Alex James launched RADIOTHON on 2SER Breakfast on Monday morning with a piece that unpacked the theme for 2020, “Subscribe To Help Sydney Thrive”.

She spoke to collaborators and listeners of her program:

Jess Scully, Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney

Monica Attard, Journalist, Professor and Head of Journalism at University of Technology Sydney. 

Lisa Murray , City Historian, City of Sydney Council

Troy: Long term 2SER Breakfast listener

Geoff Field: Journalist, 2SER Newsroom Director

Listen to the article on this page, or read the transcript below:

Alex: It’s been a tough year for Sydney.

Jess Scully: Look 2020s been rough on a lot of people in Sydney.

Alex: Just ask the Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney, Jess Scully

Jess Scully: People who have had their work disappear particularly, you know younger people, people who work in the arts and culture hospitality and retail they’ve really copped it. And people who run businesses, particularly small businesses or where they’re working independently, and they don’t have any means of support. They’ve had a really really rough time.

Alex: We’ve been with you all the way continuing to bring you local music and stories that matter. That’s one of the reasons that Sydney councils like the City of Sydney partner with 2SER. 

Jess Scully: You know, we love 2SER because it is about local creativity, stories and communities. You know, it’s really hard to cut through and to speak directly to people in a world that’s really mediated by the internet giants and in a world that’s often very fragmented in a media landscape that is quite polarised and corporatised. It’s very rare to have a channel like 2SER that is run by passionate people from the local community who want to get stories out in a way that’s authentic and real and and with really transparent intention 

Alex: Community radio stations like 2SER give you the chance to hear content you can’t get anywhere else. Like the Dictionary Sydney on 2SER Breakfast.

Lisa Murray: We were sort of, you know, pottering along and then 2SER spotted us and we were invited in 2013. I believe it was to actually come on to the breakfast show and share Sydney’s history with an even wider audience and we’ve been doing it ever since. 

Alex: Part of that wider audience is Troy, an avid listener of 2SER Breakfast

Troy: Oh, my name is Troy. I’m 57 years old and I was always one fooling around with the radio stations and seeing what whatever took my fancy at that particular time and I came across 2SER – and I like to hear positive nice things in the morning just to get my day going in the right direction. And I love the music you play you seem to know a lot about the music and you have a great interest in music are very enthusiastic about it. And I’m learning a few things myself from when you talk about the different music that you’re playing. A lot of artists that I’ve never heard before but you obviously know quite a bit about most of them and I think it’s terrific – really great for me to think that in terms of the future, there’s all these great artists going around producing all this terrific music! 

Alex: After a tough year, it’s more important than ever to give artists a chance to share their

music, and you, a chance to listen to them. And it’s not just local artists and great music that we love. In 2020 We have a desperate need for independent journalism.

Monica Attard: I think 2SER has really established itself as you know, almost more than community radio station and I think it is it is part of the broader media landscape that is broadly recognized by an awful lot of people and I think you’d be surprised how many people actually listen to the station live, and if not then download the podcast. 

Alex: That’s Monica Attard. After a long career as a journalist She’s now partnering with us on the program Fourth Estate.

Monica Attard: I think more broadly speaking and particularly in the urban areas, it’s the ability of community radio to take the few more risks if you like, pushing the boundaries a little bit further and harder and making people think more broadly more deeply about some of the big social economic political issues of our times. I think that it plays a particularly important role in making people think and and covering things in a kind of more fearless way.

Alex: We’re able to bring you impartial news coverage courtesy of our Newsroom run by longtime newsreader Geoff Field.

Geoff Field: I left 2DAY FM in 2015. There was a message on the phone from the general manager of 2SER asking if I’d like to come over and set up a newsroom and teach students.  I’m very aware of to 2SER because I used to listen to a lot of their shows, Gay Waves and various other current affairs shows when I first came to Sydney as as a very young man, so I was very aware of the importance of 2SER and some of the great things they did.  At last count 55 students have gone on to get jobs in the industry and that to me makes my job worthwhile.

Alex: So why should you become a subscriber? To keep it coming. By signing up to support us this year, you’re not just helping local Independent artists and news, you’re helping your home. Subscribe to help Sydney thrive.

SUBSCRIBE NOW!

2SER is calling on you to become a subscriber so that we can continue the work we have been doing for 40 years to help keep local music, arts, news and information alive!

Subscribers get: 

• Listening Post Magazine – Special 2020 edition of 2SER’s magazine. 60 pages, full colour – a feast of info about the history of the station and a snapshot of the station right now.
• New limited edition 2SER bumper sticker
• Subscriber card
• Chance to win Radiothon prizes
• Chance to win Subscriber only giveaways year round