JOY BLOG

3 Dec 2020

Independent community media is alive and well at JOY 94.9

JOY Annual General Meeting was held on Zoom. November, 2020

With much discussion around the commercialisation of media right now, it is refreshing to know that Australia’s LGBTIQA+ community media organisation, JOY is alive and well, celebrating 27 years of existence this 1^st of December.

Holding its Annual General Meeting last Sunday 29 November 2020 via Zoom, JOY reported the achievements of the financial year 2019-2020, including their navigation through the difficult COVID-19 period.

Macca – JOY President

According to David “Macca” McCarthy, President of JOY, the pivotal change for JOY after the 2019 financial year, was vital to the survival of the organisation, which was going through very challenging times. With a new and refreshed board, JOY appointed Ange Barry as the new CEO in August 2019.

With the sole purpose of building a more inclusive world, JOY built its reach to 620,000 monthly listeners on 94.9 FM in Melbourne, grew its online streaming and social media base, reached 2.3 million podcast downloads worldwide, launched its new video streaming service, JOY TV, and picked up CBAA Community Broadcasting Awards and GLOBE awards for its content.

Recognising the importance of community participation in their sustainability, JOY has worked with the Victorian Government, partners, philanthropy, patrons, donors and sponsors to enable the organisation to solidify finances, refresh the content offering and transition to a multimedia content hub.

JOY Awards 2020

JOY’s 150 talented volunteer content makers adapted speedily to the COVID 19 pandemic, creating and broadcasting their wonderful programs from homes across Victoria. JOY recognised the team’s achievements including the Addam Stobbs Award for Broadcasting Excellence to broadcaster Ti Butler, and the Anne Hamilton Award for Volunteering Excellence to Clayton Wimshurst.

Ti Butler – JOY Broadcaster

Addam Stobbs Award for Broadcasting Excellence

It’s such an honour to receive this award, and to be recognised not just alongside the other recipients of this award, but also the much missed Addam Stobbs. JOY is a community that I am so proud to be part of, and to be recognised for broadcast excellence amongst this community of phenomenal broadcasters is one of my proudest achievements.
Huge thanks to the team I work with that help bring my show to air: Jordan Johnstone, for connecting the show up on air each week, our Program Director, Rachel Tyler Jones, for encouraging me and backing my skills; and our music team, led by Music Director Michael Polh and Interviews Coordinator Bryan McGrath, for their support not just with The Sound of Now, but also the Six at Six, which wrapped up earlier this year after ten years on air.

Clayton Wimshurst – JOY Volunteer

Anne Hamilton Award for Volunteering Excellence

Having volunteered at JOY for over 5 years now I have been delighted by the experiences that it has afforded me. Starting as a podcaster and moving into other roles like a producer, presenter and trainer, JOY has given me skills that have translated into my day job and even helped me to get leadership roles in teaching. Being part of JOY has benefited me in so many ways and I love what I do.

I wish the thank the entire JOY community for all of their tireless work. I have worked on a variety of shows with some amazing cohosts. As part of the production team, Jason Gipps gave me an amazing start and I have loved the continuation of that work with Jack and Jordan. Our work could not go ahead without the amazing Anne, Chris and a small collection of paid staff who all go above and beyond. No matter what your role is at JOY you add to an amazing community and I thank you all for what you do.

JOY awarded Hon. Martin Foley MP, Minister for Health and Equality, the inaugural President’s Award, in recognition for his extraordinary commitment and contribution to JOY and to the LGBTIQA+ community. Minister Foley was the guest speaker at the meeting, where he highlighted the achievements of the community to date, and the importance of continued work in building a more inclusive Australia.

JOY Awards 2020 certificates

With its eye on the future, a new name, chosen by the membership, was announced for the organisation – JOY Media Independently Out, Loud and Proud.

Looking to broaden the opportunity for the rainbow community and its allies to participate in content making, JOY proudly announced a regional, rural and remote content engagement project, and the broadening of its service offering to include multi-channel sponsorship, podcast creation, studio hire and voiceover work and most importantly online, accessible education services through JOY Academy.

Looking forward to relocating to the Victorian Pride Centre in 2021, CEO Ange Barry noted, “This year has been a time of reflection for JOY, enabling us to build a shared vision on our purpose, our participation and community engagement, and on how we sustain ourselves.  …. a direction was set to review both our content offering and service provision to ensure JOY represents and serves the Rainbow community of today”.