Do you love local music? 2XXFM is having a Radiothon Party!

Posted on 17 October, 2023

The 2XXFM Radiothon is happening again for 2023 and ending with a bang with their Radiothon Party!

Running a radio station is not cheap, so 2XXFM is asking their listeners to donate and subscribe to help to keep them bringing diversity to their local and national shows. And, to reward their listeners, when anyone becomes a subscriber, they go into the draw to win some awesome prizes!

The Radiothon normally runs annually and has done so in Canberra since the station’s inception in 1976 – and this year, the 2XXFM Radiothon is running until Saturday, October 21.

According to Mark Alwast, the 2XX Sponsorship and Outreach Coordinator, and Lorena Flawn, the representative of the Radiothon Committee, 2XXFM is “people power radio” because volunteers run the station along with a very small number of paid staff, making fundraising events like the Radiothon crucial to keeping them afloat.

Community radio plays “what the community wants” – and what they want is to hear themselves on the airwaves.

“Local community radio is the one place that will give new artists and bands airtime compared to larger stations, giving a real platform for young artists to get experience to perform live on air,” says Mark.

“Volunteers also get a feel of how radio works as a stepping stone for larger, much more commercial radio stations. Community radio is also open to the community and has them participate, share opinions, and interact with audiences with different racial and ethnic backgrounds.”

Community stations are predominantly funded by the local community and by a small amount of grants from the government. The funds that are generated from the community are used for the next year of costs, ranging from  general station costs, to paying people who work on projects like their  Local on Live program.

One of the local artists that 2XXFM often plays and who has asked to perform at the Radiothon Party is Sophie Edwards,  a Canberran-born and bred musician who had her start on community radio and is now conquering the Triple J waves.

“2XXFM is always my first point of contact when realising music, and knowing it will definitely reach my local community. 2XXFM has always supported my stuff – even airing my first song when I was 16 or 17,” Sophie says.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sophie Edwards (@sophieedwardsmusic)

Often randomly hear her songs on the radio, even when Sophie was completing her Masters in Creative Media and Technology specialising in Songwriting and Production at the Berklee College of Music in New York City, she would get messages from friends back home who heard her songs on 2XXFM. From a world away, having that link to family and friends meant that Sophie “still felt connected to Canberra”.

2XXFM hopes to sell out their tickets for their Radiothon party, and everyone who also subscribes to the station will go into a prize draw that will be announced at the party! Prizes range from two 2024 National Folk Festival Season camping tickets to two Dendy Cinema Premium Lounge passes. However, prizes will not be the only thing at this party, with some great musical talent performing as well, ranging from Sophie Edwards to Rental Snake!

And to top it all off, the night will be hosted by Roy from Local in Live.

And for any aspiring Canberra artists who are finding it hard to score gigs, Sophie (who has a new song is coming out at the end of this month titled ‘Four falls and a Telephone’) has a message:

“There are periods of time when it can be boring or just unmanageable and take every opportunity if you are comfortable, but don’t be upset if you are not getting opportunities – most of the time I get a no but when I get a yes, it is worth it!”

Feature image: Rafael – Clandestino Canberra.