JOY needs you! Radiothon sets $150,000 target

JOY 94.9, Australia’s only LGBTQ community radio station, is hosting a 11-day long ‘Radiothon’ to raise funds. The fundraising target this year is $150,000 and JOY says that even if each of its 589,000 listeners were to donate the price of a cup of coffee during the radiothon, it would keep the station running for two years. At present, less than 1 % of its listeners contribute financially to support the organisation.

The theme for the radiothon this year is “We Are You, Keep Independent Voices On Air”. The radiothon is an important annual event for the organisation and makes up 30 % of its income, according to the station. “We are all in isolation, all stuck at home, worried about loved ones, jobs, toilet paper and trying to remain calm through the many stresses this pandemic is throwing at all of us. By supporting JOY this Radiothon you are enabling us to honour stories by you, advocate for you and celebrate with you,” JOY said on its website.

In addition to becoming a member, JOY is launching a subscription model this year for its listeners from around the world who would like to support, but without the involvement required of being a member. JOY has promised that those who sign up or renew their membership or become a subscriber between April 22 – May 2 will be entered into a draw for daily prizes.

“Radiothon is happening earlier than usual this year and yes, the timing is less than ideal but… to be perfectly frank we have to go ahead with our campaign during this time if we have any hope of staying on-air and afloat during these uncertain times,” stated JOY.

JOY CEO Ange Barry, had last month in an interview told Star Observer about the challenges of running an independent community media organisation. “Community media requires substantial time, equipment and funds to maintain services to the public. The challenges of running an organisation such as JOY often centre around providing our team with the support they require to do their fantastic work – usually in the form of funds and equipment. We continually seek the support of our community, members, government, corporates and philanthropy to assist us in this journey. More recently JOY has commenced providing services to workplaces including podcasting and training, with the aim of spreading our message of diversity and inclusivity.