Curtin Radio To Close
Frank Calabrese
Curtin Radio: New Directions
Curtin University of Technology’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor
Lesley Parker, announced today that the University has decided to hand
back its community broadcasting licence to the Australian Broadcasting
Authority as the licence has no commercial value and cannot be sold.
“This decision was reached by the Executive of University Council,
based on a recommendation from Planning and Management Committee,
which followed wide consultation with interest groups both within and
external to the University,” Professor Parker said.
“It means that, after 25 years of operation, the Curtin-funded and
operated Curtin Radio 927 will cease operations in the next few weeks.
“Curtin Radio has been a remarkable institution which has made a
valued contribution to the community. Over the years it has helped
establish four community radio stations which now broadcast to Perth
listeners: Western Australian Aboriginal Media Association, Sonshine
Radio, Radio for the Print Handicapped and the Ethnic Broadcasting
Association of Australia. Its volunteers, staff, subscribers, sponsors
and the University have good reason to be proud of their achievements.
“Curtin is acting responsibly in looking at the Station’s substantial
funding requirements and the capacity of the University to fund its
strategic priorities. This is not an easy decision, but scarce
resources must be used for initiatives and priorities that have a
closer and more direct relationship with teaching and research which
are the University’s core business, ” she said.
The University is keen to lease the station’s facilities to an
independent community station which would operate without financial,
management or governance involvement from the University.
The University is having discussions with a number of groups. They
include RTR FM, a well established community broadcaster, Groove FM, a
youth-based and run community radio station which has been granted a
temporary licence and which would appeal to younger listeners; a
consortium interested in a 927 AM “narrowcast” option which would
offer the same sort of sound as Curtin Radio; and Capital Community
Radio (CCR FM), a new community station aimed at seniors, which has
also been granted a temporary licence.
The University places high importance on students having access to a
radio station for practical experience. Accordingly the future use of
the premises would involve Curtin’s journalism students providing a
news service.
Peter Walton, Curtin’s Executive General Manager, said that every
effort was being made to ensure the ongoing involvement of volunteers,
listeners and subscribers with the University.
“Every reasonable endeavour is being made to meet the needs and
expectations of existing Curtin Radio subscribers, listeners and
volunteers, many of whom have been loyal supporters for years. We hope
to do this by fostering links with existing and emerging
broadcasters,” Mr Walton said. Mr Walton said that the University is
committed to the staff at Curtin Radio and has given an undertaking
that every effort will be made to accommodate those who choose to stay
with the University.
The date that Curtin Radio will go off the air has not been finalised,
but a decision should be made within 10 days.
Further Information:
Sally Rowe - Media Coordinator
Corporate Public Relations
Curtin University of Technology
Tel: 08 9266 2793; 0401 103 373
Email: s.r...@curtin.edu.au
Web: www.curtin.edu.au
Peter Walton – Executive General Manager
Office of Executive General Manager
Curtin University of Technology
Tel: 08 9266 7003
Email: P.Wa...@curtin.edu.au
Web: www.curtin.edu.au
Jack McCaw
: From: http://announce.curtin.edu.au/release2002/c4202.htm
: Curtin Radio: New Directions
: Curtin University of Technology’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor
: Lesley Parker, announced today that the University has decided to hand
: back its community broadcasting licence to the Australian Broadcasting
: Authority as the licence has no commercial value and cannot be sold.
This is a disaster if it does indeed mean the end of Curtin radio.
University funded, supported and powered radio, aimed at Youth is a dying
breed.
2NCR is also under threat of again disappearing, 2NUR long ago
ceased to have anything relevant to the University community, who is next?
Jack@!
--
Community Radio - "The bracing excitement of an unknown,
create-as-you-go future"
Jack McCaw
(snip)
: Back to the issue of format, one point I noticed in the reasons for
: closing the station down was "because it was not part of the
: university's core business", which I'm assuming is education and
: training. Why not? I ask. What stopped them starting a broadcasting
: school and using the station to give the students, of the broadcasting
: school, practical experience in operating a radio station? Not that I
: would have limited access to the station to students of such a school.
Possibly it would not generate enough students to make it worthwhile?
: Educational institutions tend to base access to courses on academic
: history. I prefer to look at future potential. A youth format would
: probably make more sense this way, but then again maybe an
: unattractive format would mean they don't have to worry about kids who
: have no serious interest in a future career in radio.
Well, it would weed out the "I wanna pretend to be a commercial jock!"
kiddies.
Here at UNE, even thought the narrowcast licence is held by the
University, it doesn't make use of the station for course work.
Jack@!
_matt_cook_
"Jack McCaw" <jmc...@metz.une.edu.au> wrote in message
news:ad6mae$qlj$1...@gruvel.une.edu.au...
> Here at UNE, even thought the narrowcast licence is held by the
> University, it doesn't make use of the station for course work.
At VicUni, they have two community radio stations operating out of different
Melbourne campuses, and a station that only goes over wires at another
Melbourne campus; yet the radio students (based at yet another Melbourne
campus) do their live work at North West FM.
If the Uni got it's act together it could also join with Stereo 974 and
Melton FM, and promote itself widely over the whole western region of
Melbourne.