a licence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act with restrictions similar to those of 2MBS-FM and 3MBS-FM, when the licence was renewed in February, 1975.
- 15 December, 1974
- 2MBS-FM started broadcasting as a fine music station, at noon from Alexander St, Crows Nest. It was the first FM public broadcasting station in Australia. 3MBS-FM experienced some technical difficulties and did not commence until July, 1975.
- February, 1975
- VL5UV transferred to the AM band, was renamed 5UV and was allowed to broadcast community programming.
- 3 March, 1975
- The Adelaide Ethnic Broadcasters Incorporated (EBI) was formed
and started broadcasting ethnic programs firstly in Dutch and Italian,
on 5UV, the same month. All previous foreign language broadcasts had been
on commercial stations.
- Although still at an experimental level, with no proper legislation
to issue legitimate public broadcasting licences (which were not to be
issued until 1979, after Minister Tony Staley's famous speech on public
broadcasting guidelines 5 April, 1978) the third sector of broadcasting,
public/community broadcasting, was now launched.
Community
radio on-line talkback
Authored
by Jai Goulding
Updated
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