AFTRS is ‘Right Here, Right Now’ with a pop-up broadcast

For the third time this year, AFTRS Graduate Diploma of Radio and Podcasting students are taking to the airwaves with a pop-up broadcast.

From today, 2 September through until Friday 14 September, AFTRS FM will tackle the issues that impact students – like cost-of-living, social media, pop culture, and more.

Following the 30th year of Show Radio in April, and regional broadcast 2NRS in June, AFTRS FM will see students produce and package a daily 30-minute factual talk broadcast, with support from guest air checkers, mentors and coaches from across the industry including Greg Byrnes from 9 Entertainment, Fiona Ellis Jones and Naomi Lynch from ARN and Rob Mailer and Jodie Gunders from the ABC.

AFTRS FM will stream live on iHeart weekdays from 3pm, and appear as an on-demand podcast, with ‘best ofs’ airing Saturday 7 and 15 September from 7am to 7:30am.

Students will also publish stories online and across social media channels.

AFTRS Discipline Lead, Radio and Podcasting Andrea Ho says “So much great audio comes from generating ideas and landing talent, and working to deadline. AFTRS FM sets the students a real workout with all of these skills, while they give voice to issues that matter to them and the broader audience.”

Head of Content at Nine Radio and AFTRS alum Greg Byrnes will support the students with airchecks.

Byrnes says, “All broadcasters feed off adrenaline when the mic goes live. There’s nothing like it and when AFTRS FM launches this week students will be experiencing that buzz, some for the first time. It’s a wonderful opportunity which allows them to put all that theory into real time deadlines. News content is a key programming ingredient and I’m looking forward to working with the class of 2024 on their writing and presentation during this year’s broadcast.

Graduate Diploma of Radio & Podcasting student Ella Carter says listeners can look forward to a cutting-edge daily talk program, podcast, and online news platform that blends news and current affairs with diverse perspectives, fostering a strong sense of community.

“As our third collaborative broadcast of the year, AFTRS FM will showcase the skills we’ve honed through previous coursework. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be crafting audio packages, writing for social media, working as a team, and operating the studio panel at AFTRS. It’s going to be a hectic yet rewarding experience!”

Tune into AFTRS FM here.