Brunswick has long been known as the creative heart of Melbourne, and so it’s no surprise it’s also the home of Triple R - a community radio station that gives air time to local music, as well as conversations about art, cinema, politics and more. The station has been running since 1976 and has helped shape Melbourne’s cultural and musical landscape. It’s completely independent and run mostly by volunteers, which means hosts have complete freedom to play whatever they choose, unlike major, privately owner radio stations.

Triple R’s annual Radiothon is currently underway; which means they’re asking listeners to subscribe to their favourite shows to help fund their ongoing running costs and keep them on air. Wide Open Road is very proud to be a Triple R sponsor, and we encourage anyone with the means to to sign up too! In celebration of Radiothon, we spoke to a few friends about what Triple R and community radio means to them.

First up, owner of Wide Open Road, Jono, shared his experience growing up with Triple R radio.

As a teenager and in my early 20’s I’d listen to Triple R religiously. It’s where I was first introduced to not just independent music but a whole world of beautiful madness. 

At 16 I first heard all about The Beat Generation on Triple R, inspired I tried to emulate William S. Burroughs style of cut ups by facing two tape decks together, playing one and randomly recording on the other. Or I’d record off the radio, stop start the record button and then play it back to create a mashup. Triple R opened my world up. 

Hearing about live shows and the clubs and pubs through Fitzroy, Collingwood, St Kilda and eventually Brunswick that would before too long become my locals. The Punters, The Tote, The Club, The Sarah Sands, The Espy, The Empress, The Corner, many of them gone or too different to recognise now but triple R remains. 

Leaping Larry on Danger Low Brow, thinking about it now and I recognise the same feelings, a mix of excitement and danger and new worlds coming into focus. There was the Hedgeburners T-Shirt, not the band but celebrating the actual burning of hedges in the wealthy Eastern suburbs of Melbourne in the 90’s. I still don’t know what happened to it, pretty confident my Mum through it out and probably fair enough considering what it represented. Then at the end of the week, on a Friday afternoon entered The Ghost, broadcasting from his cave with all the eclectic sounds from the edge of independent music. Eventually I just took it all for granted, but now I realise Triple RRR changed me, in a good way.

At Wide Open Road we’ve been supporting the radiothon for many years and even though I’m living up in Northern NSW I still consider triple R to be my local radio station and dial it in when I’m driving around. 

You can support Triple R by becoming a subscriber here.