By Cephas Issa
At last, UWA has its own radio station again!
UDUB Radio seeks to provide the UWA community with an avenue to come together, share our ideas and celebrate our differences, but this time, via the air waves. Its ability to draw on the rich history of radio at UWA makes it a very special and unique endeavour.
Firstly, tell us a little bit about UDUB Radio for those who may not be aware.
UDUB Radio is the newest addition to the world of arts and culture at UWA. It’s an internet radio station run by students, creating content for students. We’ll be streaming a diverse range of radio shows and podcasts that showcase and celebrate the vibrant culture of the UWA community, with a focus on providing a platform for the artists, musicians, aspiring media personalities, and comedians at UWA. UDUB will broadcast plenty of music, as well as entertainment content from campus news and political debates to comedy talk shows and live DJ sets; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We’re not your average student radio station–– we have a LOT of content planned outside of our radio broadcast like video content, live events, competitions, collaborations, and interactive content.
A modern-day UWA radio station has been in the making for quite some time, but there was in fact an old radio station called 6UWA FM? Tell us a bit about it.
Yes, we did! UWA had an FM radio station from 1976 to 1990, called 6UWA, and later renamed 6UVS when it was merged with Murdoch as a shared student radio station. It started off pretty standard for the time, broadcasting classical music and the BBC news broadcast every hour. It eventually evolved into a thriving and successful station that nourished the underground music scene in Perth and beyond, with many shows devoted to showcasing artists from the local Indigenous, POC, feminist, and queer communities. 6UWA/6UVS was a launchpad for many iconic figures in the Australian music and media industries and developed a strong culture and community surrounding it. Unfortunately, the station was closed in 1990 after the UWA Senate voted for its closure due to budget deficits, but after a huge fundraising and lobbying campaign, the station was reopened as RTRFM as it remains today!
How does it feel to finally get the ball rolling on this new project, and how are you going to incorporate some of 6UWA’s heritage into the new station?
It feels so great–– I’ve put in thousands of hours of work since I took on this project, and it’s been a wild time for myself and everyone involved, so I’m thrilled to finally be able to show the UWA community what we’ve been working so hard to create. We know there’s been a pretty strong demand for a student radio station at UWA for quite a while now, so I just hope that the UWA community loves UDUB as much as I do!
I’ve been in contact with a lot of 6UWA/6UVS alumni since making a start on this project, many of whom are still working at RTRFM and other radio stations around Australia. They’re thrilled to see this happening. As you could probably imagine, running a radio station without a pre-existing structure and culture around it is both difficult and super exciting. I’ve loved having a blank slate to work with creatively, however when I think of student radio I think of their history– especially the stories and rituals that foster a really cool community and work environment over years and years of development. This was my biggest reason for getting in contact with the alumni of the old UWA station. They’ve been such a great source of inspiration in developing a strong and positive culture for UDUB, and I have been doing my best to incorporate the stories and anecdotes they’ve shared with me into how we run UDUB.
What kind of outcomes would you like to see UDUB provide our diverse UWA community with?
One main goal is to become a voice for the UWA community that doesn’t leave a single student out. We have a major focus on engaging sectors of the UWA community that are often overlooked or forgotten— Indigenous, CALD, queer, and disabled students, international and offshore students, mature aged students and postgrads, small clubs, people who only come to Uni for class, and everyone who feels like there’s no place for them in UWA campus culture.
No disrespect to the other WA universities of course, but it’s undeniable that when it comes to community, culture, and campus life, UWA is unmatched. At UDUB, we’ll be doing everything we can to nourish a stronger UWA community that is even more unified, diverse, inclusive, and vibrant than ever before.
Another main goal of ours is to platform local and emerging artists from UWA and from the wider music scene in WA and Australia. We want UDUB to be the place people go to find great music they’ve never heard before, hear the tried-and-true classics, and discover some older gems.
Probably our biggest goal is to produce a bunch of professional, engaging, and quality content that everyone can enjoy!
How can students and the UWA community reach out to UDUB and potentially get involved in this radio service?
UDUB Radio is completely run by students, with all of our content targeted towards our fellow students. That means everyone behind the scenes, from the Station Manager (me), Directors, Committee and Crew, and everyone in front of the mics (and cameras), are all UWA students.
Anyone is welcome (and encouraged!) to send us a show idea at any time. We’re big on giving a show to pretty much anyone who has something to say and wants to show off their personality. If you’re the kind of person who can’t ever stop talking and would like an outlet to talk to your heart’s content, send us your pitch. We’ll show you the ropes, so no experience is necessary!
We have plenty of room for people to join our team as presenters, committee, and crew, so if you’re keen to get involved, here’s how you can reach us:
If you want to start a radio show or podcast, email [email protected].
If you’re keen on joining our committee or crew, email [email protected].
If you have any suggestions for content, email [email protected].
If you’re a musician and want to send us your music, email [email protected].
And for UWA clubs and societies who would like us to promote their events, email [email protected]!
Find us @udubradio on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and you can listen to our live broadcast at udubradio.com!
Final thoughts
So, there you have it. After hours and hours of work behind the scenes, UDUB Radio is finally ready to return to the UWA community. It was fantastic to be able to interview Charlotte and get an insight into the unique history and exciting road ahead for UDUB Radio. Finally, to reiterate what Charlotte has been talking about, we encourage all of you who are interested in this exciting new opportunity to get involved. Whether you love to talk for hours on end, have an interest in speaking to large audiences, or just want to have some fun, UDUB Radio would love to hear from you!