In the age of streaming and podcasts, has video really killed the radio star? fbi 94.5FM, a community-led radio station based here in Eora/Sydney would suggest otherwise.
In 1995, as the Keating government sought to allocate the remaining radio licenses in Sydney, fbi Radio was established. After several years of test broadcasts, fbi finally gained its permanent, full-time license in 2003 and has been broadcasting ever since. Their aim was simple, but radical: to showcase the diverse music and cultural scene of Sydney with a focus on independent artists. This was made explicit in their policy to play 50% Australian music, with half of that from Sydney.
Over their 21 years of broadcasting, fbi’s impact had spanned beyond the radio waves. In showcasing local and international music talent, with a breadth that defies the constraints of commercial radio, fbi has been integral in keep alive a local music culture trammelled by lock-out laws and corporate interests. No artist, song, or genre is too obscure or ‘left-of-field’ for fbi and they not only showcase, but celebrate subaltern identities and experiences
The shows on fbi range from quintessential breakfast radio to in-depth explorations of subculture and specific music genres. This ranges from shows such Race Matters which involves in-depth storytelling and interviews to explore modern racial identity, to Mosaic which celebrates Middle Eastern, Asian, and African culture and music co-hosted by the University of Sydney’s very own Jonathan Chalouhi. One of their flagship shows, All the Best, is a nationally syndicated program which curates and showcases community submitted documentaries, stories, and interview, demonstrating their commitment to representing the local community – in every form it takes. From the vast array of shows and content the station produces, at any rate, it remains to have its finger on the pulse of Sydney’s culture.
It is because of this that fbi is perhaps the ultimate organisation for a historical project. With thirty years in local scene, their importance spans beyond simply the local acts they have been integral in helping make ‘big’ (Flume, Julia Jacklin and Nina Las Vegas to name a few), but their continual support of the local gigs independent acts whose oeuvre may range from krautrock to Detroit house, ambient to grime. Not only is fbi’s local significance undeniable, but their capacity as a treasure trove of Sydney’s cultural history is an unmissable opportunity for a historian.
My work with fbi is centring on their mammoth CD archive of over 46,600 CD’s that they have acquired since their start in 1995. Anyone familiar with fbi will recognise their extensive shelves of CD’s, backdrop to many a photo op across their marketing and social media. This library is a physical manifestation of fbi’s almost thirty-year history. Accumulated over numerous music opens days (monthly events where the station invites local artists to hand in demos), personal collections, and demos from labels, this CD archive tells a story of the many lives of Sydney’s musical scene. By looking at the very history of this library, I hope to be able to help tell a story of the many lives that have walked through fbi’s doors, and the many lives its impacts beyond them.