|
Year
in Review: Youth Community Station FBi - 14th Jan
2003
(credit: RadioWise)
Community
station FBi 94.5 FM, the new radio station for Sydney
youth music, arts and culture, has been gaining momentum
since its launch last August. The new station, which
is being watched by community broadcasters around
Australia, looks back over the achievements of the
past few months in this week’s ‘Year in
Review’ feature.
With
positive listener feedback, strong membership numbers
and increasing page impressions online, FBi has “certainly
made an impact on the city’s broadcasting scene,”
according to FBi’s Stuart Buchanan.
In
2002, the Australian Broadcasting Authority granted
FBi the strongest license ever given to a community
station in Australia, with transmission reaching from
Gosford to the Blue Mountains to Wollongong. FBi is
committed to playing 50% Australian music, with half
of that from Sydney and supports all the diverse activities
that the city’s arts and cultural industries
have to offer. Visits to the FBi web site back up
the high interest level in the station, reaching 450,000
page impressions throughout September. 2,500 registered
users have completed the demographic survey on the
site and results show that 90% of listeners are under
35, with 40% aged between 18 and 24, 10% under 18
- indicating that FBi’s mission to target Sydney’s
youth has been successful.
Buchanan
says: “FBi also took to the streets of Sydney
for a high-profile and well-attended series of fundraising
gigs entitled ‘FBi LIVE’, taking place at
the Metro (for Sydney Morning Herald’s METRO
21st Birthday), The Annandale, The Hopetoun, The Bat
& Ball and The Mandarin Club, further strengthening
FBi’s commitment to the Sydney music scene.”
In
November, FBi took home the ‘Contribution to
Local Music Award’ at the 2003 CBAA Community
Broadcasting conference for Dan Buhagiar’s The
Bridge : Sydney Retrospective program which –
in the last four months - has featured contributions
from Tim Rogers, Frigid, Homebake, Ivy League Records,
Wayen Connolly, The Harbourside Brasserie, Tim Pittman
and more.
According
to Buchanan: “FBi has also attracted the sponsorship
support of several top music industry names such as
EMI/Virgin Records, Sony Music, Michael Coppel, Shock
Records, Big Day Out and Rock Circuit Promotions.
“
Additionally,
FBi have secured partnerships with a number of music
and arts organisations in Sydney including Bondi’s
Live Bait Festival, the Museum of Contemporary Art,
the Livid Festival (who gave the fledgling station
its own stage in September) and the 2004 Sydney Festival
– FBi’s Sydney Festival night takes place
at the Becks Bar at the Hyde Park Barracks on January
16th.
”
FBi is optimistic about what the station has achieved
in the past year and is positive about 2004: “With
these established relationships and a newly secured
sponsorship agreement from Coca-Cola in place, it
is clear that FBi is consolidating its position as
a major attraction for businesses and listeners alike.”
Links:
FBi
Radio
RadioInfo
Interview:
Christina Alvarez, General Manager, FBi 94.5FM - 13th
November 2003
Website
Review - RadioInfo
Article:
Joy's World, by Greg Tingle and Yvette Moore - 7th
July 2003
Media
Man Australia: Sponsorships, Clients & Affiliates
|
