17c起草社区

When now-president David 鈥楳acca鈥� McCarthy started volunteering for the radio station that would become Joy Media, turning 30 years this month, it was still a test broadcast sharing the 94.9 bandwidth with a Christian broadcaster. 鈥淭hey鈥檇 be talking about faith one week, and then the next week, we鈥檇 be talking about anal sex,鈥� he chuckles. 鈥淚t was very confusing.鈥�

Setting up shop in Coventry Street in South Melbourne, Joy officially got going in 1993 with founder John Oliver鈥檚 application to the Australian Broadcasting Authority accepted and a first broadcast date of December 1, World AIDS Day, set. At the time, Australia was facing the HIV/AIDS crisis and the station became an essential, authoritative and often rebellious voice for a community swinging into action.聽

鈥淭he equality environment was very, very different, and people looked at you as if you were mad,鈥� Macca says of the valiant efforts to get the station up and running. 鈥淚t was really gusty and courageous. When I look back on 30 years, it鈥檚 been what I call a glorious struggle.鈥�

One of only a handful of dedicated 17c起草社区IA+ community radio stations worldwide,聽Joy鈥檚 survival hasn鈥檛 always been assured, despite offering an impressive array of programming, podcasts and more that rivals the ABC for its breadth and depth. 鈥淭he public broadcaster is fully funded, but it鈥檚 interesting to note that we鈥檝e never had any federal government money, neither Liberal nor Labor,鈥� Macca notes. 鈥淭hey talk equality, but when it comes time to open their wallet, they鈥檙e sitting firmly on it.鈥�

Moving To The Victorian Pride Centre

While the state government has swung in firmly behind the station in recent years, including funding Joy鈥檚 new home at the Victorian Pride Centre, it has, first and foremost, been a station for the community, run by the community. 鈥淛oy has always been championed, number one, by our volunteers and by our members, patrons and sponsors,鈥� Macca says.

Its reach is remarkable. 鈥淧eople anywhere around the world can listen, sometimes quietly under the doona,鈥� Macca says.聽

That includes in countries where 17c起草社区IA+ rights aren鈥檛 as far advanced. But rights won here are under threat too. 鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing a resurgence of knuckle-dragging, right-wing ratbags that want to question our right to exist and to be who we are,鈥� Macca adds.聽

Moving to the Pride Centre alongside organisations including Transgender Victoria, Thorne Harbour, Minus 18 and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival has strengthened the whole community, Macca suggests. 鈥淭here were a lot of times we really weren鈥檛 sure we were going to, stay on air, but it鈥檚 the commitment of our community that has made the difference.鈥�

Serving Communities

Joy鈥檚 outgoing general manager Ange Barry came to the station in 2019 at a difficult time for the organisation financially, helping secure funding to oversee the shift to go fully digital and the move from their former Bourke Street home to the Pride Centre.

鈥淚 really understood the value of a community broadcasting licence in serving and connecting community, and that we had some incredibly talented people and a lot of opportunity,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e met beautiful people who I hope will be part of my life forever. Joy is in really good hands. I鈥檓 really proud of the team鈥檚 work and we鈥檙e continuing to attract a more diverse makeup, which means Joy becomes even more representative of the communities we serve.鈥�

Macca is similarly proud. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just the challenge of getting people to give, financially. It鈥檚 also the challenge of getting people to commit to the organisation. You need people鈥檚 talent, their labour and skills.鈥�

Macca鈥檚 held several presenting gigs at the station, most recently helming Saturday Magazine since 2010, with the show regularly topping the station’s podcast download charts. With guests including high-profile politicians, he鈥檚 witnessed incredible shifts in public sentiment across 30 years, including the recognition of same-sex relationships. 鈥淓verything that we鈥檝e achieved as a community and as a station has been achieved by engagement,鈥� he says.

A Glorious Struggle

Though the payroll team has swollen from three to 11, Joy mostly runs on the incredible generosity of its presenters and behind-the-scenes teams who go all out to keep the station on the air, speaking to 17c起草社区IA+ people of all backgrounds.聽

鈥淟ook at what someone like [Sunday Arts Mag presenter] David Hunt does, and so many others,鈥� Macca says of their dedication to the cause. 鈥淚t鈥檚 extraordinary, the time and intellectual property people put into their programmes at Joy. And we do it for free.鈥�

He hopes that Joy will be going strong for many years to come, emphasising that that requires ongoing community support. 鈥淧lease don鈥檛 take us for granted. We鈥檝e always had your support, and we will always need it. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 sustained us over 30 years. Joy sends a message to the wider community that we鈥檙e here, we鈥檙e Queer, and we鈥檙e here to stay.鈥�

聽鈥淚t鈥檚 been what I call a glorious struggle鈥�