On June 21, 1948, Columbia Records held a press conference in New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel, to announce a new way to hear music. The long-playing record became the industry standard for the next 40 years, and is still preferred by many music lovers. The […]
We have an opportunity, probably a last chance, to restore Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio services to the Pacific region. If you have a Pacific connection, act now. The ABC shut down its shortwave radio transmitters to the Pacific last year, drastically reducing the reach of […]
It’s 80 years since we first met Superman. In April 1938, Action Comics #1 hit the news stands, featuring a new hero from another planet, a man equipped with super-human powers and an unerring moral compass. Superman was an instant success, spawning radio and TV […]
Music is a powerful force for unity. It’s an international language that crosses borders. And it’s hard to be enemies with people who make you sing and dance. Music can undermine political regimes, which is why they sometimes prevent you hearing the stuff that might […]
It is still, 55 years after it was given, one of the finest and most important speeches of all time. Martin Luther King’s address to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28 1963. The one where he told us about his […]
It wasn’t always cool to admit your liking for the music of Neil Diamond. In the early 70s, he was ultra-cool, every household had a copy of Hot August Night and a Neil Diamond show was the hottest ticket around. At other times, well, […]
I love radio. I’ve been lucky to work in radio most of my adult life, thriving on its spontaneity and the intimate connections it makes with people and communities. But it has competition on an unprecedented scale, from music streaming and podcasts, and all the […]