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98.9 FM (callsign 4AAA), also known as Triple A Murri Country (or just Murri Country), is an Australian community radio station that caters to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in metropolitan Brisbane, Queensland.

Background

Murri Country was born in a time of the Aboriginal protest movement in the 1980s and 1990s. Murri Hour aired on another Brisbane radio station, 4ZZZ, from 1984 to 1993, initiated by Gungalu and Birri Gubba coordinator of the Black Protest Committee, Ross Watson. Starting as a daily pre-recorded 20-minute segment, by the end of the second year, it ran for 16 hours a week. Watson was also the founder and editor of the Black Nation newspaper.

In 1988 the Brisbane Indigenous Media Association (BIMA) was founded on the initiative of Watson, to cover radio, publishing, and filmmaking. Also in 1988, BIMA was granted a community radio licence to expand Murri Radio, but plans stalled after competing community groups appealed. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) granted funding to BIMA to defend its licence after BIMA representatives had driven to Sydney to address ATSIC's inaugural board meeting.

In 1991 the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal issued the broadcast licence to 4AAA Murri Country, and BIMA made its first broadcast on 98.9FM as 4AAA Murri Country on Tuesday, 6 April, 1993. Along with other prominent community members and the founding staff, the opening was attended and opened by Senator Neville Bonner.

The studios were located at Rocklea for 18 years, before moving to a new building at West End in April 2011.

Description

98.9 FM, also known as Triple A Murri Country or just Murri Country, is an Australian community radio station that caters to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Brisbane. Focusing on Indigenous and other Australian country music, the station's programs include Breakfast Show, with Jharal Yow Yeh & Tariana Olive; and Drive Show, with Clay Cassar-Daley & Emma MacNeill. It broadcasts to the Brisbane RA1 area.

The facilities at the West End studios include three digital and one analogue studio, state-of-the art recording studio and booth, three-camera television studio and control room, a training centre, and more.

98.9 FM is part of the National Indigenous Radio Service, a satellite network of over 120 community radio stations, with which it is co-located.

Exhibition

In 2019,the State Library Of Queensland held an exhibition titled I Heard it on the Radio: 25 years of 98.9fm Murri Country.

See also

• List of radio stations in Australia

Footnotes

1. Watson was also a leader of the 1982 Commonwealth Games protests, insisting on peaceful conduct. He also founded of the Murri School at 1277 Beaudesert Road, Acacia Ridge. He died in May 2013. His funeral was held at the school on 17 May.

References

1. HAAT estimated from Calculation of Effective antenna heights(eff_hgt) using the SRTM3 Terrain Database (International Communication Union website) using EHAAT.
2. ^ "I Heard it on the Radio". State Library Of Queensland. 4 May 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
3. "Ross Watson speaks about protests of 1982". State Library Of Queensland. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
4. "Ross Watson remembers". Workers BushTelegraph. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
5. "Vale Ross Watson". Workers BushTelegraph. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
6. ^ "Murri Country". Murri Country. 6 April 1993. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
7. "Community Radio Broadcasting Licences" (PDF). 4 October 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2007.
8. ^ "Murri Country". National Indigenous Radio Service. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
9. Brisbane RA1

External links

• Official website

• Radio stations in Brisbane
• Community radio stations in Australia
• Radio stations established in 1993
• 1993 establishments in Australia