Australians have been gifted with a brand new contemporary radio station, launched by a nation-wide community of talented young broadcasters.
Officially launched last night, SYN Nation is the latest addition to the community digital radio spectrum, and offers a diverse range of programming that’s produced and presented by a union of young staff dotted at community broadcasters across Australia.
SYN Nation, which can be heard on digital radio in Melbourne and streamed online here, will include everything from traditional music, news, and current affairs to more diverse youth-oriented shows focussing on everything from queer and indigenous programming to videogames and comedy.
However, SYN Nation has a novel approach to its eclectic range of programming in that its essentially aggregated from a team of youth leaders, as young as 16 to 22 years old, staffed at community radio stations in Melbourne, Byron Bay, Canberra, Hobart, Gippsland, and Warrnambool.
The station project was developed by Melbourne’s youth broadcaster SYN Media, and already has the tick of approval of Federal Communications Minister, Malcom Turnbull. “Young people are at the forefront of new technology and SYN Nation is a great example of that,” said the Liberal MP in a statement. “This project is innovative in the way it uses digital and online media and will help amplify the diverse voices of young people across this country.” “This project is innovative in the way it uses digital and online media and will help amplify the diverse voices of young people across this country.”
Those voices currently includes 16-year-old Jack Long of Byron Bay’s Bay FM, Jillian Thomsen (22, of Canberra’s 2XX), Honni Cox (22, Hobart’s Edge Radio), Sam Maloney (20, Warrnambool’s 3WAY FM), and 17-year-old Bianca Gawith from Gippsland FM. (You can ‘meet’ the five members in the video at bottom.)
Each ‘youth leader’ is driving SYN Nation under the tutelage of established media industry mentors, who combined, have experience at ABC, SBS, Triple R, PBS, Joy 94.9, 2RRR, RTR, and 3ZZZ.
The new station, which has the dual supportive push of the Community Broadcasting Association of Asutralia and the Australian Film Television and Radio School behind it, is designed as a providing a nation-wide digital platform for Australia’s youth to be heard while giving them crucial industry experience and opportunities in the media world.
It’s these very principles that are not only at the heart of SYN Media, but have been the central driving force of Melbourne’s own SYN Media for over a decade, as General Manager Tahlia Azaria explains.
“Since SYN Media launched in 2003 we’ve heard consistently from young people in other parts of the country who wish they had access to the types of opportunities we offer young people in Melbourne, and now they can get involved without having to leave their town,” she says. “Having access to a new technology in digital radio gives us an incredible opportunity to experiment and innovate.”
Under the SYN 90.7 fm radio station and the 1700 music television programme on Channel 31, SYN Media has opened the door to the media world for many students and volunteers, with over a quarter of all former ‘SYN kids’ using their skills and experience to lead them to employment within the music and media industry.
SYN Nation is set to expand those youth opportunities to a national level, particularly in regional areas, where just 16% of community radio staff Australia-wide are under the age of 26, according to the 2011 Community Broadcasting Station Census.
Though the new station will get its start in Melbourne, Byron Bay, Canberra, Hobart, Gippsland, and Warrnambool, Ms Azaria says “the goal is to keep expanding the service into new communities each year so any young person, wherever they may be, can be part of this national movement of young media-makers.”
Melbourne listeners can tune into SYN Nation on digital radio, the rest of Australia can stream online at syn.org.au
