Creating a community is consistent hard work and persistence. Those organisations that we love and cherish were not built in a day, a month, or even a year. They are seedlings of something special that we tend to over a long time that eventually blossom.
I have chosen to work with fbi.radio (formerly known as FBi Radio) to archive and preserve the history of the station’s creation, up to August 2003 when the station went to air. fbi is Sydney’s dedicated station to arts, culture, and music in the city. This is carried through their commitment that 50% of all music played has to be Australian and half of that from Sydney. Since 2003, they have been major cultural arbiters and messengers in the city, platforming art that is not always pushed in mainstream musical circles, and that is consistently cutting edge. The station was first conceived in the mid 90s but didn’t actually receive a frequency until the early 2000s that allowed them to be heard on the FM airwaves. fbi had to contend with a number of independent community broadcasters to receive the 94.5 frequency, which led to the 90s and early 2000s of fbi being marked by a number of test broadcasts that presented a large slate of programs and music to attract a loyal audience.
I have been an active member and volunteer with fbi for over a year now and I have loved every moment of the experience. I have worked at the front desk, at social events, produced shows, and I am currently a presenter, and each of these experiences have broadened my horizons as to the immense communal effort that a community radio station is. This is why I am interested in partnering with fbi, because whilst a lot of credit is given to the front-facing nature of the radio in its major personalities, most people remain unaware of the sheer power that exists behind the scenes, which is perfectly captured by the fight for a frequency in the 1990s and 2000s. These organisations do not run simply on a prayer, they are the product of years of work and I believe that work deserves to be applauded in a public way that celebrates the endurance of community.
In doing my initial research, there was a lot of information that existed on fbi in their current iteration, but a lack of recorded history of the process that led to this current position. My project is a digital archive of materials and ephemera from this eight-year period of fbi’s history, presented alongside a written piece that compliments this history. Within it, I also seek to include the oral histories of key individuals I have interviewed about fbi to provide context to the ephemera I have collected. Through this manifestation of my project, I believe that I can produce something that is accessible to an increasingly online audience through its interactive appeal on a website, and a product that is celebratory of fbi’s achievements as well as the times in which it has struggled to stake its important claim in Sydney’s rich cultural tapestry.
This is a scan of an old promotional flyer, advertising a radio broadcasting course in partnership with The University of Sydney Student Union. It is unfortunately missing a year but will be investigating elements of it further to determine a date.