Quarter of a century with Eastside Radio

BY CYNTHIA FERNANDEZ ROICH
Eastside Radio 89.7FM will celebrate 25 years on air with an annual fundraiser All the colours of the rainbow to emphasise the diversity of their audience. 

This is a significant milestone for a community radio station with only five minutes of sponsorship per hour. The audience’s support is undeniable; the station has currently more than 120 volunteers and only two paid employees.

General manager Barry Spacer said he believes their ability to create an identity for the five designated areas (Sydney, Randwick, Botany, Waverley and Woollahra) was the key to their success.

‘We speak constantly with key members of our community and we keep people well informed,’ he said. ‘As much as 70 per cent of our music is centred on jazz. Not many radio stations do that. People would listen to jazz every day if they could.’

But not at the exclusion of other styles of music: the station also plays classical, electronica, Brazilian, Cuban, French, gypsy, funk and soul music.

And it boasts Sydney’s longest non-English program, ‘The Voice of India’, which broadcasts every Sunday from 10am to 8pm in several Indian dialects. There are also Macedonian, Brazilian and Italian programs.

The radio presenters include several well-known musicians, such as Lloyd Swanton and Matt Keegan and the station especially nurtures new talent.

Subscribe at eastsidefm.org during the on-air fundraising festival to support this unique community radio and go into a draw to win great prizes.