Sisters are doin’ it for themselves … on radio

John Singleton once joked about it. A radio 2GB legend claimed he dreamed about it. Finally, two decades on, Australian women are intent on transforming the nation’s historically masculine airwaves.

John Singleton once joked about it.

His former 2GB programming director, John Brennan, claimed he dreamed about it.

Finally, two decades on, Australian women intent on transforming the nation’s historically masculine radio landscape are backing themselves and creating radio platforms with women specifically in mind.

While traditional mainstream radio is still largely dominated by men, a handful of creative and bold female raconteurs are increasingly at the helm of new internet radio and downloadable streaming services targeting female audiences.

Last week Melbourne radio personality Jo Stanley, star of FOXFM’s Matt & Jo show and The Jo & Lehmo Show on Gold 104.3, launched the latest newcomer to the space, Broad Radio.

Broad is an internet start-up, accessible via app, that targets one of the market’s most influential and cashed-up demographics, women aged 35-55.

The radio platform kicked off on Monday with a two-hour live breakfast show hosted by Stanley and media personality Marieke Hardy.

Broad Radio’s Morning Broads; (left to right) Michala Banas, Jo Stanley and Marieke Hardy . Picture: Supplied

In a sign of the times, Stanley, who co-founded Broad with husband and producer Darren McFarlane, has used the platform to create a job-share opportunity for a slate of female commentators who might normally be unable to commit to a strict five-day rostered arrangement.

Three regular anchors – Stanley, Hardy and actor Michala Banas – sit down each weekday morning to present a two-hour breakfast show, which is broadcast from 7am-9am and repeated weekday evenings.

Indigenous media personality Shelley Ware. Picture: Eugene Hyland

The anchors are joined by a revolving roster of co-hosts, among whom is singer/songwriter Ella Hooper, Indigenous media personality Shelley Ware and sporting diversity advocate Rana Hussain.

Beyond these voices there is another circle of regular contributors. In the week ended yesterday, those included comedian Judith Lucy, Hon Katy Gallagher and Myf Warhurst.

Regular contributors have included Katy Gallagher

and Myf Warhurst

At launch, Broad features the five breakfast shows, one drive show broadcast on Fridays between 4pm and 6pm, which is hosted by the station’s music director Tracee Hutchison and an Indigenous program from 3.30pm on Fridays.

The station then broadcasts music and podcasts from its growing suite of podcasts through the rest of the week.

Although it’s not the first in the space, last week Stanley said Broad is a unique “game changer” and the first custom-built platform of its kind that has been designed with women exclusively in mind.

She has been working on the platform since 2018 after finishing up at Gold in 2017.

“I found myself going (and) looking for radio when I finished at Gold and I couldn’t find any radio that reflected my lifestyle at that time. I was 48 and in the real kind of thick of transitioning into my mid-life and all the challenges that come with that – parents and children, careers and relationships – that can be really challenging and I couldn’t find anything that really reflected that,” Stanley said.

The national platform will be funded by a mixed model, part advertising and commercial mixed partnerships and also paid memberships ($8 a month or $80 a year).