MELBOURNE — Australia's first and only Melbourne-wide community broadcaster celebrates 20 years of broadcasting this year. Station manager Bruce Francis says, "From an idea of a small group of activists in 1974 to Australia's premier community broadcaster, it has been a great achievement".
3CR was established to give a voice to progressive organisations and ideas that did not get a fair go in the media. Each week hundreds of community groups put their views on 3CR. Women, Kooris, non-English speaking communities, social justice groups, trade unions, lesbian and gay groups, community arts, music and recreation groups all have a voice.
3CR is the only station with a policy of 55% Australian music. "The emphasis at 3CR is on live and Australian music of every sort", says program coordinator Jay Estorninho. "We have music shows from new releases to nostalgia, reggae to brass bands, world music to blues, jazz to rock and roll."
To celebrate, 3CR has released a 20th anniversary CD featuring excerpts from broadcasts over its history. Highlights start with the first test broadcast and culminate with the launch of 3CR's new transmitter site this year. The CD features 3CR's award-winning coverage of peace rallies, live reports from the Franklin River protests in the mid-'80s, the flat feet re-enactment, international reports from El Salvador, South Africa and Rio de Janeiro, as well as music and much more.
3CR's listenership expanded with the opening of its new transmitter site in March. This brought to fruition the biggest project ever undertaken by a community broadcaster. Now all of Melbourne can tune in to 3CR.
An estimated 30,000 listeners tune in each week, representing the second largest audience of any community broadcaster in Australia.
3CR is Melbourne's only independent radio station, owned and controlled by the community. 3CR is ad-free, sponsorship-free and free from government control.
This week, 3CR launched its radiothon to raise $110,000 in donations from listeners. The radiothon runs until June 23, and is the most significant generator of income for the station. To give your support to 3CR, simply phone (03) 9417 8377 to donate or post donations to PO Box 1277, Collingwood Vic 3066. Donations of $2 and over are tax deductible.