City Park Radio had the honour of joining in Harmony Week celebrations this year in Lutruwita/Tasmania – one of many Outside Broadcast (OB) highlights for the Launceston-based station this year.
A celebration of belonging and inclusiveness – this year’s Harmony Day event in Launceston was filled with vibrant dancing, food, live performances and an OB hosted by City Park Radio’s Multicultural Unit team. Engaging members of the local community through a series of live interviews, the OB featured cultural program presenters: Ayu (Club Indonesia), Pavel (Contemporary Czech), Ben (Indian Dhamaka), Luigi (Italian program) and many more.
Station Treasurer Chris Ball explains how recent OBs like Harmony Day, Christmas in the Mall and University of Tasmania’s (UTAS’s) Communities Day have led to new station volunteers and greater opportunities for broadcasters to sharpen their skills in planning, scheduling and operating broadcasting equipment:
‘OBs have provided inspiration for presenters to be more involved locally, with some reinvigorated to approach others in the community to join them. It all makes for greater inclusion and a more diverse station’ shares Chris. ‘As presenters gain more confidence, they are taking on other roles with other general programs’ such as fundraising support or becoming a station committee member.
‘Our specialist programming benefits the wider community’ explains Chris – noting that ‘the local community does not have to rely on national and international broadcasts for local information’ as members of the community have ‘the opportunity to present news and information, share happenings and events in the local community’.
‘[Community Broadcasting Foundation’s] grant allocation provides confidence to our specialist presenters that they have tangible support to access resources needed for their programs…. it provides surety and puts our presenters more at ease presenting knowing that there is assistance for program resources and content if they need it’.
City Park Radio (7LTN) were a recipient of Community Broadcasting Foundation’s Specialist Radio Programming Round 1 grant 2024/25. Funding assisted with the development, production and broadcast costs of specialist radio programming including outside broadcasts, equipment, music and program marketing expenses.