UPDATE: triple j have issued a statement responding to the campaign to change the date of the Hottest 100 – full story here.
triple j are reportedly in “serious talks” to move the date of their annual Hottest 100 countdown from 26th January, on which it has been traditionally held. The move would come in response to a growing number of Australians who believe the move would show solidarity with Australia’s Indigenous community.
As Tone Deaf has reported, a swiftly growing movement has emerged that would like to see triple j move the date on which the Hottest 100 is broadcast to a less inflammatory date than Australia Day / Invasion Day, a holiday considered offensive by many Indigenous Australians.
In addition to a rapidly circulating Change.org petition which has amassed just over 2,000 signatures, Facebook user Brendan Busch recently announced he will award a free Falls Festival ticket to anyone who can convince triple j to change the date of the Hottest 100.
Now Pedestrian.tv cites “multiple well-placed sources” in reporting that triple j have had a number of closed-door meetings over the past few weeks, during which the national youth broadcaster has consulted with Indigenous artists about potentially moving the date.
A decision is reportedly expected to be made later this week and Tone Deaf can report that it’s an issue triple j have been internally addressing for years, according to a triple j source. It’s not known when a public announcement will be made, though Hottest 100 voting traditionally opens in December.
According to Pedestrian.tv, one particular meeting on the issue involved all triple j staffers and reportedly got rather heated as members of staff voiced conflicting viewpoints. The story is pretty much the same over on social media.
