Sonshine (Australian radio station)
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98five, also known as 98five Sonshine FM, is a non-profit community, Christian radio station in Perth, Western Australia. It provides a mix of adult contemporary mainstream and Christian news, music, and a mix of shows and segments with community guests. 98five plays music from Christian and mainstream artists covering current hits as well as music from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. It has over 380,000 listeners per month,[citation needed] and provides livestreams from its website and via iOS and Android apps. The station is a member of Good News Broadcasters Inc.
Network shows
98five’s twelve regular shows include:
- Brekky with Kirste and Morro, weekdays
- Mornings with Mike, weekdays
- Afternoons with Tim, weekdays
- Drive with Mel and Jeziel, weekdays
- Nine News simulcast, nightly
- Sundays with JD, Sundays
- Great Hymns of the Faith, Sundays
- Sunday Night Country, Sundays
- Saturday morning Mixed Tape
- SBL Slam / NBL Nation, Tuesday nights during basketball season
- The Jazz Show, Fridays and Sundays
- LiveOutLoud (youth program), Wednesdays
- The Gospel Show, Thursdays
98five also offers an on-demand service.
History
The community-licensed station commenced broadcasting on Australia Day in January, 1988. Co-founder and announcer Barry Grosser shaped the early content of the station, and remained as the General Manager for 25 years. Its former slogan was "No Greed. No Ridicule. No Hurt.".
It broadcast from Morley for the first 21 years but, with the onset of digital radio broadcasting, needed to fund and build new premises. After 20 years, the station received its first round of government funding when it was awarded a $375,000 Federal Government grant to assist in making the digital broadcasting transition. Premises were built at the end of Murray Street in Como to house new digital broadcasting equipment, studios and the former confidential phone counselling service CareLine. The station moved to its new premises in Murray St, Como in 2009, selling off thousands of its vinyl records and CDs.
98five also broadcasts in Esperance, Katanning, Dalwallinu and in 2017 plan to broadcast to Busselton and Geographe Bay. Its current slogan is "We’re family".
Funding
As a non-profit organisation, the government places restrictions on the stations’ income potential and sponsorship support. It therefore relies on pledges, donations, subscriptions, and business sponsorship to continue. In 2015, its listeners raised funds for a $75,000 upgraded transmitter during a ‘Hope for Christmas’ appeal. After donors were given the chance to name the new equipment, it was nicknamed ‘Hope’.
The station holds two annual fundraising appeals each year in June and November. In November 2016 it exceeded its $135,000 target over a five-day ‘Dare to Imagine’ appeal, broadcast from the Studio foyer with Perth public figures including the former Premier of Western Australia, Colin Barnett.
External links