Let's Get Digital: 1990s to now
Chapter 5
Radio was the template for television, 6PR Radio: favourite page on the internet1997the internet and 
This isn’t without trial and error. As technology continues to shift, success in these spaces requires a delicate balance, and it doesn’t always work. On Net: Ten News report on the launch of Talk Australia2000BigFatRadio is an example of an early internet radio station ahead of its time. So what was this precursor to our current digital radio landscape, and what happened to it?
Chapter 1New Waves: 1923 to 1935
Chapter 2Golden Days: 1920s to 1960s
Chapter 4All the Voices: 1970s to now
Chapter 5Let's Get Digital: 1990s to now
Return to Radio 100Radio 100
Read: Ctrl + play: the podcasting revolution - and radios' response
Radio shifts from live broadcasts to on-demand listening through apps, streaming and podcasts.
Let's Get Digital posters and ephemera
The design aesthetic of early digital reflected the period’s dynamic push-and-pull of tech and culture. It was bold, experimental – and occasionally chaotic. New tools (Photoshop 1.0, primitive gifs) and music (grunge, techno, Britpop) gave designers unparalleled expressive possibilities, leading to fractal futurism, kaleidoscopic palettes and early 3D typography. This wasn’t a cohesive stylistic movement but a bracing show of divergence. Radio, naturally, adapted, with posters and merch spanning deliberate DIY to cacophonic colour. Here’s a visual diary of Let’s Get Digital.
Read: Too soon for tomorrow: the story of BigFatRadio
An early experiment in webcasting shows how radio met the internet before its time.
Let's Get Digital essential moments
Once a purely live medium, the introduction of digital radio and podcasts makes it possible to stream catch-up episodes and podcasts at our convenience, and connects us with favourite hosts, untold stories and unique perspectives.
Episode 5
What's New is Old Again
If video didn’t kill the radio star, did the algorithm? Well, it’s complicated. In the finale of Who Listens to the Radio? we unravel the medium’s resilience amidst the internet and podcast revolution. Industry experts Benjamin Law, Wendy Harmer, Fenella Kernebone and Chris Gilbey reflect on radio’s remarkable 100-year evolution in Australia and ponder what the future might hold. What’s new is always old, after all.
Listen on
'What I'm excited about radio is it pushing storytelling in general. It's not just news and music – as important as those two things are – it's about Australian stories, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Australian stories are platformed next.'
— Benjamin Law - Writer and broadcaster
On 23 June 1989, Australia connects to the global Information Superhighway, an early term of endearment for the internet. The University of Melbourne facilitates this international link, providing a mere 56 kilobits for the entire country – barely enough to stream a song today. Originally, this is the domain of computer scientists, but today, 99% of Australian adults are connected online.
In 1989, the World Wide Web makes its Australian debut.
On 23 June 1989, Australia connects to the global Information Superhighway, an early term of endearment for the internet. The University of Melbourne facilitates this international link, providing a mere 56 kilobits for the entire country – barely enough to stream a song today. Originally, this is the domain of computer scientists, but today, 99% of Australian adults are connected online.
Podcasts – a portmanteau of the words 'iPod' and 'broadcast' – soar with the release of the game-changing 2014 series Serial, which popularises the now-dominant true crime genre. Australia also made its mark with the global true crime hit Casefile. Starting as a spare room recording by an anonymous host, it has since charted in over 100 countries, boasting over 500 million downloads.
Radio’s frenemy, the podcast, arrives on the scene.
Podcasts – a portmanteau of the words 'iPod' and 'broadcast' – soar with the release of the game-changing 2014 series Serial, which popularises the now-dominant true crime genre. Australia also made its mark with the global true crime hit Casefile. Starting as a spare room recording by an anonymous host, it has since charted in over 100 countries, boasting over 500 million downloads.
Interview with curator Jo McMahon
Podcasts and streaming have challenged conventional boundaries, making 'radio' a fluid term. Here, Radio 100 Curator Johanna McMahon takes stock of audio’s tech revolution: the inception of internet radio in the early 2000s, the unregulated nature of early dot-com platforms and the dissolving of geographic borders.
McMahon explores the rapid evolution of podcasts – from audio blogging to cultural phenomena, underscoring the urgency of preserving them from digital obsolescence. 'The misconception is that everything on the internet is there forever.'
Amidst accelerated change, Australia's love for audio is unwavering. In Radio 100's final chapter, we theorise why.
Launching in the late '90s, MP3 players liberate users from radio schedules, offering hundreds of songs at their fingertips. Over the years, they evolve into smaller, more wearable devices like the iRiver S10 and iPods, laying the foundation for today's smartphones and music apps.
The great-grandchild of the transistor radio – MP3 players – become a part of life
Launching in the late '90s, MP3 players liberate users from radio schedules, offering hundreds of songs at their fingertips. Over the years, they evolve into smaller, more wearable devices like the iRiver S10 and iPods, laying the foundation for today's smartphones and music apps.
Narrowcast licences empower stations like Mood FM to connect with hyper-local audiences. While the geographical reach is confined, narrowcasting provides niche appeal and a diverse listening experience beyond generalised broadcasts. Still a favourite in Australia, tuning into 87.3 promises a different station based on your specific locality.
The ability to reach specific listeners and locations? Enter narrowcasting.
Narrowcast licences empower stations like Mood FM to connect with hyper-local audiences. While the geographical reach is confined, narrowcasting provides niche appeal and a diverse listening experience beyond generalised broadcasts. Still a favourite in Australia, tuning into 87.3 promises a different station based on your specific locality.
Let's Get Digital tech inspection
The boundaries between radio and online blur as the internet becomes a daily part of life – and our audio technology adapts.
'When there's an earthquake or when there's a fire, disaster or celebration, everyone is going to switch on the radio because they know that's where they'll find the most immediate up-to-date news. And I think that will happen for many years to come.'
— Wendy Harmer - Broadcaster, author, columnist and comedian
Rewind and rediscover.
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