Happy Birthday JJJ!

It is the best radio station in the world.

I don’t know where to start when talking about Triple J, because it is quite simply one of the best things to ever happen in my life.

I’ve always loved music. I did some casual work at KIX-106 back in the early 90’s, and had many aspirations to become a DJ myself.

It was either Computing…or Radio presenter…
What a choice hey?

I chose computing, but I still have dreams of one day being on radio, somehow…somewhere.

But, back to Triple J. This month they are celebrating 30 years on air. This goes back to the days in the 70’s where it was called 2JJ, lived on AM and only existed in Sydney. In 1980, they renamed themselves to 2JJJ, moved to FM and started to grow.

I lived in Sydney at this time, but I guess I was too young to have control over the radio station, because I didn’t discover them until 1989 when they went national, and I was living in Canberra. Up until that time I had to make do with KIX-106, or 104.7, who at the time were rivals. KIX played decent music back in those days, and this lead to me actually going into the station from time to time to help out Bad Boyd who did the evening shift.
As it turned out, most of the KIX staff listened to Triple J as well. This was back in the Mikey & Helen days of breakfast. Classic stuff.

To say that Triple J has changed my life is not an over-statement. They are a part of me, and a part of my everyday life. It is the station that exposed me to the music I still listen to today, and the music that has also shaped my life. I have often said that if JJJ don’t play the music, I don’t listen to it. They dictate my listening habits, for good or for bad, it’s the truth. If I don’t hear it on JJJ, I probably don’t even hear the song, except for channel skipping between Rage’s Top 40, or Video Hits.

It’s a lot of responsibility on a radio station. And they seize the opportunity and make the most of it. They have exposed millions of people to the joy and talent of Australian music. Add to this the multitude of live music that has been on the J’s for years and it has helped expose many many artists that would otherwise not had the opportunity to be heard by a large audience.

But it’s not just the music that makes Triple J so special, although that is obviously the largest part of it. There is a Triple J Culture. It is a special thing. A bond that exists between the listeners (as a group), the presenters and the musicians. And everyone involved understands that they are involved in something more than just a radio station. If I discover that someone I am talking to listens to Triple J, it just makes me appreciate them so much more, and gives us something more to talk about 🙂

But so far I have not even touched on the human side of Triple J. Triple J is broadcast around Australia to a lot of places. (some of whom have even funded their own transmitters). The pure expanse that JJJ covers gives it the power to influence, share and help a huge amount of people. There are constantly stories, guests and discussions on the J’s about youth issues and things that can provide assistance to young people growing up. It’s an invaluable service, and one that I am sure the government does not appreciate.

I can’t say enough about JJJ. There have been sooo many excellent Triple J moments over the last 16 years that I have been listening to them, and if you have any, go to the guestbook and add them down, or browse through the already hundreds of entries.

Some of my favourite JJJ moments:

– Helen & Mikey together at breakfast.
– Mikey, Paul, Sandy and Flacco for breakfast.
– Captain Pants (a tale of seamen and romance)
– Keith, the Swearing Bear
– 204 Bell Street (Sandy’s serial)
– Andy Glitre & the Groovetrain
– The original Creatures of the Spotlight
– Catriona Rowntree presenting the weekend arvo show.
– Dr. Karl….every week.
– Tunny in the arvo’s
– Merrick & Rosso
– Captain BJ and the Pirate
– Tight-arse Tuesdays
– A story on colonoscopies on the Morning Show (with sound effects!)
– Choice-Bro Tafe
– The Screaming Jets Live at the Wireless
– Grinspoon ‘Unearthed’
– Adam & Wil’s Olympics April Fools Day prank
– Wil & Nicole Kidman
– The first time I was on air. Smashing a ‘Hey Dad’ CD to get a Trainspotting CD
– Pauline Pantsdown
– Every Hottest 100
– Beating the drum in 2000 by mowing a drum logo under the plane flightpath in Fyshwick.
– The doctor that explained dreams. (can’t remember her name)
– Pearl Jam, live in concert in 1998
– Are you smarter than Dools?
– Rosie’s Speed Requests
– Gay School

There’s too many to name…..I keep thinking of more!
Remind me of some great moments!

Happy Birthday Triple J. May you continue forever so that my children can appreciate you and the music as much as I have.

Listen to them for the next 30 days and you will hear snippets from the past. I know I will be 🙂