History of the Gypsy Jack Boggle Show on Australian Community Radio
© 2010Rjn
© 2010Rjn
Australian Community Radio, by & large is run by volunteers in each local community having a licensed community radio station. They are not allowed to advertise and often the presenters provide their own libraries. In my mind one of the best features of Australian Community Radio is that it gives voice to the under and unrepresented members of society. Most frequently this is the youth segment, particularly those still at school.
Australian community radio helps to ameliorate the effects of those trying to create mono-culture around the world. Sadly community radio is frequently hijacked by those wishing to merely emulate the national broadcaster or commercial stations largely peddling paid ideologies or dogma either in the present day or in the presenter's memories of perceived better times.
The current Gypsy Jack Boggle Show evolved from its forefathers:- "The British Isles Folk Club" that briefly met on the old NSW Transport's Sydney Harbour passenger ferry, "The Karribee". The Karribee was operating as a restaurant on the bottom of the Gosford, NSW harbour/foreshore. A word of explanation here, the restaurant eating part was not under water! Sadly the ferry was broken up and removed many years ago.
In about 1997 or 1998 I was asked to put together a programme of folk music for "Wyong Gosford Progressive Community Radio (PCR FM)" broadcasting from Kariong on the New South Wales Central Coast. That programme was called "The British Isles Folk Club on Air" . It quickly morphed into "BIFCOA" or "Bloody Incredible FolkMusic Covering Our Australia" as my personal record library undertook a meteoric increase in material.
The vinyl records that became part of my library included recordings often brought by migrants from their home countries when they came to live in Australia. (See my comments to the Federal Parliament enquiry reproduced through the Australian Federal Hansard). In the years that it broadcast, "BIFCOA" sent to air songs and music in more than seventy different languages.... A record that the national broadcasters had difficulty in equaling.
Another feature that "BIFCOA" introduced was, whenever possible, to give English language translations of other language lyrics . This preceded legislation by the government. It simply enables all to comprehend the lyrics in the Australian common language of English so that all can better appreciate the fore-parent's thoughts and emotions held within the common pool of wisdom often transmitted by oral means alone as many could not read.
Owing to problems with the Australian Broadcasting Authority and the erratic issue of temporary licenses to 2PCR-FM severely impinging upon our ability to provide our usual comprehensive station coverage throughout the day, I developed a morning programme called "Gypsy Jack's Boggle Show". That was a programme that "took" public entities to the citizens to let them learn of their available services and "brought" the people to the services. The whole of course was bound together with folk music from all sources. It frequently amused me that many services paid from taxpayer monies did not wish to participate and publicise their services! Perhaps they were afraid of having the public ask them to provide service. How language is changed to suit current spin: - I knew such as "civil servants". The word "civil" is now substituted for "public" - a word that I more associate with urinals and overpaid Australian radio announcers whose latest pronouncements are discussed within the aforementioned utilities ad nauseum.
Consequent to the "ABA" preferring to give the "PCR-FM" permanent license to a non-local religious broadcaster from another area and the convalescence that I needed after having been run down by a motor vehicle outside my 21st century "vardo" in Koala Crescent, West Gosford, my broadcasting ceased.
The vinyl records that became part of my library included recordings often brought by migrants from their home countries when they came to live in Australia. (See my comments to the Federal Parliament enquiry reproduced through the Australian Federal Hansard). In the years that it broadcast, "BIFCOA" sent to air songs and music in more than seventy different languages.... A record that the national broadcasters had difficulty in equaling.
Another feature that "BIFCOA" introduced was, whenever possible, to give English language translations of other language lyrics . This preceded legislation by the government. It simply enables all to comprehend the lyrics in the Australian common language of English so that all can better appreciate the fore-parent's thoughts and emotions held within the common pool of wisdom often transmitted by oral means alone as many could not read.
Owing to problems with the Australian Broadcasting Authority and the erratic issue of temporary licenses to 2PCR-FM severely impinging upon our ability to provide our usual comprehensive station coverage throughout the day, I developed a morning programme called "Gypsy Jack's Boggle Show". That was a programme that "took" public entities to the citizens to let them learn of their available services and "brought" the people to the services. The whole of course was bound together with folk music from all sources. It frequently amused me that many services paid from taxpayer monies did not wish to participate and publicise their services! Perhaps they were afraid of having the public ask them to provide service. How language is changed to suit current spin: - I knew such as "civil servants". The word "civil" is now substituted for "public" - a word that I more associate with urinals and overpaid Australian radio announcers whose latest pronouncements are discussed within the aforementioned utilities ad nauseum.
Consequent to the "ABA" preferring to give the "PCR-FM" permanent license to a non-local religious broadcaster from another area and the convalescence that I needed after having been run down by a motor vehicle outside my 21st century "vardo" in Koala Crescent, West Gosford, my broadcasting ceased.
A few years ago a thousand plus kilometre move was accomplished from the Central Coast to the Victorian Wimmera and then to Horsham for health reasons. Ongoing problems of PTSD compounded by ignorant newspaper delivery couriers and local officials resulted in my having to move to Horsham to try and find some respite and peace. As Horsham has a community radio and folk & classical music has a therapeutic benefit to me, I returned to broadcasting with the "Gypsy Jack Boggle Show". The other very important factor to broadcast of course is that "for as long as there is one person out there listening to the programme I will continue".
The Gypsy Jack Boggle Show has resulted in the wholehearted resurrection of the concept of folk and traditional music on the radio. I slightly modified the title of the original programme that I presented on PCR-FM and gave it specific themes for each week of the month:
The Gypsy Jack Boggle Show has resulted in the wholehearted resurrection of the concept of folk and traditional music on the radio. I slightly modified the title of the original programme that I presented on PCR-FM and gave it specific themes for each week of the month:
- 1st Sunday: Australian Theme
- 2nd Sunday: Celtic Theme
- 3rd Sunday: English Theme
- 4th Sunday: World Theme
if occurring - 5th Sundays: Long Pieces & Concerts
From July 2010 I was asked to relieve another presenter who became gravely ill. He had a classical and classics based program every Wednesday. After quite a few months it became apparent that this presenter would not be back for a long time so I moved the three hour time slot into the "Gypsy Jack Boggle Show" umbrella to create an outright classics theme. This continued until July 2011 when the relieved presenter was able to return to present his programme.
All is interleaved with beautiful poetry.
- as the advert says:
"Tune in or chew your own ears off!"
"Miss it & Moan, Listen, Live & Love"
I always start the programme with "The Spinners" of Liverpool singing "The Family of Man".
This is followed by my Lancashire greeting:-
"By Gum, it's gradely t'be back on 96.5 FM. Today being the ..... Sunday of the month it is our ........themed day."
Our frequent closing theme is Allan Bell singing "So Here's to You".
All is interleaved with beautiful poetry.
- as the advert says:
"Tune in or chew your own ears off!"
"Miss it & Moan, Listen, Live & Love"
I always start the programme with "The Spinners" of Liverpool singing "The Family of Man".
This is followed by my Lancashire greeting:-
"By Gum, it's gradely t'be back on 96.5 FM. Today being the ..... Sunday of the month it is our ........themed day."
Our frequent closing theme is Allan Bell singing "So Here's to You".
Please tune in when in you are in our broadcast footprint which currently extends from Horsham out to Dadswell Bridge in the south, Warracknabeal in the north, Natimuck and the rock climber haven, the Arapiles Mountains in the west, Murtoa in the east and Wartook in the South West amongst the beautiful Gariwerd or Grampian mountains of Victoria.
If you are a folk artiste or group who is travelling through, please contact me to arrange for me to record an interview with you for the programme.
If you are a folk artiste wanting your performance exposed on this local community radio folk music programme please either contact me to arrange to snail mail a disk or email .mp3 / .wav files to the email address. You should note that I always prefer to air individual performers in sets that allow the listener a better chance to appreciate what you are capable of doing. In other words something similar to what occurs at concerts, festivals and live performers where those without attention deficit disorder can take the opportunity to give you a good listening to better comprehend your abilities. Or as "me old marra Roy" always says "Give 'em a fair suck of the savaloy".
“Drive carefully and don't drink & drive, 'cos we don't want more cripples like me in the world. And…........tune in next Sunday or chew your own ears off! Make yours an f.cubed (f.f.f.or f.3) f.f.f.folking good week.”
Yours in folk - Richard
If you are a folk artiste wanting your performance exposed on this local community radio folk music programme please either contact me to arrange to snail mail a disk or email .mp3 / .wav files to the email address. You should note that I always prefer to air individual performers in sets that allow the listener a better chance to appreciate what you are capable of doing. In other words something similar to what occurs at concerts, festivals and live performers where those without attention deficit disorder can take the opportunity to give you a good listening to better comprehend your abilities. Or as "me old marra Roy" always says "Give 'em a fair suck of the savaloy".
“Drive carefully and don't drink & drive, 'cos we don't want more cripples like me in the world. And…........tune in next Sunday or chew your own ears off! Make yours an f.cubed (f.f.f.or f.3) f.f.f.folking good week.”
Yours in folk - Richard
