A new radio station will play a constant stream of music 24/7 to provide a platform for Aussie talent and undiscovered artists.
OzNow Radio is the brainchild of Bundaberg local Elena Di Fiore, otherwise known as Ellie D, a passionate Australian music supporter who said she wanted to fill a void in the radio industry.
The former HR consultant and career coach said the creation of OzNow Radio began in 2012 when she began questioning what she was listening to.
“I was sitting at my desk in Adelaide flicking through radio stations and I found myself asking, why am I hearing the same music on repeat?” Ellie said.
“Fast forward to 2016 and I joined a community radio station in Melbourne, Victoria.”
That’s when Ellie discovered the CBAA requirement: of all music programming, Australian community radio stations will broadcast at least 25% of Australian music.
“I found out that this percentage could include commercially known Australian music artists, so where would that leave undiscovered Australian singer songwriters?” she said.
“Later that year, I sat with a fresh notebook and created the blue print for a trilogy of products that would support Australian singer songwriters, and ultimately put original Australian music on the map of the world.”
Bundaberg move pushes OzNow Radio dream ahead
Ellie said moving to Bundaberg in 2018 and having some spare time on her hands allowed her dream of OzNow Radio to come to fruition, but it wasn’t the first project she had focused in the area.
“In 2016 I had developed the blueprint for a podcast plus a YouTube series to shine a light on the stories of Australian singer songwriters which I launched in June 2020, six months after becoming a new mum,” she said.
“This was a great opportunity for me to also focus on local talent within the Wide Bay Region.
“Not only did I have the opportunity to interview local musician Matthew Barker on my YouTube series, I also had the opportunity to share about Brendan Egan, Bevan Spiers, Chris Dingley and Bre Ferguson on the Bundaberg Now podcast late 2020.”
She said now her focus would also turn to OzNow Radio which was set to launch on March 1.
“Living in Bundaberg has played a part in the creation of OzNow Radio in that I needed to create an opportunity for myself that would allow me to use my skills in a meaningful way, and that is to support the Australian music business,” she said.
“For the first nine months of operation, OzNow Radio will be free of announcers and advertising, purely broadcasting original Australian music 24/7.
“The only voice you will hear will be that of featured Australian music artists yet to be discovered.”
You can access OzNow Radio via oznowradio.com.au and through all digital radio streaming apps.
Find out more on the Facebook page here.
