PBS Father's Day broadcast from Port Phillip Prison

On Sunday 2nd September, tune in from 13:00 EST for a set from Melbourne’s purveyors of bone shaking country blues Graveyard Train, all from the Visitor’s Centre at Port Phillip Correction centre in Laverton, with PBS' Claire Stuchbery hosting proceedings.

The audience for this show will be prison inmates and their families – the focus is to provide a unique musical experience for the children of inmates on a significant family day. With face painting and other activities lined up, the broadcast is about offering a relaxed, fun event for the kids going to visit their dads on Father’s Day.

The combination of offering a live gig that doubles as a live radio broadcast from within prison is a national first. Fellow community broadcaster 3CR regularly broadcasts its Beyond The Bars program (a talks based program for Indigenous prisoners) from eleven correctional facilities across Victoria. Two years ago, Tex Perkins’ The Man In Black show was staged from within Port Phillip. However, the Father’s Day Prison Broadcast is a first in that it is both a live gig and a radio broadcast. It also is very specifically targeted at encouraging positive bonding amongst inmates and their children.

“As a specialist music community broadcaster, PBS has initiated this project so that kids and their dads can have a shared musical experience. The beauty of radio means that both people on the inside and the outside can also share the same experience” said Janelle Johnstone from PBS.

PBS regularly produces the Rock-A-Bye-Baby live music concerts at the Fitzroy Town Hall biannually which provides a positive music going experience for children and their carers. The Father's Day Prison Broadcast continues PBS' commitment to providing musical experiences and media access to communities that are otherwise denied.

The Father’s Day Prison Broadcast will be aired live on Sunday 2nd September from 13:00 to 15:00 EST on PBS 106.7FM, PBS Digital, and www.pbsfm.org.au. It will also be broadcast on 3CR 855AM, and available nationally on the Community Radio Network (CRN) for community broadcasting stations across the country.

This project is an initiation of PBS 106.7FM, produced with the assistance of the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF) and made possible with cooperation and support from the staff at G4S Custodial Services.

Community broadcaster PBS 106.7FM is an iconic pillar of Melbourne’s unique music and arts community. Since 1979, PBS has been a key provider of independent and diverse music. With over 80 specialist music programs ranging from soul to garage to country to jazz, PBS is dedicated to promoting and nurturing music in all its diversity.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Janelle Johnstone/ Marketing & Events Manager/ [email protected]/ 03 8415 1067

COMMUNITY RADIO NETWORK rebroadcast enquires: [email protected] / 02 9310 2999.