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2SER

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2SER
Broadcast areaGreater Sydney Area
Frequency107.3 MHz FM
Programming
FormatCommunity radio
NetworkCommunity Broadcasting Association of Australia; Community Radio Network (Australia)
AffiliationsUniversity of Technology Sydney, Macquarie University
Ownership
OwnerSydney Educational Broadcasting Limited
History
First air date
1 October 1979
Former frequencies
107.5 MHz FM
Technical information
Licensing authority
ACMA
Transmitter coordinates
33°53′03″S 151°12′06″E / 33.8840451°S 151.2015878°E / -33.8840451; 151.2015878
Links
Public licence information
Profile
Websitehttps://2ser.com

2SER is a not-for-profit radio station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, broadcasting on the frequency 107.3 FM. It is operated by Sydney Educational Broadcasting Ltd, and co-funded by two Universities, University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University. It is a member of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. The station has a metro-wide license and broadcasts a mix of programming styles - specialist music, general magazines, specialist talks and podcasts.[1]

Programming

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2SER broadcasts a wide range of music and talk shows. Talk show topics include science, current affairs, health, conservation, publishing, gender and queer culture, music, arts and theatre. Music genres include experimental, country, metal, pop and spatial audio. In 2024 station won a Community Broadcasting Association Australia Award for Excellents in Australian Music,[2] sponsored by APRA AMCOS.

Some programs have been on air for more than 40 years, including Back To Funk,[3] Static[4] and The Phantom Dancer.[5] Gaywaves, Sydney's first an LGBTQIA+ program,[6] aired from November 1979 to 2005.[7] Gaywaves returned to air in 2022 after 17 years.[8]

The station is also one of few media outlets that has a special program for prisoners, Jailbreak.[9]

History

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On 1 October 1979 2SER[10] was opened by the Federal Minister for Education, Senator John Carrick.[11]

In the mid-1990s the station expanded its programming to emphasise underground dance music[specify]. This caused friction within the station but 2SER organised a series of highly lucrative fund raising events called Freaky Loops[12] in association with Sydney promoters such as Cryogenesis, Clan Analogue, Club Kooky and Elefant Traks which sustained the move to a new musical format for several years until 2001.[13]

The station worked on improving its brand across the 2003-2005 period, incorporating a new logo, while the station's online presence and content experience was also redesigned.

In late 2004, the station was faced with a projected budget shortfall of up to $100,000 that financial year. Management addressed the situation by reducing the number of paid staff, putting forward proposals to scale down the use of its studio at Macquarie University and attempting to cater for a slightly older audience. These ideas were met with frustration from some volunteers.[14] Internal activism resulted in a softening of policy and in early 2005, the new program grid was launched. Despite the controversy in its lead-up, it proved to be a simple reshuffle of the existing grid rather than a dramatic overhaul.

From the late 2000s and into the 2010s, 2SER has continued to expand its offerings across broadcast and digital, as well as with podcasting. It has won international awards for its collaborations, including a Silver Radio Prize at the New York Festivals Radio Awards for History Lab (with Impact Studios).[15]

The station celebrated its 40th anniversary in October 2019 with a podcast series,[16] exhibition[17] and book, An Incomplete History of Community Radio: 2SER's 46 Boxes of Stuff.[18] The station's long-term publication, Listening Post,[19] was also digitised in full and placed in the Australian open access archive Trove.[20] The station also regularly runs live events like the acclaimed[21] In Your Hood series supported by the Inner West Council and Live@2SER performance series based on NPR's Tiny Desk.

Today it runs out of University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University.

People

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The station helped launch the broadcasting careers of Julie McCrossin, Robbie Buck, Richard Kingsmill, Helen Razer, Eleanor Hall, Fenella Kernebone, Steve Ahern, Jess Scully, Barbara Morison, Tanya Plibersek, Tracee Hutchison, Tiga Bayles, Stuart Coupe, Lorna Clarkson and Jonathan Harley - all of whom started out on the station as volunteers.[22]

The founding station manager was Keith Jackson.[20] Former station managers include Philip Shine,[23] Kaye Blackman, Melanie Withnall,[24] and Paula Kruger.[25] The current station manager is Cheryl Northey[26] supported by Michael Jones as operations coordinator, Lachlan Holland[27] as music director and Chris Yates as communications and sponsorship.

See also

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  • The Wire, an Australian current affairs program broadcast through the Community Radio Satellite

References

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  1. ^ "Guardian Australia and 2SER launch new podcast Breathless: the death of David Dungay Jr". The Guardian. 13 July 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  2. ^ "2024 CBAA Community Broadcasting Awards Winners". www.cbaa.org.au. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Back To Funk". 2ser.com. Sydney Educational Broadcasting Limited. n.d. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Yes, there is an alternative to Triple J". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia: Nine Entertainment Co. Pty Ltd. 24 July 2002.
  5. ^ "In the swing of things". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia: Nine Entertainment Co. Pty Ltd. 30 April 2007.
  6. ^ NFSA (2023). "Gaywaves community radio". National Film and Sound Archive.
  7. ^ "Gaywaves ceases broadcasting". 19 June 2005. Archived from the original on 19 June 2005. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Gaywaves". 2SER. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Jailhouse rock". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 July 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  10. ^ "2SER | The Dictionary of Sydney". dictionaryofsydney.org. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  11. ^ "The SER Story". 2SER FM 107.3 Official Website. 2SER FM 107.3. 2008. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  12. ^ "(December 1997 - February 1998)". Trove. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  13. ^ "Snarl Heavy Industries | Home of Sub Bass Snarl » Freaky Loops (1996-2001)". Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  14. ^ Jave, Sue (8 December 2004). "Money matters: 2SER relaunch plans". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia: Nine Entertainment Co. Pty Ltd.
  15. ^ "Congratulations to the History Lab Podcast for winning the Silver Radio Prize – The Australian Historical Association". 25 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Forty Years of 2SER clips". omny.fm. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  17. ^ "2SER wants to hear from its former staff and volunteers". Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Community radio history book out now". Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Listening post". Trove. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  20. ^ a b "Long time listener". Trove. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  21. ^ www.parliament.nsw.gov.au https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Hansard/Pages/HansardResult.aspx#/docid/HANSARD-1323879322-149919. Retrieved 7 March 2025. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ^ "Birth centre". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 September 2004. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  23. ^ Seyderhelm, Jennifer (27 September 2024). "Vale Philip Shine - RadioInfo Australia". RadioInfo Australia. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  24. ^ "SCA announces Melanie Withnall as head of news and information". www.mediaweek.com.au. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  25. ^ Ahern, Steve (26 March 2023). "Paula Kruger joins 2SER as MD". Radio Info.
  26. ^ McNamara, Lauren (28 November 2024). "2SER appoints new managing director". Mumbrella. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  27. ^ sarahdowns.nz (8 July 2024). "Turn It Up: 2SER's Amrap Music Picks". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
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