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 ethnic 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 50th 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
Great to see the continued celebration of 50 years of Community Radio in Australia. From our research, approval was give by the Government for three stations: 2 MBS, 3 MBS and what is now Radio Adelaide in September 1974. In the December, 2 MBS was the first of the licensed FM stations to actually start broadcasting, followed in January by 3 MBS and 5UV. I believe Australia was the first country to have this third level of radio broadcasting and is the market leader.