50 years of local connection: Reflecting on the birth of community radio in Australia

“It was marvellous. There were all these people coming out of the woodwork. People who wanted a Blues program. People who wanted ethic access in a big way. Lots of language groups. And they really just flew with it.”

Keith Conlon – founding manager of Australia’s very first community radio station – is reflecting on the origins of the sector.

Conlon’s chat on ABC Radio’s National Drive program comes amid industry celebrations, marking the 50^th anniversary of community radio broadcasting in Australia.

Conlon was the first full-time staffer at 5UV, now known as Radio Adelaide.

“We were an educational station at the University of Adelaide.”

He says community radio was born out of a need to serve the community in a different way to what the commercial networks and the ABC were offering at that time.

“There were people of very different ideas who were coming from different places – both geographically and in terms of what they wanted to do.”

“For instance, over in Perth, it was a university station that they perhaps wanted. Up in Brisbane, there was a university student union that wanted to play heavy rock music.”

It was the Whitlam government that made critical changes to allow a third sector of radio broadcasting in Australia.

A major legislative overhaul was required, and that’s what the government of the day delivered, says Conlon.

“The Whitlam government had a bit of a reputation for being fast and furious at times.”

“The government signed off on a whole new sector.”

Conlon says they were exciting times indeed.

“We went from a little 20 hour a week station to 120 hours, in a couple of years.”

To mark the 50th anniversary of community broadcasting in Australia, Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland MP sent a congratulatory message for community broadcasters, their staff, volunteers and the communities they serve.

*Main photo: Radio Adelaide’s Open Day in 1974 from the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia Facebook page