A Vibrant Tribute: Celebrating 50 Years of Triple J with Music, Message, and Mirth!

Australia’s leading youth radio station, triple j, is marking 50 years since it first graced the airwaves.

Notable artists, past hosts, and government officials convened at the station’s headquarters in Sydney on Sunday to commemorate five decades of music and entertainment.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was present at the event, contemplating the station’s “remarkable accomplishment”.

“It was integral to my upbringing, it was tuning into Double J as it was called then, listening to new Australian bands especially … Midnight Oil, Skyhooks, Hush, all those iconic Australian bands of that time.

“For each generation of Australians, triple j, with initiatives like Unearth, has also created avenues to appreciate our vibrant culture.”

Chair of ABC Kim Williams stated that triple j had granted young Australians “autonomy in news and current issues” unlike many other stations.

“JJ and its successors have often sparked controversy, yet consistently remain irreverent, creative, cheeky, interconnected, and vibrantly Australian,” he remarked.

‘It was simply exhilarating’

The broadcaster emerged as 2JJ, Double J, on January 19, 1975, established as part of a scheme by then-prime minister Gough Whitlam to establish a national youth radio network.

It initially transmitted to the Greater Sydney area on the AM band before extending its reach nationally in 1989.

During that transition, the station adopted the FM call sign of 2JJJ, rebranding itself as triple j.

Its inaugural program stirred up controversy when initial DJ Holger Brockmann played Skyhooks’ You Only Like Me ‘Cos I’m Good In Bed, a track that faced bans on other stations due to its risqué content.

“It was simply exhilarating,” the former host shared with ABC’s Weekend Breakfast.

“The fans who appreciated us were extremely passionate about the station.”

Two offshoot stations were established in the early 2010s, along with Triple J Unearthed.promoting autonomous Australian artists, with Double J seeking to resonate with a somewhat elder audience.

Triple j has launched the careers of several prominent radio and TV figures, including Lex Marinos, Jonathon Coleman, Judith Lucy, Myf Warhurst, and Wil Anderson.

The station has a requirement of 40 percent Australian music, and notable artists have frequently credited some of their initial achievements to the station’s focus on local talent.

Triple j organizes the yearly Hottest 100 countdown, listing the audience’s favorite tunes, alongside live events such as One Night Stand.

Mr. Williams mentioned that the occasion has evolved into the “largest day on the Australian music calendar.”

Triple j also encourages musicians to present covers in its Like A Version series, which frequently goes viral online.

Despite its established position with youthful listeners as a radio channel for a duration, triple j now encounters a juncture with younger audiences gravitating towards digital platforms.

National radio surveys indicate a consistent decline in its live audiences, with a 4.3 percent share in 2023-24, down from 4.6 percent the prior year, and 5.5 percent the year before that.

Conversely, it has been enhancing its online presence, achieving double-digit growth in podcast listeners, as well as nearly one million followers on Instagram and 300,000 on TikTok.

Former broadcaster Brockmann reminisced about that transition.

“In 1975, there was no breakfast television, no streaming, no social media, and no internet, thus radio was an immensely influential medium,” he stated.

“Today, radio maintains its relevance, albeit not as significant as it once was, but it perseveres.”