CRN to broadcast special concert from National Folk Festival

CRN subscribers will have access to a special live broadcast being produced on site at the National Folk Festival in Canberra by 2XX.

The commemorative concert features Indigenous musicians Rayella (NT), Stephen Baamba Albert (WA) and Jacinta Price (NT). The concert will air between 10:00 and 12:00 ADST on Saturday March 26, and will be available to stations around the country for live broadcast on the Community Radio Network's CRN-2 (channel 631).

CRN spoke to Canberra's 2XX Manager Simon Kravis about the station's involvement with the National Folk Festival and the Community Radio - First Peoples Concert. 

For how many years has 2XX been involved with the festival? 

2XX ran the Media Centre from 2006-2008 and recorded massive amounts of live concert material, much of which was used in programming. 2XX provided a 2hr live CRN feed in 2007 and 2008 on the following Monday with all music recorded live on the weekend, with announcers from 2MCE, 3CR and other stations involved. It was a highly ambitious undertaking (I don’t think the ABC would even have contemplated doing it) and a good example of what the community radio sector can do with a skilled and dedicated set of volunteers. As well as people prepared to work all night topping and tailing items, we had an experienced producer and very skilled technical staff. 

Has folk music always played a big role at 2XX? 

Yes. The engineer until 1984 or so was Terry McGee who was heavily involved in Irish music and one of the folk shows Lark in the Morning has been running since the late 1970s. The station ran fundraising bush dances in the early 1980s and has had numerous folk shows over the years.

How did the idea come together to collaborate with 3CR and 2MCE, have you collaborated with these stations before? 

The idea arose from collaborations with Bruce Cameron (2MCE) and Therese Virtue (3CR) in 2007-2008. We have since worked together on adding value to other concert recordings made at the National Folk Festival.

What exactly will the broadcast entail for 2016? 

The format is three radio announcers providing an introduction and commentary during act changeover and a wrap as a substitute for MC intros, and filler music usually used. When acts are playing the program comprises a front of house feed (possibly modified, depending on engineer and mixing desk capability). This format has been developed over a number of years. The radio announcers are in the audience for the concert and the ‘live feel’ is very evident.

Are 2XX following and or covering any other parts of the festival?

Yes, we will be doing interviews with a number of artists and broadcasting a recording of the Friday Poet’s Breakfast to our local Canberra listeners on Sunday. 

Why should CRN stations pick up the broadcast for their own audiences?

The performers at the National Folk Festival are of a very high calibre and Indigenous artists are of particular interest to the community radio audience. The program also marks 40 years of licensing for the three collaborating stations (2XX, 3CR and 2MCE) – other stations might consider something similar for their significant anniversaries.

This year 2XX has also organised a community radio stall, can you tell us how that will work? 

The Community Radio stall (located next to the Festival shop) allows festival goers and performers to meet presenters from the many different community radio stations who are present at the festival. For performers, the stall allows them to meet representatives of the media sector which gives them the majority of their airplay. The stall will run from 10am to 6pm for the between Good Friday and Easter Monday.

The schedule for the program is as follows: 

Rayella - 10:00 ADST

Stephen “Baamba” Albert - 10:40 ADST

Jacinta Price - 11:20 ADST

The concert will also be featured live on the National Indigenous Radio Service.

For CRN subscribers:

• The National Folk Festival Community Radio - First Peoples Concert will be broadcast live on CRN-2 (Channel 631) on Saturday 26 March, 2016, from 10:00 to 12:00:00 EST/EDT
• The broadcast will start with music, and the first spoken introduction will follow at approx 10:00:30, with a repeat introduction at 10:05:00 for stations coming to the broadcast after the National Radio News on CRN-1
• For more information contact CRN staff on 02 9310 2999 or email [email protected]
• Want some tracks by these artists for airplay to promote the broadcast on your station? Visit AirIt.org.au

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