JOY Media celebrates 30 years of uplifting LGBTQIA+ communities

Celebrations are in order at JOY Media.

Today marks 30 years since the commencement of the Australian LGBTQIA+ community media organisation.

Over the coming months, JOY will feature a series of on-air commemorations, archival interviews and historical moments to reflect on and celebrate JOY’s three decades on air and online.

“Our aim is to inspire our audience to remember, to laugh, to celebrate and see a future for a strong independent media presence for the LGBTQIA+ community,” says JOY Media CEO Ange Barry.

“Community media enables the sharing of stories, fuelled by lived experience, that engage, uplift and most importantly acknowledge the identities of our beautiful Rainbow community.”

JOY Media President David ‘Macca’ McCarthy says “We have arranged a series of on-air interviews, featuring our pioneers, reflecting our growing audience of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

“Technology has changed significantly from the sticky-tape and Blu-Tack days from our first studio in South Melbourne, then Bourke St, Melbourne and now, the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda.”

JOY was founded in 1993 in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Three decades on, JOY creates and reflects the stories of its community, featuring LGBTQIA+ music and artists, news bulletins and digital content.

In that time, not only has JOY 94.9 remained a dedicated community radio station, but as a media organisation JOY Media has evolved to deliver workplace diversity and inclusion training, radio and podcasting training courses, and provide tech services for community events.

Today the station will celebrate its 30 year anniversary, commemorate World AIDS Day and to enjoy the stories of the many of the people who have contributed to the legacy of JOY.