Melbourne’s only youth radio station and one of the largest youth-led stations in the country has just six weeks to crowdfund or face closing its doors.
Without your support, SYN’s radio waves will go silent.
SYN is facing down its last weeks on air after the catastrophic hit the Naarm community broadcaster’s bottom line took during Covid-19 lockdowns, the recent unexpected loss of core grant funding, and overall economic pressures, including inflation.
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These factors have left the station with few options but to crowdfund to stay afloat.
For two decades, SYN FM has championed local music and been an important source of local news and entertainment. SYN has been a hub for young people, a community platform and a training ground for some of Australia’s most important voices in the news, culture and music sectors.
General manager Ruby Smith appealed to the local community to spread the word and donate to support young people’s voice in radio and the arts.
“If SYN has touched your life in any way, if a show has introduced you to a favourite band or enhanced your daily commute, if you have been a volunteer at any point in our history, or if you’ve taken a workshop with us that fostered a love of broadcasting, I ask you now to dig deep and ensure that those experiences can continue for future generations of SYNers,” Smith said.
“We know the rising cost of living has hit many in our community, but every dollar counts, and all donations are tax deductible,” Smith said.
Across 20 years, thousands of young people have come through SYN’s doors to learn about community media and to platform their ideas, including 300 current volunteers.
SYN stated its grateful for the ongoing funding and support from all our donors and grant providers, including the Office for Youth, which allows us to run our professional development programs for 12-25 year-olds.
On 90.7 FM, SYN services a monthly listenership of 200,000 across Melbourne and Geelong, and nearly 100,000 across the globe on syn.org.au and digital radio through the Community Radio Plus app. Donate here.
