Joy 94.9

JOY 94.9 (call sign: 3JOY), broadcasting at 94.9 FM in Melbourne, is Australia's first and only gay and lesbian community radio station.

History
Under its original license name JOY Melbourne Independent Community Broadcasters Association, JOY 94.9 began its first test transmission on 1 December 1993 (World AIDS Day) in Melbourne on 90.7 MHz. JOY continued to broadcast via temporary test transmissions, mostly on a part-time basis sharing the 90.7 frequency with other community broadcasters.

Out of the approximately 20 aspirant community radio licensees in Melbourne, JOY Melbourne was one of only four to be granted a full-time broadcasting license in 2001. In its application to the Australian broadcasting regulator JOY had applied for a community license in both the Melbourne-Wide and lesser coverage Melbourne City coverage areas. However JOY Melbourne was successful in the Melbourne City license area where it succeeded against one competing applicant then known as City-FM.

JOY Melbourne commenced full-time broadcasting on its permanent license in January 2002 on its current frequency of 94.9 MHz.

In July 2008, after 14 years above a hardware store at 268 Coventry Street, South Melbourne, JOY 94.9 relocated to Level 9, 225 Bourke Street, Melbourne as part of the City of Melbourne's "City Village" initiative.

Time Line
See also 'JOY Timeline'

1993 JOY begins broadcasting on World AIDS Day (1 December) on 90.7fm. The first words ever spoken (albeit accidentally) are by founder John Oliver, “Can I have a cup of coffee and then we’ll get going?” The first song ever played (albeit accidentally) is by Jimmy Barnes. The first “official” track is Kylie Minogue’s song, Celebration.

1995 JOY’s first album “The Strip – Pride and JOY” is released.

1996 JOY’s first full outside broadcast takes place from the window of "The Outlook" in Commercial Road, Prahran – continuous for three weeks, 24 hours a day.

1998 Paul Terdich is appointed as JOY Station Manager and oversees the stations initial growth and later the stations successful application for a full-time licence. He stays for almost 10 years.

JOY initially shares the 90.7 frequency with Muslim radio (and 3KND Kool ‘n’ Deadly Aboriginal radio) so listeners could wake up one morning with disco divas and the next be called to Islamic prayer.

2001 JOY is granted its full-time licence by the Australian Broadcasting Authority in December

2002 JOY begins full-time broadcasting on new frequency 94.9fm.

JOY receives a grant from the Foundation for Young Australians to train same-sex attracted youth in radio. Six years later, more than 70 young people have passed through the FYA program.

2003 JOY celebrates its 10th birthday. There’s plenty of cake.

2004 JOY becomes the largest gay and lesbian community member-based organization in Australia.

2006 JOY’s full-time license is renewed.

2007 Stephen Hahn is appointed as JOY CEO Station Manager and overseas the planning to move JOY from South Melbourne to the City Village in Bourke Street, Melbourne.

2008 JOY co-broadcasters from inside the barricades at the 30th Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras in conjunction with Sydney station 2SER.

In March JOY commenced construction of new broadcast studio at its new home on the top floor of City Village at 225 Bourke St Melbourne and commenced broadcasting from the new location on 13 June.

In June JOY launched its member magazine Hear Here.

2009 In July Stephen Hahn resigns as General Manager.

In November, Danae Gibson commences as General Manager.

On 1 December, JOY 94.9 celebrates 16 years of broadcasting.

2010 Long-time presenter of Allegro Non Troppo, CBAA and JOY Board Member and JOY Melbourne Inc. Life Member Addam Stobbs dies on 16 June 2010.

2011 In June, the JOY 94.9 App is release via the iTunes Store allowing people all around the world to take JOY with them, anywhere.

Also, in June, Danae Gibson resigns as General Manager to commence as General Manager of Melbourne Queer Film Festival.

Programming
JOY 94.9 is the first radio station in Australia to offer programming produced by and aimed specifically at the gay and lesbian community and to a lesser extent bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals.

Programs on JOY incorporate a mix of talkback, music and specialist culture and lifestyle programs, including announcements promoting community events, counseling and support services and key networks supporting the gay and lesbian community. JOY 94.9 also operates a news service covering mainstream news events and issues as well those mainly concerning the gay and lesbian community and its long-running current affairs flagship, Saturday Magazine, continues to broadcast on Saturdays. The station is staffed by over 250 volunteers.

JOY 94.9 utilities online streaming audio to reach the gay and lesbian audience in the rest of Melbourne and the world.

All JOY 94.9 presenters perform their roles in voluntary capacities.

Music
JOY plays a wide array of music, with variations including techno, women's music, electronica, euro-house, disco, Easy Listening, Soft Rock, and Pop, alternative, jazz, classical, trance, independent music, gospel, folk, blues, hardcore metal, industrial, retro, brit pop, R&B, Hip Hop, Soul, Remixes and more.

Specialist Programming
The backbone of JOY's connecting to the gay, lesbian and allied communities is a weekday midday series of specialist programming introducing informed commentary to the JOY listener. Supplementing this day-time content is predominantly chat-based specialist programming broadcast from 7 pm to midnight each week day. Weekend specialist programming includes current affairs (Saturday Magazine), travel experiential ("Detours", in its 13th year), cultural ("Orange Ribbon") and lifestyle programming ("Cravings") and many more varied examples in the programming mix..

News
JOY runs a news roster covering weekdays and weekends in the morning, noon, and drive. Many newsreaders have found employment in the commercial industry, such as Nathan Gardiner who is now a News presenter at Gold 104.3, and Anthony Laughton employed by Nova/Classic Rock 91.5 and MTR 1377.

JOY Newsreaders are volunteers.

Q-mmunity Network News
QNN is a news feed produced on a weekly basis and is syndicated to several community radio stations across Australia. QNN is currently produced by Nathan Partenza and read by Anthony Smeaton, Jed Gilbert and Michael Pintabona. It celebrated its 100th episode on 27 June 2011.