Taking Sides: Radio 1 vs Triple J

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Which of these national yoof broadcasters best serves it target audience?

When I first moved to Australia and discovered Triple J I was impressed by their dedication to the principles of public service broadcasting. Here was a station playing music that you wouldn't hear on commercial stations all day, instead of just a couple of hours late at night.

Over time I found that the no-pop policy on the J's meant a continual diet of bad indie rock music, accompanied by a perpetual smugness that accompanied their anti-commercial stance. The interesting stuff was still on late night specialist shows (which have recently become even more late-night.)

So, on the one hand there is Radio One whose commitment to providing an alternative to commercial stations is questionable, and on the other hand Triple J whose definition of 'alternative' is still a genre of music, ie post-Nirvana indie-rock/grunge.

Anyone out there who's listened to both? Which staton better serves 'the kids'?

― gascoin, Tuesday, 6 April 2004 00:15 (twenty-one years ago)

bad things about triple j = aussie hip hop, and their predilection for playing anything with swearing in it.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 00:19 (twenty-one years ago)

i will probably be hung for this but i would much rather listen to JJJ than either of the two big melbourne community stations

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 00:20 (twenty-one years ago)

last time i listened to either as anyone remotely resembling a kid: john peel vs tony biggs was never much of a competition

― mullygrubber (gaz), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 00:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Stopped listening to JJJ in about 1986. Too safe, too whitebread.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 00:36 (twenty-one years ago)

"i will probably be hung for this but i would much rather listen to JJJ than either of the two big melbourne community stations"

It makes more sense to just switch to JJJ at random than to RRR or PBS definitely, although the latter two have more specialist shows which I think is a good thing. Maybe it's just a perspectival trick that leads me to believe that JJJ spends less time moving outside its core sound than it used to, as I've become more aware of outside musics over time.

I wonder if the pivotal role JJJ played in breaking non-core material like "Milkshake" and "Hey Ya" to the large indie/surfer/adolescent crossover audience will have an effect on the music it plays. I was astonished to learn that they'd added Le Dustsucker's "Mandate My Ass" to their general playlist, for example, although I guess the title might have something to do with it.

I sometimes forget how all-conquering JJJ can be: I have so many conversations with people who refer to JJJ as if it's the *only* radio station available.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 00:42 (twenty-one years ago)

yes. people think because you're into (aaaagh, or *cough*) non mainstream music you MUST listen to Triple J.

As a mark of respect recently a relative just knew that the family day at my place was going to involve the hot 100. he looked expectantly at me as he walked in and said "its started mate, where's the radio?"

― mullygrubber (gaz), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 00:52 (twenty-one years ago)

haha how's that new john butler album then mully?

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 01:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Are there any decent hip hop stations in Sydney?

― C0L1N B3CK3TT (Colin Beckett), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 01:08 (twenty-one years ago)

What's depressing is that friends I know have JJJ hot 100 parties as the songs are played (though at least one friend confessed to thinking the top 10 wasn't that good).

Mr older brother argues that JJJ went downhill quickly after grunge broke, and JJJ wanted to do anything to keep the same audience/ratings. Anybody feel like confirming or denieing that?

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 01:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the idea of Hottest 100 parties is great, it's the Hottest 100 itself that is depressing (No.1 this year was Jet.)

That's the thing - Triple J could be GREAT if they retained their ideals and commitment to new music but broadened their notion of what good music is to include good pop music. They see themselves as championing the fight to get Aussie music recognised but their narrow criteria for selecting bands to get behind ensures the continued marginalisation of good Australian bands.

Nobody has come out to defend One Eff Emm yet, and I'm a bit out of touch - how is it these days?

― gascoin, Tuesday, 6 April 2004 03:33 (twenty-one years ago)

The other annoying thing is that Triple J is quite happy to ape commercial formats whilst maintaining that they are so much better than the commercial stations. Eg. the idea of having to have a "wacky" breakfast show. Wil Anderson is the most excruciatingly unfunny man. I have long since switched to RRR in the morning, but agree with the comment that JJJ is better to turn on to at any given randon time.

― gascoin, Tuesday, 6 April 2004 03:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Are there any decent hip hop stations in Sydney?
-- C0L1N B3CK3TT

I don't think so Colin. Correct me if I'm wrong, anyone, but you get a smattering ehre and there on the community stations (chiefly 2SER and FBI), plus a regulkar show -last time I heard-on JJJ.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 03:41 (twenty-one years ago)

we used to have a regular show but our, ah, star jumped ship to...(fucking well guess)

― mullygrubber (gaz), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 03:43 (twenty-one years ago)

so we're agreed that Radio 1 is probably better than JJJ?

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 03:44 (twenty-one years ago)

I've heard both stations and didn't really care for either.

I listen to community radio or nothing. At least they play plenty of stuff I haven't heard so even if I dislike it, I haven't heard it a trillion times before.

Triple J is boring. Boring music mostly, boring presenters and tries way too hard to be down with the young people.

― ipsofacto (ipsofacto), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 03:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Surface Noise - I'm not sure, nobody has really mentioned R1 yet. Are we saying that lazy programming of indie rock is worse than lazy programming of pop?

Also I would be interested to know what R1 has in the way of specialist music shows these days. For all my criticisms of JJJ they still have some interesting late night shows, eg the Sound Lab on Sunday evening.

― gascoin, Tuesday, 6 April 2004 03:53 (twenty-one years ago)

While JJJ's Oz music quota might be good for local acts, I think it results in a lot of sub-par material getting played. They're still far too rock-centric, even the hip hop and electronic music they're spinning LOTS now is still targeted very much at that audience (and generally rather poor).

Community broadcasters might have some decent specialist shows, but its far too hit and miss for me and the lack of professionalism from some presenters can be irritating.

Haven't listened to Radio 1 much, but judging by the playlists of the specialist shows at least, they're light years ahead of JJJ.

― Mil, Tuesday, 6 April 2004 04:21 (twenty-one years ago)

The community stations are pretty variable in what they play, but I would still prefer them for regular listening to Triple J, who (as mentioned upthread) just seem in their manner to be like a commercial station without ads or pop songs. Especially when they try to be funny, aaaaaaaaaargh! (Except for Roy & HG, maybe. Are they even still on there?)

― Hayden Nicholls (Pop the Weasel), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 04:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh yes, the lazy programming of 'indie' rock on JJJ is soul-crushing, not least because they often seem to play this bland regional 'indie'-by-numbers stuff that doesn't actually seem to exist unless you listen to JJJ (a friend once quipped that JJJ must have had their own factory for that sub-Jebediah stuff for a while there).

I can't conceive of JJJ being better than community stations for any purpose other than to check out what the kids are listening to these days (or at least a certain type of kid), or for the sake of the hourly news (probably the least awful bulletin on nominally music radio!).

― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 05:05 (twenty-one years ago)

let's not forget the swearing. if i was to record a bland, competent indie rock song with lots of swearing in it it would get heavy rotation with no effort whatsoever

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 05:11 (twenty-one years ago)

How else do you know if something is cutting edge - swearing just allows the listener to make an informed choice.

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 05:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyway, JJJ don't need a Jebediah and their ilk factory (the idea of sub Jebediah is a scary thought), they have the Unearthed series to keep Australia inundated with generic indie bands.

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 05:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha, very nice Jemond. Cruel but true.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 05:19 (twenty-one years ago)

It *is* true. The most depressing thing about Australian rock is the way post-grunge, indie and Green Day style punk converge into a colourless and obstinately unambitious sludge.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 6 April 2004 23:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Grey Day.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 00:06 (twenty-one years ago)

But but but Machine Gun Fellatio! *flees everyone's wrath*

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 00:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Ned, if you like MGF you may be aware of Christa Hughes from the band? She has just released an album. I've got it, it's very good:

http://www.earpimp.com/Maestro_Surgeons.htm

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 00:51 (twenty-one years ago)

if you like MGF

Actually I know nothing about them but their fundamentally stupid name.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 00:52 (twenty-one years ago)

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