Wikipedia

Triple J

For the boy band formerly known as Triple J, seeUnion J.
"JJJ" redirects here. For other uses, seeJJJ (disambiguation).

Triple J[a]is an Australian government-funded nationalradio stationfounded in 1975 as a division of theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation(ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners ofalternative music,and plays moreAustralian contentthan commercial networks.

Triple J
Broadcast areaAustralia and internationallyonline
FrequencyFM:Various,DVB-T:Ch. 28, andDAB+
Programming
LanguageEnglish
FormatAlternative music,withspecialist programmingweeknights
Ownership
OwnerAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
History
First air date
19 January 1975;50 years ago(1975-01-19)as 2JJ
Technical information
Licensing authority
Australian Communications and Media Authority
Links
WebcastWeb stream
Websitewww.abc.net.au/triplej/Edit this at Wikidata

The station was set up under theGough Whitlam government,wanting to extend the appeal of the ABC to young Australians. Initially broadcasting as2JJorDouble Jay[b]from 19 January 1975, it stood apart fromcommercial stationswith its lack ofprivate advertisingand its fringe music programming. Following a transition toFMin 1981, the station rebranded as2JJJor Triple J as it expanded regionally throughout the 1990s. Two spin-offdigital stationswere launched in the early 2010s:Double Jaims to appeal to more mature audiences, andTriple J Unearthedplays only unsigned, local musicians.

Despite declining ratings in their target 18–24-year-old demographic, Triple J continues to have a significant impact on theAustralian music landscape,supporting majormusic festivalsand domestic tours, and organising its own events likeOne Night Stand.Every year, it broadcasts theHottest 100,a public poll of the years' most popular music known as the "world's greatest music democracy",[3]and runs theJ Awards,a music award series. Triple J annually championsAusmusic Monthand founded the nationwideAusmusic T-Shirt Dayinitiative in 2013. The network's online discovery platform,Unearthed,provides pathways forindependent artiststo be broadcast on the network. However, Triple J has beencriticisedfor promoting a homogenous national music scene.

History

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1970s: Launch and early years

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Plans for a new radio station

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Triple J was established under the government of prime ministerGough Whitlam,pictured in 1974.

The launch of a new, youth-focused radio station was a product of the progressive media policies of theWhitlam governmentof 1972–75.[4]Prime ministerGough Whitlamwanted to set the station up to appeal to the youth vote, and theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation(ABC), worried about its declining audience, "wanted a station for young people who would grow up to be ABC listeners."[5]A new station was also a recommendation stemming from the McLean Report of 1974, which suggested expanding radio broadcasting onto theFM band,issuing a new class ofbroadcasting licensewhich permitted the establishment ofcommunity radio stations,and the creation of two new stations for the ABC: 2JJ in Sydney, referred to as Double Jay,[b][1]and the short-lived 3ZZ in Melbourne.[6][7]

2JJ was intended to be the first link in Whitlam's planned national youth network, however his administration was not re-elected in the1975 federal election.The succeedingFraser government's budget cuts to the ABC also halted this plan from moving forward.[8][9]By the time 2JJ went to air, the Whitlam government was in its final months of office, and presenters on the station were frequently accused ofleft-wing biasin the months that followed.[10]

First broadcasts and radical policies

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2JJ commenced broadcasting at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, 19 January 1975, at 1540kHzon theAM band.[6]The station was restricted largely to theGreater Sydneyregion, and its local reception was hampered by inadequate transmitter facilities. However, its frequency was a clearchannelnationally, so it was easily heard at night throughout south-eastern Australia. After midnight, 2JJ would use off-air ABC networks to increase its broadcasting range.[11]

External media
Audio
1975-1985: 40 Years of Triple J,fromABC Listen,Part one of an audio documentary series on Triple J's history.
Video
Double J: 1975,YouTubevideo featuring behind-the-scenes content from the 2JJ studio.

Its first broadcast demonstrated a determination to distinguish itself from other Australian radio stations. The first on-air presenter, DJ Holger Brockmann, notably used his own name, which, at his previous role at2SM,was considered "too foreign-sounding". After an introductory montage that featured sounds from the countdown and launch ofApollo 11,Brockmann launched the station's first broadcast with the words, "Wow, and we're away!", and then playedSkyhooks' "You Just Like Me 'Cos I'm Good in Bed".[12]The choice of this song to introduce the station was significant, as it represented several important features of the 2JJ brand at the time. Choosing an Australian band reflected the network's commitment toAustralian contentat a time when American acts dominatedpop stations.Further, the song was one of several tracks from the Skyhooks' album that had been banned oncommercial radiofor its explicit sexual content.[8][13][14]Because 2JJ was a government-funded station operating under the umbrella of the ABC, it was not bound by commercial censorship codes, and was not answerable to advertisers or the station owners. In contrast, their Sydney rival, 2SM, was owned by a holding company controlled by theCatholic Archdiocese of Sydney,resulting in the ban or editing of numerous songs.[15][16]

The internal politics of 2JJ were considered a radical departure from the formats of commercial stations. 2JJ's presenters had almost total freedom in their on-air delivery, and all staff participated in major policy decisions. For example, as former announcer Gayle Austin reflected: "In early March, women took over the station as announcers to celebrateInternational Women's Day",and" The listeners owned the station... and if they wanted to come to the meetings and join the debate, they were welcome ".[5]

In its early years 2JJ's on-air staff were mainly recruited from either commercial radio or other ABC stations. In another first for the industry, their roster also featured presenters who did not come from a radio background, including singer-songwritersBob Hudson[17]andJohn J. Francis,[18]and actorLex Marinos.[19]Other notable foundation staff and presenters in January 1975 were Chris Winter, Marius Webb and Ron Moss,[9]Arnold Frolows,Mark Colvin,Jim Middleton,Don Cumming andMac Cocker.[9][20]

Rise in popularity

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The station rapidly gained popularity, especially with its target youth demographic: media articles noted that in its first two months on air, 2JJ reached a 5.4% share of the total radio audience, with 17% in the 18–24 age group, while the audience share of rival 2SM dropped by 2.3%.[21]Despite the poor quality of reception caused by the Sydney transmitter, the station still saw rapid growth.[22]Austin explained that station staff threatenedindustrial actionin July 1975 due to the transmitter issues, but officials of the BCB still refused to meet with 2JJ representatives. A new transmitter was not provided until 1980, following the transition to the FM band.[5]

Controversy emerged after the station hosted an open-air concert inLiverpool, New South Wales,in May 1975, featuring Skyhooks andDragon.[23]The city'sSunnewspaper claimed that attendees were shocked "by" depictions of sexual depravity and shouted obscenities ", which allegedly caused women in the audience to clap their hands over their ears, promptingCoalitionfrontbencherPeter Nixonto call for the station to be closed down.[24]

1980s: Relaunch and national expansion

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On 11 July 1980, 2JJ began broadcasting on the FM band at a frequency of 105.7 MHz (again restricted to within the Greater Sydney region) and became 2JJJ, referred to as Triple J.[4][25]The first song played was another track then banned from commercial radio, "Gay Guys" bythe Dugites.[26]To celebrate the relaunch, the station organised a concert inParramatta Parkon 18 January 1981, featuringMidnight OilandMatt Finish,who performed to a crowd of 40,000 people.[27][28]

On 19 January 1981, the AM transmissions ceased, and Triple J became an FM-only station. It was not until the 1989 that the ABC was finally able to expand to Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle and Perth.[29]

In the late 1980s,Triple Mdirector Barry Chapman was appointed as general manager to oversee Triple J's network expansion. His tenure generated controversy, most notably in 1990, when all senior announcers in the Sydney office were fired, including the most popular presentersTony Biggsand Tim Ritchie.[26]Several protests were held outside itsWilliam Streetstudios, including a 105-hourvigil,[5]and a public meeting that packed theSydney Town Hallwith angry listeners spilled out onto the street.[26]Listeners were concerned Chapman would bring a more commercial flair to Triple J with music programming that was less dominated by Sydney acts.[30]

1990s–2000s: Regional and digital expansion, magazine

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Throughout the 1990s, Triple J commenced expansion to more regional areas of Australia and, in 1994, it was extended to another 18 regional centres throughout the country. In 1996, the total was brought to 44, with the new additions includingLaunceston, Tasmania;Albany, Western Australia;Bathurst, New South WalesandMackay, Queensland.Triple J's most recent expansion was toBroome, Western Australiain 2005.[31]

In May 2003,Arnold Frolows,the only remaining member of the original 2JJ staff of 1975, stepped down after 28 years as Triple J music director. He was replaced by presenterRichard Kingsmill,who joined the station in 1988.[32][33]

In late 2004, the station's promotion for their annual Beat the Drum contest– in which listeners were to send in the most remarkable places they could promote the Triple J logo– caused brief controversy after it issued a promotional image of the formerWorld Trade Centerdraped with a huge drum flag.[34]A notable winner of the competition was a Queensland farmer who formed a drum logo-shapedcrop circlein his wheat-fields.[35]

Triple J launched its own music magazine,JMag(later known asTriple J Magazine), in 2005.[36]It was initially published quarterly, then monthly, but in 2013 the magazine ceased publication by News Custom Publishing. It returned as an annual edition, produced in-house, until 2016.[37]

Adapting to the digitalstreaming age,in 2004, the station began to releasepodcastsof some of its talkback shows, includingDr. Karl,This Sporting Life,andHack.[citation needed]In 2006, Triple J launched JTV (later rebranded toTriple J TV),[38]a series of television programs broadcast onABC1andABC2including music videos, live concerts, documentaries, and comedy, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at Triple J's studios.[39]

2010s: Double J and Unearthed relaunches, Hottest 100 controversy

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In 2006, the website forTriple J Unearthedwas launched. It remains a hub forunsignedAustralian artists to upload their music and be heard by the Triple J team.[40]Adigital radiostation, which only plays content from the website, was launched in 2011.[41]

In 2014, ABC's Dig Music digital radio station was rebranded under the Triple J umbrella, becomingDouble Jon 30 April 2014.[42][43]The new station featured both new music and material from Triple J interview and sound archives.[44]Former Triple J announcerMyf Warhurst,who hosted the inaugural shift, said "it's for people who love music, and also love a bit of music history."[44]

In ratings released in August 2015, Triple J was the highest or equal first in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth in the 25–39 demographic.[45]

Triple Jattracted significant news coveragein the lead-up to theHottest 100 of 2017,when the station announced they would move the countdown date to the fourth weekend of January, rather than onAustralia Day(26 January), due to theChange the Date debate.[46][47]

2020s: Kingsmill's departure and restructuring

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Triple J began 2020 with a major overhaul of its hosts, replacing longtime presenters includingGen FrickerandTom Tilleywith younger talent includingBryce MillsandLucy Smith,in what was billed as a "generational shift for the station."[48]

triple j
@triplej

did it hurt? when you aged out of the youth radio station

31 August 2021[49]

In August 2021, the Triple JTwitteraccount posted a riff on a popularpick-up line,which attracted widespread criticism and accusations ofageism.[50][51]Writing forNME,journalist Andrew Street said the controversy renewed discussion about the lack of airplay of older artists on the station, with many being "deemed Double J-ready" in their mid-20s.[52]

As radio ratings continue to decline across the board due to the rise ofstreaming media,Triple J has seen a 2.5% decline of listeners across the major capital cities between late April and June 2022.[53]Compared to the audience share of 7.7% in the Sydney 18–24 year-old demographic in 2021, the station had dropped to 4.4% in 2022.[53]

In December 2023, it was announced thatRichard Kingsmill,who had been the music director of Triple J and its sister stations, would be leaving after 35 years at the ABC.[54]During his tenure, he doubled the amount of airtime given to Australian artists, from 30% to 60%, and increased the station's audience from 980,000 in 2006 to 3 million in 2022.[55][56]Several news outlets includingThe GuardianandMumbrellawrote pieces about Kingsmill's importance to the Australian music scene,[57]with Nathan Jolly of the latter calling the broadcaster "the most important single figure in the history of Australian music", on par withMichael GudinskiandMolly Meldrum.[33]Former head of theNova network,Ben Latimer, was announced as the new head of radio at the ABC amidst a major board restructuring, causing audible "shock and disappointment" in a Sydney staff meeting.[58]Several presenters also announced their departures,[59]and long-running late night music showGood Nightswas axed.[60]

In May 2024, Triple J hosted the inaugural Bars of Steel Live event inParramatta,showcasing hip hop and rap artists from all across Western Sydney.[61]In September, the station also revived itsOne Night Standregional music festival, which hadn't previously run since 2019. It took place inWarrnambool, Victoriato a sold-out crowd.[62]

Music and identity

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Our brief was to provide an alternative to the mainstream, with a heavy emphasis on Australian content. We were to provide opportunities for live and recorded performances by young Australian musicians, and play (shock! horror!) album tracks from all the genres of music that weren't being heard on commercial radio.

Gayle Austin,Off the Dial[5]

In the station's early years, Triple J primarily playedalternative rockandpop rock,but the range of music programmed was far wider than its commercial rivals, encompassing both mainstream and alternative rock and pop,experimentaland electronic music,progressive rock,funk, soul, disco,reggae,and the emergingambient,punkandnew wavegenres of the late 1970s.[63][64]Today, the station mostly plays modern rock,alt-pop,hip-hopand electronic music.[65]

Triple J initially positioned itself as a "punk" brand due to its fringe and often controversial music programming. The first song played on the station, "You Just Like Me 'Cos I'm Good in Bed" by Skyhooks, was banned from other Australian broadcasters due to its salacious content.[66][67]The station had also been playingN.W.A's protest song "Fuck tha Police"for six months before ABC management caught on, who banned it in 1990. As a result, Triple J staff went on strike and put the group's song"Express Yourself"on continuous play for 24 hours, playing it roughly 82 times in a row.[68][69]

Indie pop bandLime Cordialewere the most played act on Triple J in 2024.

The station also set itself apart by playing an unprecedented amount ofAustralian content,[70][71]and it was a pioneer in its coverage ofindependent music.Early presenter Gayle Austin reflected in 2006 that before Triple J, "Australian music didn’t have much production put into it because there wasn’t much money made out of it."[9]The station has always had a 40% minimum Australian music quota, well above commercial radio's 25%.[53]In 2024, out of the 50 most played artists on Triple J, 33 were Australian, including eight in the top 10. Further, more than half of the acts included anon-male member.The most played act was indie pop duoLime Cordiale.[72]

For decades, Triple J has been criticised for apparently sounding too much like commercial radio and losing its distinct identity.[66]According to Sam Whiting ofThe Conversation,the public critiquing the broadcaster for this reason is a "national pastime".[73]Writers have pointed to increased air time for international pop stars likeDoja Cat,Olivia RodrigoandLil Nas Xas proof of this, and thatBillie Eilish's win in the2018 Hottest 100was an outcome "unthinkable even a few years earlier."[53][74]Similarly, Shaad D'Souza ofThe Guardianclaims that in recent years, the station's programming has been dominated bygarage-popbands, and overall "consistent to a fault."[53]

Music data

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Launched in 2006 by Paul Stipack, J Play was an online archive of every song played by Triple J over 12 years. It showed an artist's trajectory from their first airing to full rotation. The privately-owned site was acquired bySeventh Street Media(Brag Media) along with music publicationsTone DeafandThe Brag,in early 2017.[75][76]Owing to changes in the music industry, J Play's usefulness diminished, and it ceased operation in January 2019. The Brag Media retained the J Play database of 40,000 songs, 11,000 artists, and 15,000playlists.[77]

In June 2024, Sydney software engineer Harrison Khannah launched Triple J Watchdog, a similar online resource that tracks each week's top songs, musicians and genres, with additional statistics like artists' country of origin, pronouns and their amount ofSpotifymonthly listeners.[73]

Branding

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Triple J logo until 2024.

The Triple J name is stylised inall lowercase,a marketing decision made in 1981[78]that according to writerBen ElthamofMeanjin,is one that reflects "a particular world-view that takes brand identity seriously". Marketing staff will vetpress releasesand posters to ensure the broadcaster name is written astriple j.[79]In November 2024, the logos of Triple J and its sister stations were updated for the first time in 15 years.[80]

The Triple J news theme introduced in 1991 is a remix of the ABC's "Majestic Fanfare".

The Triple J news theme is a "very 90s remix" of the classicABC Newstheme "Majestic Fanfare".It was written and produced byPaul McKercherand John Jacobs in 1991, and is still used as of 2024. It contains a drum sample fromPrince's "Get Off"and therecord scratchfrom N.W.A's "Fuck tha Police", a nod to the track after it was banned by ABC management.[81]This unconventional news theme is another core element of the Triple Jbrand identity– McKercher wanted to create a sound that was distinctly uncommercial.[82]

Programs

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Main article:List of Triple J programs

Through the mid-to-late 1980s, Triple J pioneered special interest programs including theJapanese popshowNippi Rock Shop,Arnold Frolows' weekly late-nightambient musicshowAmbience,and Jaslyn Hall'sworld musicshow – the first of its kind on Australian mainstream radio. Nowadays, the station continues to broadcast several genre-specific music programs throughout the week, including:

Currently hosted by Ash McGregor,Home and Hosedis the flagship Australian music program on Triple J. It is broadcast most weekday evenings, whereas other specialist shows are only scheduled for once a week.[85]Triple J also has several live music segments, includingLike a Version– a weekly program which sees an artist perform an original and a cover song,Live at the Wireless– broadcasts of exclusive concert recordings, andBars of Steel,a web series featuring up-and-coming rappersfreestyling.[86]

News updates on Triple J are written and edited from a youth-oriented perspective.Hack,the station's flagshipcurrent affairsprogram, is broadcast every weekday evening and features investigations into relevant issues impacting young Australians.[87]

Presenters

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Main article:List of Triple J presenters

Many early Triple J presenters went on to successful careers with commercial stations, the most notable beingDoug Mulray,who honed his distinctive comedy-based style at the ABC before moving to rival FM rock stationTriple Min the 1980s, where he became the most popular breakfast presenter in Sydney, and one of the highest-paid radio personalities in the country. PresenterAnnette Shun Wahwent on to host the popularRock Around the Worldseries onSBSand is now a program executive with SBS TV and producer ofThe Movie Show.

From July 2024, presenters on daily programs include:[88]

Initiatives

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Triple J Unearthed

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Main article:Triple J Unearthed
Missy Higginssays her 2001 Unearthed success led to her initialrecord dealand subsequent success.[89]

Triple J Unearthedis an online music discovery platform anddigital radio stationthat features onlyunsignedAustralian artists, focusing on discovering new local acts. Originally founded as a talent competition in 1996, notable winners of the time includedKilling Heidi,Missy HigginsandGrinspoon.[90][91]The Triple J Unearthed website was launched in 2006, and in five years, grew to host 30,000 artists and 250,000 users. Musicians can upload their songs to the site, and users can rate tracks and leave comments.[92]In 2011, Triple J Unearthed was launched as a digital station in five Australian capital cities.[41]

Unearthed hosts a number of competitions and initiatives to improve the recognition ofindependent artists.For example,Unearthed Highis an annual contest held founded in 2008 aimed at musicians and bands inhigh school.The winner receives mentoring, recording opportunities and airplay on Triple J. Recent acts to have found success with the initiative includeHockey Dad(2014),The Kid Laroi(2018),Genesis Owusu(2015)Japanese Wallpaper(2014) andGretta Ray(2016).[93]

Ausmusic Month

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Every November, Triple J celebrates Ausmusic Month, where Australian acts are heavily promoted across all its stations.[94]A number of events are organised, including major concerts– in 2010 this included headlining actsBag Raidersand Ball Park Music and in 2018 featured performances fromPaul Kelly,Crowded Houseand Missy Higgins.[94]Triple J hosts theJ Awardsduring the month,[95][96]and encourages listeners to wear their favourite band's t-shirt onAusmusic T-Shirt Day,an initiative which the station founded in 2013.[97]

J Awards

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Main article:J Awards

TheJ Awardsare an annual awards ceremony held in November each year to celebrateAustralian music.As of 2024, the five award categories are Australian Album of the Year, Australian Music Video of the Year, Australian Live Act of the Year, Unearthed Artist of the Year and Double J Artist of the Year. The most recent J Award winners for Australian Album of the Year wereSmiling With No Teethby Genesis Owusu in2021,Angel in Realtimeby Gang of Youths in2022,Drummerby G Flip in2023,andZorbbySyccoin2024.

Radio events

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Hottest 100

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Main article:Triple J Hottest 100
American pop singerChappell Roanis the latest artist to top the Hottest 100.[98]

TheHottest 100is an annual poll of the previous year's most popular songs, as voted by listeners. It has been conducted for over two decades in its present form and attracts millions of votes annually.[99][100]It is promoted as the "world's greatest music democracy" and has also spawned a series ofcompilation CDsreleased viaABC Music.The countdown of the poll had regularly taken place onAustralia Dayfrom 1998 to 2017.[100]In response to controversy surrounding theAustralia Day debate,it was announced in November 2017 that future countdowns would be aired on the fourth weekend of January to avoid associations with the public holiday.[101]

The station also runs irregular speciality Hottest 100 countdowns, such as theHottest 100 Australian Albumsin 2011, theHottest 100 of the 2010sin 2020, and theHottest 100 ofLike a Versionin 2023.[102][103]

In July 2023, the network launched Triple J Hottest, anonline radio stationfeaturing a playlist of tracks from all previous Hottest 100 countdowns.[104]It is the first sister channel to not be available ondigital radio,instead only available via streaming (including the website, app, and streaming services such asTuneInandiHeartRadio).[105]

Requestival

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See also:Super Request

Broadcast annually from 2020 until 2022, Triple J held Requestival, where they only played listeners' song requests for five days straight.[106]Significant airtime was given to songs and artists that would never usually be played on the station, including "Symphony No. 5"byLudwig van Beethoven,"Shake It Off"byTaylor Swift(which was notably banned from the2014 Hottest 100), "Rasputin"byBoney M.,the theme songs to TV programsAntiques RoadshowandSaddle Club,the entirety ofJulia Gillard's misogyny speech,and theGeelong Catsclub song, "We Are Geelong".[107][108]In 2021, more than 80,000 song requests were submitted by listeners.[109]The event was similar in concept toSuper Request,a nightly music request show that aired from 1998 to 2001.

Impossible Music Festival

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Main article:Impossible Music Festival

Broadcast annually from 2005 to 2008 was theImpossible Music Festival,a radio event that consisted of 55 live music recordings played consecutively over one weekend. The lineup of artists each time was decided by listeners, and recordings were derived from festivals, concerts, pub gigs and studio sessions.

Live events

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One Night Stand

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Main article:One Night Stand (festival)

Beginning in 2004 and happening annually almost every year since, Triple J has hostedOne Night Stand,a free, all-ages concert in a different small town.[110]It is up to the audience to nominate their regional towns to host the event, needing to provide examples of local support, including community (signatures), local government (council approval), and a venue for the concert.[111]The most recent One Night Stand was hosted in the coastal town ofWarrnambool, Victoriain September 2024.[11][62]

Bars of Steel Live

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Based on the station'sBars of Steelweb series,the station hosted a free concert inParramattain May 2024, featuring hip hop and rap artists from all acrossWestern Sydney.[61]Billed as the inaugural event, the 2024 lineup includedYoungn Lipz,A.Girl,Becca Hatchand Unearthed competition winners. Triple J also hosted several songwriting and music production workshops coinciding with the live performances.[112]

Beat the Drum

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Main article:Beat the Drum (album)

On 16 January 2015, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Triple J, a one-off, seven-hour concert calledBeat the Drumwas held atthe Domain, Sydney.Hosted byPeter Garrett,the list of performers, all of whom are the beneficiaries of the station's support, includedHilltop Hoods,the Presets,the Cat Empire,You Am I,Daniel Johns,Joelistics,Ball Park Music,Adalita,Vance Joy,andGotye.A recording of the event was released on CD and DVD in May 2015, which won theARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album.

Tribute concerts

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In November 2009, Triple J hosted atribute concert seriesforPaul KellycalledBefore Too Long,which was run over two nights at Melbourne'sForum Theatre.[110][113]In 2011, another live set of shows was presented by the station, this time honouringNick Cave,in a show calledStraight to You.Both events were recorded to produce two commercially successful live albums.[114]

Impact

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In the Australian music scene

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On any given day, hundreds of thousands of listeners across the country are tuned in. Label owners, promoters, publicists and musicians follow the station with relentless fascination, as its playlist and musical preferences can literally make, delay, or break careers in the notoriously fickle music business.

— Andrew McMillen,The Discovery Channel[115]

Triple J, according to Whiting, "retains substantial influence over Australia’s music market and the capacity for local artists to gain an audience," and has done since its inception.[73]With a more adventurous music catalogue than that of commercial radio, especially throughout the 1980s, Triple J were responsible for popularising some of Australia's most well-known acts, includingMidnight Oil,Nick Cave,Silverchairand theJohn Butler Trio.[116]They have also been given credit for creating local audiences for overseas acts, likeBlondie,Devo,Garbageandthe B-52s– 2JJ was the first radio station in the world to play the latter's debut single "Rock Lobster".[117]Reflecting on the station's 30 year anniversary in 2005, former presenterSteve Cannanesaid "Plenty of musos, comedians, announcers and journos got their start courtesy of the station."[116]

Triple J also had a significant effect onrecord distributionin its early years.Labelswould previously only import recordings that they knew would yield good commercial return, leaving them often unwilling to take risks on local releases from unknown acts. For example, Australian distributors initially refused to offer801's 1976 live album801 Livein the country, but constant airplay on 2JJ made the record the highest selling import album of the year. Thus, the label decided to release it locally.[citation needed]

Triple J has sponsored Australian live music events since its inception, and has organisedits own festivalslike Bars of Steel Live andOne Night Stand,the latter of which has run in small regional towns since 2004.[66]In 2024, Triple J and Double J supported over 60 festivals and tours of international and domestic artists. They promote such events in their radio programs and commercials and on their social media channels.[118]

As cringe-worthy as Triple J can sometimes be, the network is irreplaceable; it fills a unique niche in the Australian cultural landscape.

Ben Eltham,The Curious Significance of Triple J[79]

In January 2014,Fairfaxnewspapers published a report questioning if Triple J could be blamed for the homogenisation of Australian music.[119]Reporters interviewed a number of notable musicians who remained anonymous. One respondent talked of a certain "Triple J sound" that artists require to be played on the station.[120]Music director of Triple J Unearthed, Dave Ruby Howe, acknowledged there were some similar sounds on the discovery platform, but said bands purely chasingairplaywill get caught out.[120]

In radio

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Triple J's programming approach was copied by succeeding commercial stations. Notably,Nova,who had also branded themselves as a competitor youth station, had a "clearly borrowed" catalogue from Triple J, but was slightly more conservative with its song selections.[121]

FormerAustralian Recording Industry Associationstaffer Danny Yau said that Triple J's nationalisation from the early 1990s created a new role for localcommunity radiostations, particularly Sydney'sFBiand Melbourne's3RRR,to fill the broadcaster's gaps with more niche regional content.[122]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Stylised in all lowercase; seeBranding
  2. ^abThe station's original name was 2JJ, written as Double Jay[1]or Double J[2]— not to be confused with sister stationDouble J,founded in 2002 as Dig Music.

References

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  1. ^ab"Remembering Gough Whitlam: the man who gave Double J life".Double J.Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 October 2014.Retrieved22 June2024.
  2. ^Hope, Cathy (19 January 2015)."Happy birthday Triple J: Australian radio's enfant terrible turns 40".The Conversation.Retrieved22 June2024.
  3. ^McCann, James (11 February 2020)."Time to shake off Triple J's great injustice against Taylor Swift".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved19 January2025.
  4. ^ab"About triple j".triple j.abc.net.au.Archived fromthe originalon 12 January 2008.Retrieved2 February2008.
  5. ^abcdeAustin, Gayle (12 January 2005)."Off the dial".The Sydney Morning Herald.Archived fromthe originalon 21 March 2024.Retrieved12 April2014.
  6. ^abDawson, Jonathan (1992)."JJJ:radical radio?".Continuum: The Australian Journal of Media & Culture.6(1). Archived fromthe originalon 5 September 2008.Retrieved9 March2009.
  7. ^"Bob Hope-Hume,A History of Community Radio".webcitation.org.11 March 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 20 October 2009.Retrieved16 August2018.
  8. ^ab"The Almanac: 1975".MILESAGO.Retrieved3 February2008.
  9. ^abcdLevin, Darren (9 April 2014)."12 things you should know about Double J".Faster Louder.Faster Louder Pty Ltd. Archived fromthe originalon 13 April 2014.Retrieved12 April2014.
  10. ^Griffen-Foley, Bridget (23 March 2015)."From murky beginnings, Fraser became a friend of diverse media".The Conversation.Archivedfrom the original on 15 August 2023.Retrieved15 August2023.
  11. ^abRicquish, David."Radio Power Plays 1975–81 Melbourne, Sydney & Wellington".Radio Heritage Foundation.Retrieved4 February2008.
  12. ^Marius, Webb (10 January 2015)."Triple J's 40th birthday: High times with the department of youth".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved12 January2015.
  13. ^Giuffre, Liz.Gough Whitlam, Double J and the youth radio revolution.
  14. ^"Warwick McFadyen," Strike Up The Banned ",The Age,18 June 2005 ".Theage.au. 18 June 2005.Retrieved28 October2009.
  15. ^Coleman, Brian (15 December 2022)."Radio Days: The Ian Macrae Tapes".CX Network.Retrieved18 November2024.
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