PAM BOLAND, HOST: We've got someone hanging out on our mystery outline this morning. It's not that much of a mystery. I did give you a little bit of a warning. It's quarter past seven, and we're checking in, dialled in with Patrick Gorman, the local member for Perth and North Perth local. A subscriber to RTRFM, he joins us on the line to give us a little bit of a little bit of a heads up, catch up about Radiothon. Good morning, Patrick, how you going?
PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: I'm good, Pam, that's very kind of you to ask. It's not usually how we often start radio interviews in the world of parliamentary work.
BOLAND: Yeah, but you know, you got to break it up. You know, I know you're probably just having a couple of dry chats recently, so, you know, you got to add a bit of flavour in there. Maybe, 'how are you?' And it's not really that spicy. It's mild on the spice level, but I'm glad that you appreciated it.
GORMAN: Yeah. I'm going well, and we're all set for another big week in Parliament here.
BOLAND: Absolutely, yeah, I was gonna say, how are we checking in with you this week? Where are we? Where are we dialing you in from?
GORMAN: I am joining you from the nation's capital here at Parliament House. We are about to go through another four sitting days. But I have got time for radio, so I wanted to - and it's just killing me a little bit - that I'm not there in the studio with you.
BOLAND: It's okay. We tried to make it work, but in between all of the responsibilities, it didn't happen. But I do really appreciate you making the time to dial in and have a catch up with you. I saw the subscription for radio roll in on Friday, and I really appreciate that you got straight onto it. The opening day, you were like, 'I'm subscribed, I'm there.' You're a North Perth local. And I'm curious to know what a space like RTRFM means to you as somebody from North Perth, as somebody tuning into the radio here in Boorloo.
GORMAN: I think we are really fortunate that we've got a community hub like RTR. It's not just the radio and the community connection that it builds by people listening, but some 400 volunteers that actually make it all happen. And I spend a fair bit of time on Beaufort Street and seeing it right there is a really proud symbol that we back our local independent media, but also back our local artists, specifically musicians.
BOLAND: Absolutely, we're asking people this year to send back a signal, and 'sending out a signal' is kind of the theme of Radiothon this year. Signals are definitely something that we think about in terms of music, but we think about in terms of radio and just in terms of communication. Do you think that sending out a signal and asking people to send one back is significant, when we think about that connection and that media?
GORMAN: I think it is significant. And if I think about the signal that I take from RTRFM, it's a signal of saying: if you're about to go and make that leap to be a musician and put your art out there to the world, there are people who will back you. And there are people who will continue to want to receive that signal and help amplify it. And I think that's a really powerful thing. And I know I've seen the piece today about sort of some of the fears of what artificial intelligence is going to do to the music creation industry. And recognising that actually, we do want this real, local, authentic voice that only comes from artists making their music and making their voice heard. So yeah, I think it's a wonderful thing. And also for me, if I think about what the lore of the Labor Party is, we often talk about the 'light on the hill.' That's sort of that great aspiration of trying to do something more, leave things in a better place than you found them. And so when I think about sending out a signal, I mean that speaks to me in terms of my values as well, of the light on the hill and what you show others you're aspiring to.
BOLAND: RTRFM has been going for 47 years now. We started back in the UWA days, and where we want to keep going for another 47 years. So we are asking people to donate and subscribe. What would you say to the people of North Perth or people of Perth? You're the member for Perth, to the constituents, when we're asking them to subscribe, why should they subscribe to RTRFM?
GORMAN: Because you don't want to live in a city like Perth without RTRFM. If you don't make sure that you back these things that make our community special, it won't be as wonderful and rich a place to live. And you can do it in so many ways. If you want to chip into Radiothon with subscription, there's a whole range of different levels. You can pop in, I think, and buy some merch, if that's your way of supporting. And I think also, I recognise that people have got very tight household budgets at the moment, but a little bit with RTRFM goes a really long way. Because through, I think it's you target about 325,000 this year, when you get to that, you think about, that's money from the community that just gives so much more back. So you're actually really getting real impact for your donation.
BOLAND: Absolutely. I mean, it's a third of our running costs. We cost over a million dollars to run RTRFM this year, and it's run by volunteers. So that's like, you know, keeping the lights on and making sure that the things that you love about RTRFM can keep happening and the shows that you love can keep happening. I'm curious about what shows are your favourite. Now, I know you want to say me, so I'm not going to let you, you know, I know that you want to Patrick, you know, I know that you might I must be your favourite. So I want to ask, if you have any other favourite shows, or if you've heard any, you know, heard any music on the station recently that you've been like, 'oh, I'm so glad I'm subscribed to this station'?
GORMAN: Pam, what I really love about RTR is, when yourself and others go and do the roving reporting. So you can actually see RTR out on the streets, talking to people, making sure that you really bring community voices back in. And I know that's not just one program, a whole range of different programs. So that's the piece that I think is also really important. And if I think about the other thing I really love is when I either hear on radio people who talk about the fact they are also studying, whether it be in audio engineering, sound production or journalism. And also, then you sometimes see those people as they progress their careers through. I really like to see that, and I think that's just a rich thing throughout the entirety of the station.
BOLAND: Yeah, it is really rich. I mean, the On the Record program really highlights local voices, underrepresented voices, and also houses young journos and people who have a keen interest in amplifying local voices and voices in the community. And it's a really special place. We were catching up with Danae Gibson, the Talks Producer for On the Record, and she manages all those shows. She gets you across exciting new studies and important happenings around Perth. So it is a special place, and we're lucky that we can give experience to first time journos, and really special spaces. I appreciate you taking the time to have a bit of a yap with me this morning, Patrick, and I hope you're set for a nice rest of your day. Any final thoughts, any final wisdom, any final things you want to share to the listeners this morning?
GORMAN: I will just say, if you've gone through that, and I still haven't convinced you to buy a subscription, please do it, in spite of my lack of persuasion, it's really important. It's so important for our community. RTR, I want to make sure it's there for the next 47 years, for the next generation of artists, and also to make sure that we continue to have a really rich and diverse media in Western Australia. It's never been more important. So pick up the phone and subscribe.
BOLAND: RTRFM.com.au, or head to the phone room whatever you need to do. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. Patrick Gorman, it's been a pleasure.
GORMAN: Thanks, Pam.