Sonshine (Australian radio station)

Last updated

Sonshine (98.5 FM) (6SON)
  • Perth, Western Australia
Frequency 98.5MHz
Programming
Format Contemporary Christian music
Ownership
OwnerGood News Broadcasters Inc
History
First air date
January 26, 1988 (1988-01-26)
Technical information
Licensing authority
ACMA
ERP 15.994 kW
Transmitter coordinates
32°0′30.05″S116°5′2.94″E / 32.0083472°S 116.0841500°E / -32.0083472; 116.0841500
Links
Public licence information
Profile
Website sonshine.com.au

Sonshine (call sign 6SON) is a non-profit community, Christian radio station in Perth, Western Australia. It provides a mix of adult contemporary mainstream and Christian news, music, and a mix of shows and segments with community guests. Sonshine plays music from Christian and mainstream artists covering current hits as well as music from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. It has over 451,000 listeners per month,[ citation needed ] and provides livestreams from its website and via iOS and Android apps. Sonshine also offers an on-demand service. The station is a member of Good News Broadcasters Inc.

Contents

History

The community-licensed station commenced broadcasting on Australia Day in January 1988. Co-founder and announcer Barry Grosser shaped the early content of the station, and remained as the General Manager for 25 years. Within three years of signing on, the station had achieved some popularity, with a weekly circulation of 90,000 listeners. [1]

It broadcast from Morley for the first 21 years but, with the onset of digital radio broadcasting, needed to fund and build new premises. After 20 years, the station received its first round of government funding when it was awarded a $375,000 Federal Government grant to assist in making the digital broadcasting transition. Premises were built at the end of Murray Street in Como to house new digital broadcasting equipment, studios and the former confidential phone counselling service CareLine. The station moved to its new premises in Murray St, Como in 2009, selling off thousands of its vinyl records and CDs.

Sonshine also broadcasts in Esperance, Katanning, Dalwallinu. Its current slogan is "Wholeheartedly Connected".

Funding

As a non-profit organisation, the government places restrictions on the stations’ income potential and sponsorship support. It therefore relies on pledges, donations, subscriptions, and business sponsorship to continue. In 2015, its listeners raised funds for a $75,000 upgraded transmitter during a "Hope for Christmas" appeal. After donors were given the chance to name the new equipment, it was nicknamed "Hope".

The station holds two annual fundraising appeals each year in June and November. In November 2020 it exceeded its $198,000 target over a five-day "Hope Worth Sharing" appeal, broadcast from the Studio foyer with Perth public figures.

Related Research Articles

Music radio is a radio format in which music is the main broadcast content. After television replaced old time radio's dramatic content, music formats became dominant in many countries. Radio drama and comedy continue, often on public radio.

Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing, and avoid political interference or commercial influence.

Triple M is an Australian commercial radio network owned and operated by Southern Cross Austereo. The network consists of 40 radio stations broadcasting a mainstream rock music format and 5 digital radio stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Community radio</span> Community-owned and operated radio service

Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fresh 92.7</span> Community radio station in Adelaide, South Australia

Fresh 92.7 is a community radio station broadcasting in Adelaide, South Australia. The station can be accessed on 92.7 FM and DAB+ digital radio in Adelaide, iHeartRadio and the Fresh 92.7 App.

The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) is the peak body and the national representative organisation for community radio and television stations in Australia. The CBAA provide leadership, advocacy and support for members to actively provide independent broadcasting services and to build and strengthen local communities. The organisation provides advice and support to community broadcasters regarding a variety of issues.

Religious broadcasting, sometimes referred to as faith-based broadcasts, is the dissemination of television and/or radio content that intentionally has religious ideas, religious experience, or religious practice as its core focus. In some countries, religious broadcasting developed primarily within the context of public service provision, whilst in others, it has been driven more by religious organisations themselves. Across Europe and in the US and Canada, religious broadcasting began in the earliest days of radio, usually with the transmission of religious worship, preaching or "talks". Over time, formats evolved to include a broad range of styles and approaches, including radio and television drama, documentary, and chat show formats, as well as more traditional devotional content. Today, many religious organizations record sermons and lectures, and have moved into distributing content on their own web-based IP channels.

Community television in Australia is a form of free-to-air non-commercial citizen media in which a television station is owned, operated and/or programmed by a community group to provide local programming to its broadcast area. In principle, community television is another model of facilitating media production and involvement by private citizens and can be likened to public-access television in the United States and community television in Canada.

Triple M Perth is a commercial radio station owned and operated by Southern Cross Austereo as part of the Triple M network. The station is broadcast to Perth, Western Australia from studios in Subiaco.

Hope 103.2 is a Christian Radio station in Sydney, Australia, transmitting on the FM dial at 103.2 MHz. Founded as 2CBA by the Rev. Vernon Turner, it commenced broadcasting on 5 March 1979 as one of the first community radio stations and cemented itself as Australia's first Christian FM radio station. Its mission is "To impact people with experiences of God’s love so that they may become more like Christ and the world more like the Kingdom".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKNO-FM</span> Public radio station in Memphis, Tennessee

The WKNO FM Stations is a pair of public radio stations based in Memphis, Tennessee, that serve the "Mid-South" region with local fine arts and classical music programs, as well as news and information programs from the National Public Radio, Public Radio International, and American Public Media networks.

The Australian Broadcasting Company was a company founded in Melbourne in 1924 with a capital of £A 100,000 by a consortium of entertainment interests, notably Farmer & Company, J. C. Williamson Limited and J. & N. Tait to found and operate commercial radio broadcasting stations. Other major shareholders, perhaps later entrants, were Union Theatres Limited, B & J. Fuller and J. Albert & Son. Directors were Stuart Doyle, Frank Albert and Sir Benjamin Fuller. The Company was set up in Sydney by Sir Benjamin Fuller and Frank Albert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio Maria</span> Catholic radio station

Radio Maria, formally known as The World Family of Radio Maria, is an international Catholic radio broadcasting service founded in Erba, province of Como, in the diocese of Milan, Italy, in 1987.

Yarra Valley FM is the local community radio station broadcasting to the Yarra Valley area of Victoria, Australia. It can be heard throughout the Shires of Yarra Ranges, Cardinia and Murrindindi, as well as many eastern Melbourne metropolitan municipalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">89.9 TheLight</span> Radio station in Melbourne, Victoria

89.9 TheLight is a Christian community radio station in Melbourne, Australia attracting more than a million listeners per month. It broadcasts on the FM band with the frequency of 89.9, on DAB+ digital radio and streams online via website and mobile app. Studios are located at 333 Mitcham Road, in Mitcham with FM transmitter on Mount Dandenong

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SBS Radio</span> Australian multicultural radio network

SBS Radio is an Australian radio network owned by the Special Broadcasting Service directed towards newly arrived immigrants in Australia. It originally began as two stations based in Melbourne and Sydney, set up to provide pre-recorded information about the then-new Medibank health care system in languages other than English. Nowadays, the network targets the estimated 4+ million Australians who speak a language other than English at home with programs in 68 languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKMS-FM</span> Public radio station at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky

WKMS-FM, is a non-commercial National Public Radio-affiliated station operated by Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. WKMS features a variety of NPR programming and local music shows including classical music, bluegrass, alternative rock, jazz, electronica and world music. WKMS signed on for the first time on May 11, 1970, as a non-commercial, educational FM station licensed to MSU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">87.8 UCFM</span> Radio station in Canberra

87.8 UCFM is an independent student radio station transmitting from the campus of the University of Canberra. It broadcasts a professionally consulted College Radio niche music format – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a mix of news and current affairs. The radio station's studios are located within the lower level of "The Hub" complex on the university's Bruce campus, in Australia's capital city – Canberra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">96five Family Radio</span> Radio station in Brisbane, Queensland

96five is a Christian community radio station operated by Family Radio Ltd in Brisbane, Australia. The radio station is funded by sponsorship, advertisements, donations, fundraising and pledges. A separate program output is aired on the stations DAB+ Digital Radio channel called Inspire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Community Access Media Alliance</span> New Zealand radio station association

The Community Access Media Alliance (CAMA), also known as the Access Radio Network, is a group of twelve New Zealand community radio media organisations. The stations were established between 1981 and 2010 and have received government funding since 1989 to broadcast community programming and provide facilities, training and on-air time for individuals and community groups to produce programming.

References

  1. "Threat to church radio programs". The Canberra Times. 11 December 1991. p. 24. Retrieved 1 April 2021 via Trove.